44 finalists have been accepted to go through to the final judging phase of the 2014 Rising Star Awards from nine featured business sectors to be announced on 24 June 2014 at a Gala Dinner in the Nairobi Hilton.
The finanlists have been picked from Construction, Energy and Chemicals, Entrepreneur/SMME, Banking and Financial Services, Tourism & Hospitality, ICT, Logistics and Supply Chain, Business Services, Service: Public and Private and Manufacturig, Retail and FMCG.
According Laura Barker, MD of BlackBark Productions, the organisers of the 2014 Rising Star Awards, in light of the recent headlines around Kenya’s dire skills shortage, it is incredibly encouraging to receive entries from numerous young talented individuals across various sectors.
“It is particularly pleasing to note the diversity, in terms of skills sets and roles, which we see in this year’s entrants, as this confirms the existence of talent across a broad spectrum.”
The awards, now in the third year in South Africa and just launched in Kenya, were established for the purpose of recognising, celebrating and connecting young, talented people who have not only demonstrated achievement and success, but have also contributed in an inspirational manner to the future of Kenya.
Barker adds that these awards are critical as “Not only will a company increase its talent pool by identifying and developing its talented employees, but it will also positively affect the organisation’s competitiveness as a result.”
“The awards are designed to discover this talent by enabling organisations to engage directly with their employees and provide them with an open platform to present their talent.”
Five finalists are selected per business sector and will join the Rising Star Network, an exclusive network which all Rising Star finalists, judges and mentors belong to. “While there will be only one Rising Star from each sector, all finalists join the Rising Star Network, a forum providing on-going support and learning, which is vital for further growth.”
