Attachments and internships
Industrial Attachment and Internships in Kenya: Placements, Letters and Guides
For university, college and TVET students looking for an attachment, and graduates looking for an internship: open opportunities, free letter generators and step-by-step guides.
Attachment or internship: which one do you need?
The two words are often used as if they mean the same thing, but employers treat them differently. Industrial attachment is for continuing students. It is part of your course, your institution sends you with an introduction letter and usually a logbook, and your lecturers assess it. An internship is usually for people who have finished their studies and want structured work experience before a permanent job. Some internships are paid a stipend; many attachments are not.
Knowing which one you are applying for matters, because an employer advertising attachment places will want your institution’s letter and insurance, while an internship advert will want your completed certificate or transcript.
Open attachment and internship opportunities
Latest attachment and internship listings
- Finance & Administration Manager · Medprime Training College
- Industrial Attachment Opportunities · Kenya Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Council
- Attachment/ Internship Opportunities · Kiambu Tv
- Procurement Intern · Medprime Training College
- Tax Manager-Vacancy · Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK)
Large employers such as utilities, banks and state agencies run their own intakes and often close applications a month or more before the attachment starts. Check their careers pages from at least two months before your attachment period, and read each notice for the courses it accepts.
Free tools for students
- Attachment letter generator: write a clear request letter for an attachment place, ready to print or email.
- Internship application letter generator: the graduate version, focused on what you can offer.
- CV builder: a clean, one-page student CV that highlights projects, coursework and skills.
- CV checker: a free score out of 100 with fixes.
- Applied jobs tracker: keep track of where you have applied and when to follow up.
Applying through NITA’s ITAP portal
The National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) runs the Industrial Training Attachment Portal (ITAP), where students apply for placements and are verified by their institutions. You sign in through eCitizen, give your institution, course, preferred period and preferred locations, and wait for your institution to verify you. Treat ITAP as one channel rather than the only one, and keep applying directly to employers. Our full guide, NITA industrial attachment: how to apply on ITAP, walks through each step.
One fact is worth using in your applications to smaller firms: NITA tells employers that it pays employers for offering attachment places to students, through attachment grants for levy-compliant employers. Mentioning this politely can help a small business say yes.
What employers usually ask for
- An introduction letter from your institution, with your attachment dates.
- Personal accident insurance cover for the whole attachment period. Ask your college whether it provides group cover.
- Your CV and a short request letter.
- A copy of your student ID and, for some employers, your national ID.
- Your logbook and assessment forms, to be signed during the attachment.
During and after the attachment
Fill your logbook every day and keep notes on the tasks you do, the tools you use and the problems you help solve. Those notes become your report. Our guide to writing an industrial attachment report explains the usual structure, what goes in each chapter and the mistakes that cost marks.
When you finish your studies, read our internships in Kenya guide and how to get your first job after university. Government graduate programmes, such as the Affordable Housing internship, are tracked on our government jobs pages when they open.
Avoid paid “placement” offers
A genuine employer does not charge a student to be attached. Be careful with anyone who asks for a fee to “secure” a placement, a uniform payment before you start, or payment to a personal phone number. Check doubtful adverts with our Fake Job Advert Checker.