Future SA - Volume 2 l Issue 2

EDUCATION l SKILLS DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING l EMPLOYMENT VOLUME 2

ISSUE 2

MAY 2022

Is an MBA still relevant?

Why adult matric

Funding your

education in a tough economy Getting into university the

clever way May 2022 | R39.90 Incl. VAT

22004

can help uplift SA’s workforce Building youth

entrepreneurs

Job Seekers!

Fit or misfit?

Should recruitment prioritise skills over education?

Laying the foundations for academic success from Grade 1 9 772788 710006

Editor's note

Change is constant and therefore timing becomes a critical component when it comes to preparing for your future.

We need to stay ahead and try to foresee opportunities.

For example, as a school leaver, what skills are needed to enhance your employment opportunities? Are these skills going to be needed for the foreseeable future? @FutureSA.Media School leavers who enter the ICT field generally tend to have better prospects due to the ever-increasing rise for digitisation across all sectors. Timing plays a key role here – looking towards the future and studying towards something that is required going forward. There will, however, always be a need for diversity about career choices (see the article on Why South Africa needs the humanities).

We all know that that tertiary education and furthering your studies comes at a huge cost. Here too timing is important as it is sometimes too late when you apply to get into a course, or when applying for a bursary. At this stage of the year, matriculants should already be prepped and ready to apply to their institutions and back-up institutions of choice.

When it comes to bursaries, these are sometimes advertised throughout the year with varying closing dates, so it’s critical that matriculants are always on the lookout for these.

We don’t know what the future holds, but we can prepare ourselves timeously to meet any challenges or opportunities.

Win! Win!

Win!

@FutureSA9

future__sa

Our lives are in constant change – and whether you are a matriculant, an unemployed adult, a skilled individual or a professional, we all need to stay alert and empower ourselves through constant skills development.

It is a waste of time to compare yourself to others – yes, they may have had more opportunities or be richer – and rather spend your energy firmly focused on achieving your goals, whether it be via traditional methods or finding alternatives.

Unemployment is a major issue; realities such as poverty is a challenge, accessing tertiary education with limited spaces is problematic… but we need to dig deep – easier said than done – as we are powerful and have the capacity to plot our own course through life. Life is a journey and rarely goes according to plan, but we can plot, prepare, act and be on time – and on trend!

Tashne

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Contents 6 Effecting change & improving quality of learning through a dedicated school-based support team

10 12 5 reasons why home-schooling has become a first choice 14 Advertorial: Classroom reboot with robotics 16 Why adult matric can help uplift SA’s workforce 20 Humanities on the rise Advertorial: Accelerated digital transformation – more than 23 Laying the foundations for academic success from Grade 1

just technology

24 Getting into university the clever way 26 The after-school sector takes an ecosystem approach to recover learning losses

Advertorial: Your future reimagined 28 30 Is an MBA still relevant?

32 Why South Africa needs the Humanities!

36 A new kind of business school for the digital age 38 The ultimate checklist for developing successful e-learning courses

41

Advertorial: Unlock your potential with Foster-Melliar eLearning solutions

42 Funding your education in a tough economy 44 Chipping away at SA’s work crisis, one learner at a time 48 Advertorial: University of the Free State – How to produce

graduates that are not just surviving, but thriving in the new world of work

6 Carlton Crescent, Parklands, 7441

Tel: 021 424 3625 | Fax: 086 270 9693 Email: info@futuresa.co.za

|

@FutureSA.Media

Website: www.mediaxpose.co.za

@FutureSA9

PUBLISHER Elroy van Heerden | elroy@mediaxpose.co.za EDITOR Tashne Singh | editor@futuresa.co.za SUB-EDITOR Tessa O’Hara | tessa.ohara@gmail.com CONTENT MANAGER Wadoeda Adams | artwork@mediaxpose.co.za EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Louise Schoonwinkel Somila Mjekula Robyn Schnell Eloise Nolte Dalya Ketz Thembile Cele Warren Bonheim Busisiwe Bebeza DESIGN & LAYOUT: Anja Bramley | artwork1@mediaxpose.co.za Shaun Mays | artwork2@mediaxpose.co.za MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS Maurisha Niewenhuys | maurisha@mediaxpose.co.za ADVERTISING SALES Brandon Cornell | brandon@mediaxpose.co.za Kanak Nathoo | kanak@mediaxpose.co.za Lorraine Beneke | lorraine@mediaxpose.co.za Ketsia Makola Kiangebeni | ketsia@mediaxpose.co.za DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Jay-Dee van Rensburg | digital@mediaxpose.co.za SOCIAL MEDIA CO-ORDINATOR Kyla van Heerden | social@mediaxpose.co.za

50 Academic integrity in higher education – don’t build your

DISTRIBUTION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Shihaam Gyer | distribution@mediaxpose.co.za

52 Hire and hold – employee retention just as critical as

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Shaun Mays | shaun@mediaxpose.co.za

56 Fit or misfit?

58 6 productivity killers that impact success 60 Should recruitment prioritise skills over education?

64 Impact Sourcing – the power to tackle youth unemployment

WEBSITE DEVELOPER/ADMINISTRATOR Justin McGregor | justin@mediaxpose.co.za

future on false foundations attracting talent

& halt SA’s ticking time bomb

68 Building South Africa by building youth entrepreneurs 72 Datacentrix & HPE join forces in Alexandra to assist with small business and youth development initiative

74 Need for greater welding expertise to maintain SA's critical infrastructure

76 Subscription 78 Book Reviews: Pearson Higher Education New Titles 4

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RECEPTIONIST Daniela Daniels | receptionist@mediaxpose.co.za

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its agents. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published, the publisher does not accept responsibility for any error or omission contained herein. Consequently, no person connected with the publication of this journal will be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any reader as a result of action following statements or opinions expressed herein. The publisher will give consideration to all material submitted, but does not take responsibility for damage or its safe return.

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Fostering learner engagement and healthy competition It is no secret that kids enjoy gaming. It’s fun, introduces the element of competition and has become a very big part of how they socially interact these days. With this in mind Wingu Academy has embarked on a journey to take education to the next level by incorporating progress based gamification into their course development and learner support.

According to trueeducationpartnerships.com the gamification theory in education is that learners learn best when they are also having fun. Not only this – they also learn best when they have goals, targets and achievements to reach for, of course in a way the learner still perceives as fun. There are a number of reasons Wingu believes that this will not only benefit our learners, but also empower our teachers and parents to foster responsibility and accountability.

How does this benefit learners?

Learners will be rewarded for engagement rather than just achievement, so it immediately alleviates the stress of having to compete with other learners who may score higher grades in a subject whilst at the same time, promote healthy competition. Learning that healthy competition is a natural part of life and that effort can lead to success, is a huge benefit related to this approach. It also increases self-esteem as learners discover that there are many valuable lessons in both winning and losing.

How does this benefit teachers?

Teachers will have a track record of activity, participation and engagement. This is important for teachers to identify any possible shortfalls where learner support may be required. It also assists teachers to identify how best to assist and encourage learners to master course material.

How does it benefit parents?

Education needs to be personalised and adapted for each learner to be motivated to learn and digest course material based on their own learning style. Because parents will have access to the activity logs, it will be easy for parents to stay up to date with their child’s progress.

How can parents foster healthy competition within children?

According to Dr Serahani Symington, Child and Adolescent Counsellor and Play Therapy Specialist, it’s important to realise that every child responds differently to any form of competition. “It’s pivotal to reward your child for effort, rather than results, because this can play a huge role in building their self-esteem and how they experience competition. Rather focus on an approach of encouraging cooperation and teamwork and that it’s not about the outcome of the competition itself. This teaches children empathy, resilience and emotional intelligence, which is one of the most important skills to master to thrive in life.”

At Wingu Academy we believe that teaching children resilience is one of the best tools to set them up for success in life.

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Stages 1-9 I iGCSE I iAS/A Levels I CAPS ACCREDITED BY:

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+27 (0) 72 582 6711

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Education

Effecting change & improving quality of learning through a dedicated school-based support team Learners in disadvantaged communities face many barriers to learning, the very tool they need to battle inequality and carve out a better future for themselves. Support and resources in these communities are scarce so a lot more is expected and needed from resources that are available. This means that schools in these communities have been left with the task of trying to find solutions to and help combat these barriers, largely on their own.

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Education

The School Based Support Team (SBST) at Nokuphila Pre-Primary and Primary School was created to do just that: help learners overcome learning barriers. The team consists of Elsie Lekana (a Social Worker), Penny Clark (an Occupational Therapist), Laura Smit (a Remedial Therapist) and Mabel Sikhakhane the Chairperson of the SBST, Head of the Foundation Phase and Pre-Primary, and the Acting Principal at Nokuphila Primary School.

Each of these professionals contributes a unique skill set and work as a cohesive unit to help identify and combat children’s learning barriers.

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Each professional in the team contributes a unique skill set

Each of these professionals contributes a unique skill set and work as a cohesive unit to help identify and combat children’s learning barriers.

As the occupational therapist at Nokuphila School, Penny Clark looks at how the children are functioning in school.

“I look at the foundational skills that are needed for learning and specifically the nonverbal skills, visual perception, gross motor, and fine motor. I am based in the preschool because that is the most important foundation/consolidation ages for those skills,” says Clark.

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Education

Laura Smit brings a wealth of knowledge to her role as the remedial therapist and learning support teacher for the pre-school and foundation phase at Nokuphila School (preprimary through to grade three).

By liaising with the teachers, children are identified who are struggling in the classroom due to either learning gaps or learning barriers.

Together with the rest of the team and the teachers, Smit designs a remedial support programme for each child. By providing the children with a playful and anxiety free environment and making use of play-learning methods designed around each child’s needs, together they cover core skills such as reading, language, mathematics, etc.

Elsie Lekana works closely with both the learners and parents at Nokuphila Pre-Primary and Primary school in her role as a qualified social worker. She also works closely with child welfare organisations to help identify the most vulnerable children in the community, who they then nominate for enrolment at Nokuphila as learners.

Lekana looks to the problems learners face beyond the classroom – in their homes. She investigates the home situation and says that her work is “to ensure that children and parents are supported physically, psychologically and emotionally.”

This is extremely tough as social ills (bullying, hunger, abuse, crime, etc.) and a whole host of other issues are rife in poor communities. And, because Nokuphila focuses on the most vulnerable learners in the community most of their learners have been exposed to the most brutal parts of our society, which naturally takes a toll on them and their parents.

Lekana works with families to help address root problems and if needed, escalates cases where the learner may be in danger to the relevant authorities. Children who are traumatised do not learn better. Children who are lacking do not learn better.

So, it's for the team to take over and make sure that the child is well supported for learning.”

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Learners, teachers and parents benefit

The benefit of a support team with such a variety of complementary qualifications and skills set means that not only the learners, but the teachers and parents too, benefit from their professional guidance, advice, and support.

Through their shared knowledge and strategic approach, they provide a more effective and holistic solution to psychosocial and learning problems that are often multifaceted. But, without the buy-in from teachers and parents to act on the professional support provided, all the efforts from the SBST are for naught.

“There is a tripod chair of learning (teachers, parents, learners).

If one leg is missing, then effective learning is not taking place,” says Sikhakhane.

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Education

Laying the

foundations for academic success from Grade 1 Building the foundations for future academic success must start from when a child enters Grade 1, and the focus must be on cultivating a love of learning, an education expert says.

“Parents have an important role to play in the early years in terms of developing the framework for a child’s educational journey. One of the most important ways in which this can be done, is to help the child navigate the early years with humour and enthusiasm, to ensure the process of learning and discovery creates positive associations in the brain, rather than feelings of anxiety and despondency,” says Desiree Hugo, Academic Head: Schools Division at ADvTECH, Africa’s leading private education provider.

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Hugo says that by providing playful after-school home routines right from the start, children are able to grow and thrive throughout their school career.

“While there is little to no homework in the early years, putting aside some time every day to focus on the day’s activities, by talking over what was done in school during the day and reading together, for instance, young children will start getting into a natural routine of building upon what they’ve learned.

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Education

By making this a fun and enjoyable experience, and a positive family interaction, they will start to associate learning with empowerment, which will pay dividends down the line when the workload does start to grow,” she explains.

In addition to setting up a daily ‘connection’ routine with positive associations right from the start, parents should also help their children build the skills which will be required from them later in their school careers, says Hugo. These include:

Healthy routines

Children need a healthy diet, plenty of sleep and exercise.

Unhealthy habits and routines can manifest in a child’s general disposition and academic engagement, so establishing good habits – including limiting screentime – is key.

Resilience

Help your child keep a balance and put things into context.

Sometimes small things going wrong can have a big impact, especially on sensitive children, so young children need to understand that just because they haven’t yet mastered something, this doesn’t mean they can’t. Help them by emphasising the word ‘yet’ – "I haven’t mastered this YET, but I will keep trying and then I will".

Staying positive

While it is normal for parents to feel a little competitive and compare their child’s progress to others, this instinct should be kept in check.

Children can very quickly sense if parents feel they are not measuring up to their peers and this can kickstart a downward spiral in terms of motivation and belief in self.

The early years is a developmental stage, and a time for students to explore, discover and hone their skills. Mastering a skill may take many attempts and parents should afford their children the time and space to do so. Therefore, don’t let the child feel their school performance is the be all and end all. It’s okay to not get a perfect score on every spelling quiz, and to focus on mastery rather than performance.

Learning styles

If you see your child struggling, it is worth speaking to their teacher or a counsellor to determine whether they perhaps have a unique learning style or special needs which require additional support.

There are many different approaches to learning and finding those that work for your child will work wonders on their learning journey. Additionally, it might be that the environment is not right for your child, which is why it is important to find a school that is a right fit.

It is vital for parents to do thorough research when choosing a school, by talking to other parents, visiting the school, finding out what their approach entails, and how they will enable your child’s success. And if your child experiences anxiety, it is essential to engage directly with the teachers and school leadership teams to consider supportive interventions – prior to moving environments.

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Education

5

reasons why home-schooling

has become a first choice

By Louise Schoonwinkel, MD of Optimi Home

The last two years have been a rollercoaster ride for many families in South Africa, as we navigated school closures and learning from home.

But now that the lockdown has ended, many families have come to realise that home-schooling works for them.

Since the pandemic started, we at Impaq – South Africa’s largest home-schooling provider – saw our learner numbers jump almost 60%, from 19 000 to over 30 000 in the last 24 months. Strong growth has continued, and Impaq also launched a new online school at the start of this year.

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Education

We have seen a range of families making the full-time switch to home-schooling, from those that have enjoyed the more individualised attention their children receive to others that have moved across the country.

As a parent, you may be wondering whether home-schooling is the right fit for you and your child. To help you navigate this, here are five key reasons why home-schooling has become a first choice for many families in South Africa.

Pathway to matric

Credible home-schooling providers, such as Impaq, follow the same CAPS-aligned curriculum that every school in the country adheres to.

Learners who use Impaq’s solutions are registered with SACAI (South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute), one of the three examination bodies recognised by Umalusi.

Because of this, these learners write the same exams as every other school child in the country, and they will receive a National Senior certificate upon successfully completing their matric.

Learners who achieve a Bachelor’s pass will also be eligible to continue tertiary studies at any University in South Africa.

Choice

Home-schooling learners have access to more subjects than those that are typically offered in schools.

In a traditional school, learners at FET level (Grade 10-12) are typically restricted to choosing only a certain number of subjects or subject combinations, depending on the resources available.

However, these same limits do not apply for home-schooling learners.

Added to this, home-schooling learners have access to many more subjects that aren’t available at many schools, ranging from the likes of hospitality studies to visual arts.

Home-schooling learners through Impaq can also take their subjects in Afrikaans or English, while newer subjects such as robotics and coding are available as well.

Sociability

Pursuing the home-schooling route doesn’t mean that your child misses out on social activities.

In fact, home-schooled children can have more time to engage in several extra-curricular activities and interact with a variety of peers.

There are even home-schooling communities that organise sports and other activities such as debating across the length and breadth of South Africa.

Support

Home-schooling parents, who use the likes of Impaq, get access to very detailed facilitator guides that inform them on how to teach a subject. Impaq’s online learning platform also gives facilitators access to step-by-step instructions, lesson planning, assessment materials and other learning resources.

Added to this, we also have education specialists who can support parents and learners with academic queries.

Flexibility

Finally, there is a highly flexible aspect of home-schooling that is well-suited for children who pursue their talents at a higher level, such as professional athletes and even entrepreneurs.

From teenagers training to become international race car drivers to ballet dancers, we’ve seen many talented children signing up with Impaq over the years to pursue their dreams on a full-time basis while still getting an education.

If needed, parents can further seek out the assistance of a tutor in specific curriculum areas as well. There are hundreds of tutors across South Africa to choose from. These tutors are independent of curriculum providers such as Impaq, but we do provide a list on our website to help you find a suitable tutor near you.

For many, life may be returning to normal, but along the way we’ve learnt about new ways of doing things. There’s no doubt that home-schooling has come to the fore over this period and will become a bigger part of the education landscape in years to come.

Impaq, which forms part of Optimi Home, is South Africa’s largest home-schooling provider. It provides a comprehensive set of educational products based on a CAPSaligned home-schooling curriculum for Grades R to 12. Impaq also launched an online school at the start of 2022.

The Optimi Group provides accessible learning solutions that support every step of your learning journey. Optimi provides offerings in four divisions: Home, Workplace, Classroom and College. Together, these divisions support more than 200 000 learners every year.

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Advertorial: Optimi Classroom

Classroom reboot with robotics Education in South Africa is set for new heights with its robotics and coding offering, focusing primarily on improving the awareness of STEM skills, namely science, technology, engineering, and mathematics among primary and secondary school learners.

The development of the STEM curriculum which includes Robotics, coding, and 4th IR technologies in SA schools is the future of education, with its full-scale implementation rolling out in the 2023 academic year.

the education system has faced extraordinary challenges within these circumstances, but with schools returning to normal, the time is now to accelerate learning amid this unique period in history.

“STEM teaches critical thinking and innovation. The focus on logical thought processes and problem solving which allows students to develop mental habits that will help them succeed in any field. This will in the long run benefit our country and its economy as we are educating the future leaders and decision makers,” says education expert, Aunyana Moloisane.

“The focus now must be on how we move our education system forward and how we ensure that no child in our country is left behind. We want to bridge the technological gap against us as South Africans and the global landscape, this is the first step,” adds Moloisane.

As the world moves towards coding, this extends far beyond merely building robots and developing digital solutions to the world’s problems. In today’s world, this is a much-needed skill to thrive and succeed and sets the tone for future educational trends and developments on the continent.

Education expert, Aunyana Moloisane

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Since the Covid-19 pandemic started,

Implementing robotics as a new subject in schools is paramount in strengthening critical thinking skills, developing logical, computational, and analytical thinking skills, and enhancing teamwork ability.

“At this stage, it is unconfirmed which schools across the country will implement this subject as compulsory, but this creates a wonderful opportunity for corporates to ‘Be the change’ and invest their CSI efforts into educating the poorer schools and bridging the gap on basic education,” Moloisane comments.

Optimi Classroom, has been offering e-learning platforms since 2012, offers learners the opportunity to improve and reinforce what they have learned through special diagnostic tools and engaging practices sessions.

As partners in learning with schools and tertiary institutions, this leader in Educational Technology as well as a provider of Robotics and Coding courses, deliver accessible learning solutions to learners and institutions in SA and neighbouring countries, including teacher training to upskill.

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Advertorial: Optimi Classroom

Supporting every step of the learning journey; this opportunity for equal education supports SA’s education goals, highlighting the importance of e-learning in the changemanagement process.

What is covered in the various grades?

Each of these courses are offered complete with kit components and learner outcomes.

The Novice course for Grades 1 to 3 will introduce learners to the most fundamental mathematical and language concepts used in engineering, robotics, computer science, and coding.

The Apprentice course for Grades 4 and 5 is aimed at improving learners’ coding and fundamental robotics skills through introductory courses focusing on Scratch, Micro:bit and Micro:bit car.

The Adept course for Grades 6 and 7 begins by familiarising learners with the fundamentals of block-based coding in the Scratch environment, followed by TinkerCad, Arduino and fundamentals of circuit theory and Smart Garden.

The Beginner course for Grades 7-9 starts with an introduction to Arduino and fundamentals of circuit theory, where learners will learn about sensors, processing real-world data, and automation. Learners will be able to transfer and assess their knowledge and skills by building engineering-based projects such as an automated hand sanitiser, a home automation system and the fundamentals of Python game development.

The Advanced course for Grades 8-10 starts off by revisiting and brushing up on Arduino-based programming and the fundamentals of electrical circuits.

These skills will be transferred and evaluated by building advanced engineering and computer science-based projects such as an autonomous line-following car, access control using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and Python game development and data sciences.

The Master course for Grades 10 – 12 exposes learners to the world of computing, machine learning, and computer vision. Learners will be able to transfer and evaluate their knowledge and skills by completing computer science-based projects such as Rasberry Pi, 2D games and Image processing.

www.futuresa.co.za

Tel: 012 941 1546 Email: helloclassroom@optimi.co.za

15

Education

Why adult matric can help

uplift SA’s workforce It is estimated that only a third of adults in South Africa have completed Grade 12.

By Optimi Workplace

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Education

This has serious implications for their chances of pursuing tertiary qualifications or finding employment. More than any other qualification, it’s a matric certificate that colleges, universities and employers expect. A matric is the starting point.

Providing the remaining majority of South Africa’s adults with this critical qualification is one of the most important means by which we can address historic inequalities, and move forward to a stronger socio-economic future.

Media Works, an offering of Optimi Workplace, is actively seeking to address this gap. Through Media Works’ Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) programme, learners are provided with all the tools and resources they need to

Available to all

write their Grade 12 exams through the Department of Basic Education. By successfully completing these exams, they will be awarded their ASC, which is equivalent to a matric certificate.

“Our ASC answers a need that many South African adults have today,” says Jackie Carroll, Managing Director of Optimi Workplace. “Previously, once someone had fallen out of the schooling system, there was no easy way back. They were left in education no-man’s-land, with little chance of bettering their lives.

“Today, our ASC programme presents an opportunity for out-ofschool learners to achieve their Grade 12 and succeed in their future academic and professional endeavours.”

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www.futuresa.co.za

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17

Education

Humanities on the rise From the perspective of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the future of the Humanities shines bright with its soon to be opened Greatmore Arts and Humanities Hub in Woodstock, Cape Town.

Showing a deep commitment to the future of the Humanities to produce cutting edge research and new experiments in the arts, UWC has invested in refurbishing a derelict, former school building into an intellectual home for a new generation of Humanities scholars and artists.

Under apartheid, and as a historically black university, UWC had been denied access to offering formal arts education as well as institutional access to the city centre. The Greatmore building in Woodstock is situated on the former municipal boundary of what was once a designated ‘white’ group area, a space in the city that was blocked to the university and from

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where many of its students and their families had been forcibly removed.

Perhaps because, rather than despite the constraints of apartheid, UWC has over decades cultivated world-class research and ground-breaking scholarship in the Humanities and other domains. The Greatmore Hub is the next step in a future that has been long in the making; a visionary project that places the Humanities in the public domain through a research and artmaking programme in sound, documentary cinema, and kinetic objects – enabling a deep exploration of art, society, technology, politics, and alternative traditions of intellectual thought.

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Education

A nexus for youth mobility

Greatmore Hub will be a nexus for youth mobility between the townships of the Cape Flats and the city as well as an educational space for collaborators across urban and rural lines.

This commitment to youth mobility is reflected in architects Ilze and Heinrich Wolff’s design. No longer will visitors enter the building through tight passages and gender segregated facilities but rather step into a light, covered courtyard as an open social space, a space of communing and of intellectual and artistic experimentation: the heart of the hub where students, scholars, artists, community partners, and international scholars all come together and learn from one another.

The road to Greatmore began at UWC’s Centre for Humanities Research (CHR), which houses the Flagship on Critical Thought in African Humanities, the only national flagship in the Humanities in South Africa. The CHR provides an arena for scholarly exchange, artistic creation, and public inquiry into African political subjectivity, art and society, and technology and the human.

The CHR hosts scholars and students from South African universities as well as public institutions and national and

international research bodies in a collaborative initiative that is distinguishing itself in forging the next generation of Humanities scholars and arts practitioners.

These are scholars and artists in South Africa that are on a path to becoming experts within their fields of study as they pursue academic careers in the Humanities and Social Sciences. They are committed to the demands of building a post-apartheid South Africa, understanding the Humanities and Arts are critical to undo the inheritances of apartheid, even more than two decades after formal democracy has been won.

CHR Fellows know the future they conceive is always in process, always challenging, calling them to respond with careful thought and attention to a rapidly changing world. To accompany the recent announcements of the NIHSS Awards for 2022, Professor Sarah Mosoetsa (NIHSS CEO) reflected on the increasing polarization of society and the repercussions of, among other things, the pandemic.

“Fortunately, the task of the Humanities and Social Sciences is to colour in the spaces between extremes; to shade in the nuances and gradations missing from debates and dilemmas that are not nearly as clear-cut as they may be made out to be,” she said.

Greatmore Hub, ground floor, rendering by Wolff Architects

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Education

Community engagement

Future Humanities scholars accept this enormous responsibility and pursue first-rate research that includes community engagement. The potential of such collaborations has been seen in the remarkable success of CHR’s decadelong partnership with Handspring Puppet Company, CBO Net vir Pret, and the CHR’s resident puppetry company, and Ukwanda on the annual Barrydale Puppet Parade and Performance with giant puppets.

In working with the community of Barrydale, the CHR saw the immense importance of a community engagement on equal terms. Barrydale remained a town circumscribed by apartheid planning, and no one from the historically disadvantaged communities had been to university. Since the beginning of the Barrydale initiative, 66 youths from the area have entered university. Last year, the first of these students enrolled for a master’s degree at UWC. The future of the Humanities depends on opening new paths. The CHR is committed to rethinking the future of the Humanities PHD in South Africa and is deeply engaged in creating a doctoral programme that allows the versatility and scope needed for the next generation to thrive.

Laboratory of Kinetic Objects

Greatmore will house a Laboratory of Kinetic Objects (LoKO), in partnership with Handspring Puppet Company; a documentary film training programme, with Emmy Award Winner François Verster and Khalid Shamis; a jazz, sound, and new media programme, with Reza Khota; an international research hub; a public lecture programme; and an exhibition space and arts incubator for its artists in residence programme, which has been established through funding support from the National Research Foundation and the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences.

In a fitting nod to this union of intellectual and artistic pursuits, the first performance to take place at Greatmore in 2022 will be a ground-breaking puppetry production on the life of Charlotte Maxeke. CHR artists in residence and staff began work on the project last year, which was declared “The Year of Charlotte Maxeke.”

This provocative re-imagining of the life and world of Charlotte Maxeke is being created in collaboration with former CHR Next Generation researcher Dr Thozama April, who received the Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Award for her research in documenting the life history of Maxeke.

Dr April’s work brings to light Maxeke’s international intellectual pursuits and her important influence on leading international thinkers and activists such as W.E.B. Du Bois. The CHR creative team has significantly chosen puppetry as a core artistic medium through which to explore significant elements of Charlotte Maxeke’s story, aspects which will help young people connect with her today, which might inform the way we think about her for the future. The future of the Humanities, we know, belongs to many generations.

For more information, visit www.chrflagship.uwc.ac.za

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Advertorial: Afrika Tikkun Services

Accelerated digital transformation –

more than just technology

Now that the State of Disaster has been lifted, life seems to be getting back to normal. Well, as it’s now being coined, the “new normal”.

While we all breathed a sigh of relief when our President announced the lifting of the State of Disaster, we don’t just return to life as normal as South Africans. The reality is that we were already grappling with some key economic issues pre-Covid, that have worsened because of the pandemic.

Given this, it was a simple decision on where the focus should be.

Even better, it’s an existing service offering within the organization – so it’s something we could start driving immediately.

Now that we are no longer in this rush and scramble to make things work and adjust as we go along – we now need to all put our heads together and find ways on how we build systems, policies and entrench ways of thinking that set us up for a different way of working and living – in a sustainable way.

This area offers youth the opportunity to gain skills in a specific industry, making them more marketable and increasing their chances of employment – but more importantly, puts them in a better position for sustainable employment opportunities.

“The upside – we are South African’s. We are equipped with a great sense of humour and tenacity, and we always find a way to come together to solve some of the toughest problems. For us, at Afrika Tikkun Services, this is an absolute fact – it’s something we experience every day,” says Onyi Nwaneri, Afrika Tikkun Services CEO. “So, that’s what we did. We came together, with some likeminded people and looked at ways we could play our part at tackling the unemployment rate and what would make sense to focus on post-pandemic that would ensure sustainable employment for our youth,” continues Onyi.

We looked at a South Africa before pandemic, during pandemic and unpacked future market insights to understand how best to support our youth, tackle the unemployment rate and ultimately contribute to a better South Africa.

Enter online shopping, internet service providers, online meetings, and the remote workforce

Specialised skills training – information and communication technologies

Looking at which markets grew during the pandemic and the current market outlook, focusing on the ICT sector was the obvious choice. Afrika Tikkun Services covers the most critical technical skills needed by businesses today – and given the fast pace of digital transformation – these skills are now futureproof.

Which is a key strategic outcome we set for ourselves in our skills development programmes.

“Focusing on specialized skills training within the ICT sector, allows us not only to secure long-term meaningful careers for young South Africans, but contributes to building a more connected South Africa,” says Onyi.

“What’s more, if you look at the current job market, many jobs in the ICT sector can be done from anywhere – this way we’re also opening up these candidates to the global job market as more and more companies are adopting a ‘borderless’ recruitment strategy.”

South Africans interested in participating in our ICT training can find out more by visiting www.afrikatikkunservices.com

The common thread – they rely on technology to operate or they’re part of the ICT industry. All research points to the fact that the tech industry was a pillar during the pandemic and given what the future holds in terms of ways of working, the pandemic has without a doubt accelerated digital transformation (59% of companies agree to this notion).

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Education

Getting into university

the clever way

Many learners in South Africa dream of going to university to become doctors, lawyers and engineers. But the path to tertiary education is not an easy one, unless you are prepared.

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Education

This is where the National Benchmark Test comes into play. The National Benchmark Tests Project (NBTP) was commissioned in 2005 by Higher Education South Africa (HESA), now called Universities South Africa (USAf).

The main objective of the project was to assess the entry-level academic skills of candidates in academic literacy, quantitative literacy, and mathematics. The NBTs are designed specifically to complement the National Senior Certificate as they provide an independent and objective assessment against which the performance of students on the National Senior Certificate can be compared and calibrated.

Tracey Young-Thompson, Manager of Operations at education provider Advantage Learn explains why preparation for the NBTs during matric is so crucial.

“The NBTs were set up to test a learner’s academic readiness for tertiary education. Effectively they are standardised tests which give universities a good sense of a learner’s skill sets and readiness for the rigours of higher education.

“Most degree programmes require that the NBTs be written,” she said.

What exactly do the NBTs entail?

Most Grade 12s applying for tertiary study in South Africa as well as learners looking to enter competitive degree programmes or scholarship programmes write the NBTs. The NBTs are a unique assessment as they are different to what learners are used to. They are in a multiplechoice format and calculators are not allowed in the mathematics portion of the test.

The two tests comprise of: • Academic and Quantitative Literacy (AQL) is a standardised multiple-choice assessment. This is made up of two components:

o Academic Literacy where questions focus on grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and numerical application. The aim of this is for learners to demonstrate the ability to read, understand and communicate meaning from a body of text.

o Quantitative Literacy (QL) looks at numerical calculations similar to Mathematical Literacy and no calculators are allowed.

• MAT is closely related to Core Mathematics and tests a student’s ability to apply their knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts. This is a standardised assessment via multiple-choice. There is no calculator allowed.

“AQL is compulsory if you are writing the NBTs. MAT is only for specific degree programmes like Sciences, Engineering, Health Science etc,” Young-Thompson says.

The NBT results are valid for three years once a learner has written the tests, so learners are encouraged to write it in their Matric year. This means that learners can take their gap years or take their time to decide on what they really want to study at university.

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How to help your child ace the NBTs

Young-Thompson says the multiple-choice format of the NBTs has proven challenging for learners who haven’t practised. She says removing a calculator from a learner often causes them to stumble in the MAT and AQL tests.

Because the tests are in multiple-choice formats, learners who are used to getting marks for process rather than just a correct answer (as is the case in most math tests and exams in schools), have little room to manoeuvre in the NBTs. However, if learners prepare correctly for the NBTs, these issues fall away.

Young-Thompson says proper preparation for the NBTs also has a dramatic effect on a learner’s math scores at school because different skills are taught during the NBT preparation workshops.

“Acing the NBTs is more important than ever because there is growing competition to get into tertiary institutions. More and more institutions require it to be written before the application date for that course closes,” she adds.

Advantage Learn was the first education provider to offer NBT preparation, giving them many years of experience in effectively preparing learners for the test.

The company provides a full AQL and MAT test preparation in the form of live-online workshops, in-person workshops and online courses in both English and Afrikaans.

“By signing up to courses like ours, you are changing the trajectory of your child’s life by giving them as much preparation as you can and providing them with the tools to cope with this test,” Young-Thompson says.

For further information please visit www.advantagelearn.com/nbt/

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Education

The after-school sector takes an ecosystem approach to

recover learning losses It is estimated that it could take us nearly 20 years to fully recover the learning losses we’ve incurred from the pandemic in the past two years.

In the absence of a clear and detailed recovery plan from the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the after-school sector and its network of partners are stepping up to support catch-up efforts.

By Somila Mjekula, Communications & Advocacy Officer at The Learning Trust

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Education

The 2020 academic school year suffered between 50-75% disruption from Covid-19, severely increasing the already existing learning backlogs. By the middle of 2021, it was reported that nearly 750 000 learners hadn’t returned to school since lockdown closures began. Within this context, recent studies have emphasised the need to prioritise education for recovery, and say that “up-front investment in catch-up and remedial programmes will save money down the line by reducing the cost of repairing Covid-19-related damage by up to 75%." (Albright and Giannini, 2021). And so, it stands to reason that with strategic mitigation efforts, along with organisational capacity strengthening, our education system could bounce back from the crisis.

It's fair to note that the system is not in a position to handle the enormous task of learning recovery on its own, given its structural confines. This is particularly the case in the context of an unequal education system that consistently produces deep historic learning gaps.

For this reason, it is only through collective action that we can address the backlogs and ultimately move the needle on South Africa’s learning outcomes. To this end, the after-school sector offers the organisational infrastructure, programmatic flexibility, and employment capacity to deliver on the education recovery mandate at an eco-systemic level.

An ecosystem approach

Increasingly, we are seeing government, business and philanthropy all stepping up to support efforts driving catchup. There is thus both a critical need and a ripe opportunity to collaborate, employ more human capacity, collectively measure outcomes and advocate for sustainable funding for interventionists.

With most significant grants and government funded social employment programmes requiring large-scale interventions, The Learning Trust’s role as an intermediary can ensure that community-based organisations, that are already trusted by schools and parents, can access these opportunities. We know that After-school Programmes (ASPs) act as a bridge between schools, communities and caregivers, and fill the gaps created by differentiated teacher/learner ratios and other inequalities in the school system. ASPs have proven effective in filling gaps between the kinds of support middle- and working-class children receive, by allowing practitioners and developmental partners within the communities to provide targeted support to schools, teachers, caregivers and learners.

This ecosystem approach goes beyond offering supplementary support to formal schooling through academic programmes, but also includes psychosocial support, safe places to learn and play, enrichment opportunities, and meals.

The after-school Catch-Up Coalition

profit ASP providers who are well positioned to provide a range of support services in challenging contexts where the formal education system is unable to do so alone. The coalition will form a collective learning platform, lead advocacy to government departments around mainstreaming after-school for education recovery, and maximise employment stimulus packages to capacitate and sustain the sector.

Joining this coalition are partners from diverse settings, including non-profit after-school providers, materials developers and interventionists, advocacy and research groups, public employment initiatives, provincial and district education departments, partner schools and independent service providers in education – all with differentiated levels of commitment and responsibility.

At this early stage of the coalition, partners have already determined their detailed activities and objectives suited to the needs, interests, and strengths. We recognise that coordinated programme delivery, integrated outcomes tracking, and capacity building will determine the success of this collective to supporting our learners. And so we intend to support catchup through collaboration, knowledge sharing and advocacy, influence public spending on education, and ultimately create an environment that allows ASPs to be well integrated into South Africa’s education ecosystem.

Given the complex education challenges that we are solving for, the collaborative-ecosystem approach offers a powerful tool for mobilising organisations to action, bringing community issues to prominence and identifying working practice models for scaled uptake.

References: Albright, A. & Giannini, S. (2021). ‘It is time to prioritise education for recovery: Longer-term efforts to fund education equitably should be at the heart of the recovery from the pandemic’, Aljazeera, 12 February 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/2/12/it-is-time-to-prioritiseeducation-for-recovery

Somila Mjekula holds a Master's Degree in Media & Cultural Studies, with over seven years' experience in the non-profit education sector. She leads Advocacy and Communications at The Learning Trust, an educationfocused non-profit that has funded and supported over 180 after-school programmes and schools in various provinces.

TLT has begun to coordinate a 'Catch-up Coalition' of non-

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Advertorial: University of Johannesburg

Your future.

Reimagined.

We’re living through a time of amazing technological change. So amazing in fact, that it’s been called a revolution – the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or 4IR, to be exact. It’s a revolution that is already changing everything from the way we work, the way we create and consume entertainment, to our concepts of privacy, medical practice, functional technologies for the disabled, grocery buying and perhaps, most importantly, the way we teach and learn.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, which includes amazing technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and data and information. Remote surgery, smart homes, 3-D printing, nanomaterials, energy management and supply, drone capacities – all of this and much more, is the 4IR stuff of which our future is being crafted. So, when you think of your future, you will need to ask these questions: • • • •

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Where do my long-term interests really lie?

Why will my career be relevant as technology develops?

What kind of environment will I be working in?

How can I help shape the world in which I would like to be working and living?

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Advertorial: University of Johannesburg

This new era heralds a new world, because 4IR tools and technologies are changing the way we do everything. Whole industries and services are morphing into new ones, some are being discarded, and completely new jobs and careers are being developed. These include manufacturing, education, healthcare, mobility, 3D printing, financial services, and media and entertainment. And you have the choice. So, when you think of your future, you will need to ask these questions:

To make it the way you want it

• • • •

• •

Where will the new jobs be?

Why may current ones no longer be relevant?

What kind of industries will disappear?

How do I choose to embrace the changing world?

You can advance your ability, because if you choose to study at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), you’ll be in the learning environment of a 4IR leader in Africa. With our courses and hi-tech teaching tools you can discover 4IR thinking, the creative use of new ideas, 4IR critical and analytical processes, AI adaptation and adoption, 4IR planning collaboration, teamwork, and inter-disciplinary approaches. So, when you think of your future, you will need to ask these questions: • • • •

Where will 4IR advances provide the best tools for my studies?

Why are technological skills so important?

What kind of thinking do I need to learn?

How will 4IR improve my career prospects and opportunities?

First, though, you need to understand what it’s all about – the advantages and the potential pitfalls. And with that understanding, at UJ you’ll be able to apply your 4IR knowledge, widen your opportunities, express your ethics, make a real contribution to society, and help shape the future you want.

So, when you think of your future, you will need to ask these questions:

• •

Where can I best acquire the skills and thinking I need?

Why will the balanced application of my knowledge be so important?

What can I do to help shape the future?

How can I contribute to society with what I know?

4IR is taking us into a new future, unimagined until just a few short years ago. And if you want to have a say in what that future is going to look like, and to ensure that your voice and your views are based in confidence and knowledge, then the place to start is with the imagination.

That’s why, at UJ, as a 4IR thought leader in Africa, we say that an education with us is the best way to get all the confidence and knowledge you need. And that’s because at UJ we haven’t just looked at the future, we think about it again and again, because we believe that the future belongs to those who reimagine it.

Imagine that.

uj.ac.za/4IR

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Tertiary Education

Is an MBA

still relevant?

As a generalist degree, the MBA gives you fundamental management knowledge, meaning you’ll get a holistic view of business across areas like marketing, finance, and accounting, all while developing those vital soft skills and leadership skills. So, what can you do with an MBA degree?

And is an MBA worth it? Dr Jako Volschenk, Head: MBA Programme at Stellenbosch Business School, shares some insights.

Is an MBA still relevant in today’s world?

Yes, an MBA is relevant today. The MBA at Stellenbosch Business School focuses on responsible leadership and never has the world needed such leaders more than today. With increasing inequality, climate change, social instability, and global economic challenges we need leaders and business leaders that can navigate complexity with compassion.

From a purely business point of view, it used to be that an MBA could distinguish you from others for the job you're applying for.

Today, it is more likely that an MBA is a hygiene factor for application, in other words you now require an MBA to apply or would not make the short list if you don’t have one.

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Tertiary Education

What careers require an MBA?

It is hard to say which careers require an MBA. I think any job in which you perform general management duties or are required to act as part of a team of executives, would benefit from an MBA. Typically, the kind of students that benefit the most from the MBA are ones that work in complex or large organisations where you are required to make complex decisions that rely on a broad range of general management competencies.

What opportunities can an MBA unlock?

An MBA degree immediately signals to a potential employer that you all have a specific skill set. If you want to work for a larger organisation or an international organisation, one of the quickest ways of signalling your suitability for the position is to have an MBA degree. An MBA degree is aimed at management rather than at technical positions. So, if you wish to be a manager of people or a leader in your organisation, an MBA would be beneficial.

What are the biggest hurdles towards achieving an MBA?

To study towards an MBA degree requires hard work and much dedication. If you are not well motivated and not willing to walk the extra mile, it is unlikely that you would do well in, or even complete, your studies.

Life happens, and some students fail to complete the MBA degrees because of work pressure, pressure in their personal life, or a change in their priorities. We often find that students pause their studies and then return a year or two later to continue. This is perfectly possible and is what one should expect from institutions that care about their students.

What are the requirements for being accepted into an MBA programme?

Considering the cost and time of an MBA, what alternatives are there for people to pursue?

Historically, students with more extroverted traits do better, but I don't think this is the case anymore. A good facilitator will be able to draw introverted students into the class debates. At Stellenbosch Business School we are looking for students that want to make a positive difference in the world.

If you do not wish to have the degree itself, some alternatives include short programmes like the ones you will find at most executive education divisions of business schools.

It is usually a requirement to have a postgraduate degree when applying for a master's degree. It does not have to be in a specific area but having management experience will improve your chances of being admitted to a top programme.

It is well known that MBA degrees enables students to participate in complex management decisions. As a result, most MBA programmes will include selection criteria like quantitative skills, the ability to communicate clearly, and think critically. The Stellenbosch Business School is one of the more quantitatively challenging MBAs, so a strong numerical and verbal ability will count in your favour.

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There are limited alternatives to an MBA degree, but in the end, one should decide what it is you wish to accomplish.

If it is purely about gaining the knowledge, you could potentially educate yourself through videos and materials that are available on the internet. However, these cannot compete with the efficiency and effectiveness of the curated content that you will find in top MBA degree programmes.

How do these alternatives differ from the MBA?

Educating yourself through online material is unlikely to foster or yield a better result than doing a formal qualification.

If your intention is also to gain employment through your qualification, there are very few alternatives. The only alternative that I can see would be the number of years of good business experience.

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Tertiary Education

Why South Africa needs the

Humanities!

Since the 1990s, people have turned away from the humanities and focused on science, technology, and innovation to aid economic development and growth. There is also a strong public perception that a humanities degree limits a student’s career and employment opportunities.

By Robyn Schnell, Department of Historical and Heritage Studies, University of Pretoria

But what role do the humanities play in our development?

The disciplines that make up the humanities are often misconceived. Images of starving artists, graduate students packing groceries or working as waitrons, are hard to debunk. But the humanities include a variety of disciplines that study and explore what it means to be human – our behaviour, our culture, and our society.

These include disciplines such as linguistics, literature, philosophy, and social sciences including history, social work, law, criminology, anthropology and, at the University of Pretoria, programmes that teach scarce skills such as speech-language pathology and audiology to name a few.

In 2011, the Academy of Science for South Africa (ASSAf) published the report, Consensus Study on the State of the Humanities in South Africa: Status, Prospects and Strategies. This report stated that the humanities are experiencing a crisis characterised by: • fewer students enrolling in humanities courses; • declining government funding for humanities students; and • higher undergraduate dropout rates.

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Tertiary Education

Humanities still have a crucial role to play in a developing South Africa

Despite this crisis, the humanities still have a crucial role to play in a developing South Africa and her society. Unlike other faculties, the humanities provide a fundamental ‘human factor.’ Since the humanities help us understand what it means to be human, these courses determine how we discuss social issues that affect all aspects of our lives.

Although disciplines that focus on science and technology enhance economic growth and development, such disciplines and their solutions also create unintended problems such as poverty, inequality, and unemployment. The humanities and the human factor they provide are key to combatting such problems; the critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills we teach are fundamental.

The humanities also play a crucial role within academia and higher education. Many humanities disciplines focus on complex and abstract ideas – a crucial component of creative and critical thinking. The humanities teach students to think beyond the realm of the conventional and creatively solve problems, a valuable skill that is often overlooked by other faculties and disciplines. These are the skills that today’s employers want to develop. These are the skills those who have studied in the humanities practise.

In South Africa, specifically, the humanities play an essential role when discussing and questioning the legacy of the apartheid system and its influence on the present. The past must be considered when attempting to understand the present and the future.

As humanists, we examine problems of the past and trace their influence on today’s societal struggles. Professor Premesh Lalu, former director of the DSI-NRI Flagship on Critical Thought in African Humanities of the Centre for Humanities Research, said, ‘We need to question how the arts and humanities can enable a more meaningful and enduring practice of freedom.’

Clearly, the humanities play a critical role in developing our country.

Humanities are critical as we move towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution

In addition to its valuable role in academia and higher education, the humanities are critical as we move towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Since students from all faculties and disciplines need to understand how humans interact with technology, the humanities will become more relevant and necessary than ever.

In addition, the humanities are becoming increasingly important when attempting to mitigate the growing social inequality this new revolution will create. This is achieved using the humanities to inform policies on various social issues, such as gender and race. Advances in technology result in the growth of issues such as social inequality, poverty, and unemployment, all of which would contribute to the demise of our democratic society. Social problems such as these require skills of the humanities to solve.

Although the humanities have faced a crisis in South Africa over the past decade, their role has remained important, and they are more relevant than ever. Without the humanities, society will cease to exist.

Robyn Schnell, Department of Historical and Heritage Studies, University of Pretoria

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JuniorTukkie helps you to STEP UP.

Take the stairs to SUCCESS. 5 Join JTSAS and JT Alumni (for students, graduates and postgraduates)

WELL-INFORMED TUKS STUDENT

Join the JT Student Ambassadors Society (JTSAS) and JT Alumni for students, graduates and postgraduates. We will: equip you with the skills to succeed at university; develop your leadership skills, among others; and provide you with opportunities to give back to society.

Register at www.up.ac.za/juniortukkie > Become a JuniorTukkie

4 Consult a Student Advisor (for Grade 9-12 learners)

3 Join jTOnline (for Grade 9-12 learners)

Consult a Student Advisor to: decide on Grade 10 subject choices; discuss study and career options; and assist with your UP application.

Email carol.bosch@up.ac.za

Join jTOnline to improve your marks in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Accounting, Life Sciences and English. jTOnline will prepare you to connect with a world of opportunities.

On the JT App, select the ‘jTOnline’ tile.

OR Go to juniortukkie.online Complete the jTOnline registration form.

2 Become a JT member (for Grade 9-12 learners)

1

Graphic sourced and adapted from freepik.com

Register for the JT App (for learners, parents, teachers)

Complete the JuniorTukkie membership form that is available on the JT App. On the JT App, click on the ‘JuniorTukkie’ tile.

Then, select ‘Become a JuniorTukkie’.

OR Complete the JT membership form at www.up.ac.za/apply > JuniorTukkie

Register for the new web-based JT App where you will find the link to register to become a JT member.

In your web browser, type: juniortukkieapp.co.za Click on ‘Sign up’ Complete the JT App registration form.

Add the JT App to the home screen of your mobile device.

On the JT App, you will receive important notifications for prospective students.

#JoinJT

Business Education

A new kind of

business school for the digital age Johannesburg Business School’s customised programmes are designed to future-proof both companies and individuals

In the digital age, the Johannesburg Business School (JBS), a faculty of the University of Johannesburg, is a new kind of business school for a new era. Rapid technological change, especially in response to Covid-19, is redefining the entire business landscape, and not only are new skills required to navigate this environment, but so is a new approach to business education.

A more flexible, future-fit approach is essential to ensure that executive education, in particular, is more specific to organisational strategy and individual roles.

In a digitally disrupted context, it needs to deliver not only job-related skills, but also the broader range of digital, interdisciplinary, interpersonal and management skills needed for businesses to thrive within the context of 4IR. This new approach is especially relevant given the accelerated pace of digitalisation over the past two years, which has brought entirely different ways of working and significant changes in socio-economic behaviour.

Digitally savvy, decentralised and cooperative workforce Today, business success depends on a digitally savvy, decentralised and cooperative workforce that interacts with colleagues, customers and other stakeholders in a new way. Similarly, it depends on leaders who can navigate the complexity of this environment and guide and motivate teams in ways they can relate and respond to. And, as each business has unique challenges, building skill, flexibility and resilience has to be form-fitted to those challenges.

“Especially when it comes to ongoing education for executives, the one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t cut it,” says Tumi Nkosi, Director of Executive Education and Programmes at JBS.

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“Businesses operating in such a constantly changing environment need a new kind of leader. They need leaders who are multidisciplinary in approach, solutions-focused and digitally astute.

“That’s why both our Management Acceleration Programme (MAP+) and our organisation-specific programmes are designed to be relevant to the real world of business. They’re also designed to accommodate existing executives as well as the pipeline of leaders of the future," adds Nkosi.

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Business Education

Aligned to the World Economic Forum Reskilling Revolution Strategically aligned to the World Economic Forum Reskilling Revolution, which aims to provide one billion people with better education, skills and jobs by 2030, JBS works closely with client companies to develop customised programmes that address their unique issues and challenges.

“There’s a lot of consultation during the assessment and planning process,” says Nkosi, “and various departments across the organisation are involved in developing the multi-disciplinary programmes we offer. It’s important to us that our clients feel a sense of ownership over these programmes and that they are developed to meet their requirements.”

The skills challenges that both individual businesses and South Africa as a country face, she says, is twofold.

“There is a very real difference between being unemployed and being unemployable. Unemployed people with skills appropriate to contemporary business can be reabsorbed into the workforce as work becomes available. We are, however, facing another – even greater – issue than unemployment in South Africa: the fact that many people of working age are becoming unemployable due to their lack of digital skills.

"The unemployability issue is why business schools have to become more accessible to employees throughout the organisation, and why the courses and programmes we offer have to have a strong digital skills component.”

Programmes that facilitate a change in mindset It is also why businesses are looking for programmes that facilitate a change in mindset among their employees, a more contemporary and relevant way of looking at business.

“Businesses facing some of the most significant challenges of a generation have very definite requirements,” says Nkosi.

“They want to focus on ways of thinking as well as on developing and strengthening skills sets. Above all, they need quick turnarounds; shorter programmes that enable their employees to plug right back into the business on completion and make an immediate and real difference to the way things are done.

They want a real and measurable ROI.” Organisations of all sizes recognise the need for a paradigm shift in how they are organised and managed. And from a skills point of view, their focus is on getting ready for digital transformation which requires digital literacy, cloud computing; Big Data and data analytics; data security; artificial intelligence, machine learning and the Internet of Things (IoT).

“4IR represents a fundamental change in the way in which we live, work and relate to one another,” says Nkosi. “It is ushering in a new chapter in human development that promises major benefits, but which is also exceptionally disruptive. Like all other educational institutions, business schools need to adapt to this reality and cater for the changing needs of their clients, their employees and society as a whole.

“That’s what we at JBS are in the business of doing.”

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E-Learning

The ultimate checklist

for developing successful e-learning courses

Every CEO, team leader, HR manager and L&D specialist, no matter the industry, wants to ensure the courses they develop to upskill and reskill their employees will not only keep them engaged and riveted, but also serve its objective of ensuring the right skills are learned and applied in their organisation. After all, a skilled and confident workforce is the force you need to meet your business goals and succeed in a competitive and challenging world.

A skilled, confident, and fired-up workforce doesn’t just happen; it’s always a result of a culture of continuous learning and development and an investment in an e-learning solution that is interesting, engaging, interactive and designed for adult learners in a fast-paced, time-sliced environment.

“When an e-learning programme falls flat, it can be incredibly discouraging for everyone involved. No business wants to invest in and put a lot of effort into a learning programme they truly think will serve their employees, only to have it fail,” says Michael Gullan, CEO of G&G Advocacy, a specialist e-learning organisation focused on delivering high-impact e-learning solutions to South African and international corporates.

“With the right strategy, planning, platform, and the use of Content CapsulesTM, you can get your employees excited and committed to learning and growing in your organisation,” suggests Gullan.

Whether your e-learning solution is aimed at executives, new employees, sales teams, admin, internal or external stakeholders, or a combination, Gullan suggests the following six elements must be checked if you want to succeed and get a return on your learning investments.

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E-Learning

1. Purpose: Ignite interest and commitment

Employees may engage with your e-learning for any number of reasons. Sometimes they’re committed to ongoing personal development, sometimes they’re just curious, and sometimes it’s a KPI. What’s important is that ongoing engagement and buy-in is never a given. Even employees who are interested can become disengaged if you take their interest for granted.

Make sure your employees clearly understand what they will gain by staying the distance and completing their e-learning courses. These may be professional benefits (certification in a new field), aspirational (master new skills), cultural (be part of a winning organisation), or even recreational (you’re going to have fun!). Whatever the reason, make sure your employees have a clear 'why' for participating in your e-learning.

2. Goals and milestones: Show employees where they’re going and how to get there

Once your employees have a purpose and reason for signing up, show them how they’re going to get to the finish line and achieve their goals. Map out clear learner journeys for each learner profile and communicate them at the start of their e-learning adventure.

Make it a venture and an adventure, communicating the positive outcomes of each course, module, or Content CapsuleTM. Introduce courses in a way that is not intimidating but inviting and accessible.

Don’t keep your learners in the dark; it is disempowering and can lead to fear of the unknown and unnecessary pressure.

Provide a clear roadmap of the learning material and what they’ll achieve at every milestone. They will then understand where they’re going and see how far they’ve come.

3. Practice: Provide interactive experiences so employees can apply new learnings Is your course currently set up with a 'lesson, test, lesson, test, lesson, final' format? This structure puts a lot of pressure on learners to memorise information without engaging in a meaningful way.

E-learning is more powerful and is remembered more easily, for longer. When learners can practice via scenarios, games, and simulations, they’ll be confident about their workplace learnings.

The right e-learning platform gives employees the tools to practice their learning directly on the platform. Whether practical, technical, soft skills or leadership skills, the application ensures learners remember what to do after course completion.

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E-Learning

4. Assessment: Show employees how much they’ve improved

Do your learners know how well they’re doing in your e-learning programmes? Regular check-ins through micro quizzes and other feedback sessions are an important part of any online training, not because learners need grades but because learners need encouragement.

If that seems strange to you, it’s because many of us are conditioned to think of quizzes as intimidating – something we might fail at. However, review quizzes should be anything but. Short quizzes, delivered quickly after a course, are a way to check their knowledge and catch misunderstandings before they become ingrained. And, when a learner passes a quiz, it’s a boost of confidence to keep going.

5. Support: Learners shouldn’t feel ignored or invisible

Many online courses are long, unsustainable and can lead to burnout. When learners become exhausted, discouraged, or bored, they often quit. By interrogating your analytics, you’ll understand your course’s weak points and take the steps needed to optimise them.

Automated emails, text messages, and embedded trigger communications serve as reminders and encouragement. Should a learner need more personal encouragement, you can offer short video calls or one-onones to let them know that their absence is not unnoticed.

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6. Engagement: Keep them coming back

Finally, your course should motivate your learners to return, whether you establish an active community, friendly competition, provide social support, gamification, or individual coaching and mentoring – that extra contact is the key to taking your learners to the next level.

“Quality e-learning isn’t just about the content, it’s also about the learner experience,” concludes Gullan. “People don’t learn by being told a lot of information, they learn by a complex process of consuming the course material, testing their knowledge, putting it to practice, as well as encouragement and rewards.”

If you’re struggling to keep learners engaged, it may be time to take a step back and see if you’re missing one of these essential elements. Finding and fixing the missing link may be more achievable than you thought.

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Advertorial: Foster-Melliar

Unlock your potential with

Foster-Melliar eLearning solutions The way we do business has changed rapidly in the last two years, but has your approach to upskilling and learning kept up? Suddenly, even the most basic tasks like holding a meeting require a technological solution, and training and upskilling are not different. Since we can’t meet in a physical classroom easily, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of the opportunities that online learning presents.

With online learning, you can: • onboard employees faster.

• upskill your entire workforce.

• keep employees productive.

• accelerate career development; and • develop managers and leaders.

Thanks to the innovative Foster-Melliar Online LMS, you get to do skills development in a way that works for you and for your business. With over 1 000 user-friendly eLearning courses to choose from, Foster-Melliar gives you the tools to upskill in a huge range of topics, like workplace safety, digital marketing and even public speaking.

Plus, Foster-Melliar’s productivity courses cover everything from basic Microsoft Office 365 training to complex IT management and ITIL 4 certification. When you choose to learn with Foster-Melliar, you enjoy an affordable subscription-based pricing model and you can even create your own unique lessons for your own organisations, with all the customisation you need and branding to make them look professional.

All our online courses qualify for skills development, supplier development and socio-economic development for your B-BBEE scorecard.

Beat youth unemployment through Learnerships and boost your BEE scorecard!

Learnerships are developed by industry for the industry.

Delegates begin their journey with our Personal Mastery programme. Here, they learn how to practice self-awareness, selfmanagement, and self-learning, and receive career guidance.

We want individuals to feel enthusiastic and optimistic when it comes to exploring their career opportunities. By fostering the right mindset, encourage individuals to purposefully live and work towards their own vision and become the best versions of themselves.

There is also an increased return on investment when implementing training initiatives. Not only are there BEE benefits, but there are: • Higher returns from the Skills Levy and investment in training, due to transfer of learning to the job.

• Increased grant disbursements from Skills Levy contributions.

• Tax Incentives: SARS offers companies attractive tax incentives for participating in Learnerships.

Contact Foster-Melliar on + 27 (0)11 807 9525 | info@fostermelliar.co.za | www.fostermelliar.co.za

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Finance

Funding your education

in a tough economy With this year’s National Budget Speech, education, once again received the majority share of our government’s annual spending.

By Eloise Nolte, MD of Optimi College During this year’s budget, National Treasury allocated R433 billion of its R2 trillion budget towards education. More than half of this funding (R282 billion) went towards basic education. Of this, R46 billion was allocated towards the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

Programmes such as NSFAS are crucial in helping to provide financial support to disadvantaged students who wish to further their studies at public universities or TVET colleges.

However, in a country where the official unemployment rate is hovering around 35%, this programme is continuously under pressure amid huge demand. In recent years, NSFAS has experienced funding constraints.

Also, NSFAS only caters for students in public education institutions, and it doesn’t assist the growing number of private colleges and universities in our country.

Therefore, for many young South Africans who are looking to fund their studies, it’s clear that they may need to look to alternative sources of funding.

Here are just a few of the possible funding options to consider before embarking on this journey.

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Finance

Corporate bursaries

Student financing options

Many companies in South Africa, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes and other initiatives, provide bursaries to students in need of funding. Often this requires going through an application process and it could entail other terms and conditions, such as ensuring that you pass all modules and even working for the company for a stipulated period after completing your studies.

A fourth route to consider is going with a reputable student finance provider, of which there are a growing number of options in South Africa.

A student finance provider can offer both a service as an intermediary between financing partners, or offer financing itself. It’s important to only work with providers that are reputable, who have a good track record and who are registered with the National Credit Regulator (NCR).

Support from family, friends

What differentiates a student financing provider from a bank is that they typically give the student the option of paying a stipulated amount over a period of three months, for example, and thereafter paying lower monthly installments for 12 months or 15 months. This spreads the cost and can make funding your education more affordable on a monthly basis.

Another way to fund your education may be to borrow from family members or friends. This has several advantages, if it is handled responsibly.

The first is that there is the possibility that family members or friends could provide you with a lower ‘interest rate’ or even no interest. Secondly, many educational institutions offer discounts if learners pay in full and upfront. If, for example, you’re able to receive a 10% discount for paying upfront, this means that you would need to raise 90% of the required funding. Raising this 90% of funding from several family members or friends could result in much lower long-term costs.

However, it could incur extra fees over the long term from the student financing provider itself, and it’s important to be fully aware of these. Also, each provider differs, with some for instance, allowing you to pay the interest after you’ve finished studying. It’s best to read the terms and conditions carefully before proceeding.

Payment terms from education institutions

If getting hold of the “90% of your fees” is not possible, then another option is to secure a payment agreement with the educational institution that you're studying with.

Typically, this could require that you pay a small upfront deposit, and then pay the rest of your fees in monthly installments over a certain amount of time. These monthly fees might include extra costs compared to paying upfront for your studies, but these monthly amounts could be more manageable.

Banks

Banks are also an option for funding your studies. Some banks offer student financing at more affordable, prime interest rates with set monthly payment periods. It is important to approach this with care and pay back the amounts diligently. Failing to do so could impact one’s credit score negatively.

In summary, there are many options available to fund your education, apart from government subsidy programmes such as NSFAS. All these options require a lot of research, and if you need any further advice, you should speak to a certified advisor or professional to help you.

Regardless of which funding option you choose, it’s important to also give yourself enough time and apply as early as you can, as some application processes do that a while. Funding your education can be a long-term investment too, especially if you are able to increase your earning power in years to come.

Experts at Optimi College – a leading provider of distance learning in South Africa – can assist you with any advice on this matter as well.

To find out more, visit www.collegesa.edu.za.

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Learnerships

Chipping away at SA’s work crisis, one learner at a time In 2021, South Africa’s unemployment rate reached a record-high, ranking South Africa’s number of unemployed the highest in the world. In his SONA 2022 address, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that, despite “extraordinary” measures, “Government does not create jobs.

Business creates jobs.”

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Learnerships

Along with announcements including the extension of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for another year with permanent replacement of the grant on the cards, he concluded his speech by saying: “Let us forge a new consensus to confront a new reality, a consensus that unites us behind our shared determination to reform our economy and rebuild our institutions. Let us get to work. Let us rebuild our country. And let us leave no one behind.”

But what is the new reality? How many are, in fact, being left behind? And what can we do about it? As recruiters and as citizens, the escalating, pervasive issue of unemployment and poverty — across all ages and races — is frightening.

The picture is vividly painted when a vacancy for a teller position at Woolworths sees a line of 40 people snaking outside the store, hoping to secure a one-time 9 to 5 job with a CV. Or, during a recent recruitment for nurses, when employees from SA recruitment agency, The Tower Group, witnessed an all-day, nonstop stream of candidates arriving to hand in their credentials; including one woman who had travelled from Vryheid to Durban at 3am, in a R100 taxi ride, that had zero guarantee of being worth it. There is desperation, there is fear and, at a grassroots-level, the reality is that the job landscape is tough… and Covid-19 hasn’t helped us.

Building better business, inside-out, through learnerships The question is: What is the solution? According to Kerry Morris, CEO of The Tower Group, “There isn’t one.

Government is not doing enough and it is therefore up to business and those seeking employment to figure it out.

This has to be the place where we start; to become enablers of change – one small change at a time – in ways that are within both corporates’ and individuals’ control. For instance, with learnerships.”

Achieving a Level 1 BBBEE certification is not easy. It takes significant funds, energy and effort, as well as a real desire to effect change. Linked to BEE compliancy, in-service training positions or learnerships offer individuals entering the workforce a paid opportunity to gain critical corporate experience, as well as a first-pass entry to a potential permanent position.

Fifteen years ago, The Tower Group’s top-performing Divisional Manager, Siwe Mdlalose, joined the business via a SETA learnership, and through equal parts passion and hard work, earned her first position as a recruitment administrator. Today, running one of Tower Group's largest, multi-million-rand projects, Siwe is proof of learnerships as a win-win for business and learners. Yet, a change in attitude is required on both sides.

“There is huge value in learnerships and there is no doubt South Africa should be doing more of it. For learners or up-and-coming workers without first-hand, real-world experience, the experience is essential to break into corporate," says Morris.

"Yet, with SETAs being severely under-funded, it is up to businesses and learners to play their part – and there’s room for growth on both ends. On the side of business, many organisations are not offering learnerships and, for those that are, many are doing the bare minimum simply to meet BEE requirements.

"And on the side of learners, not only is it often costly for many to get to work but also, when they get there, many are expecting a ‘free lunch’. This is a mindset crisis which is adding to our work crisis,” Morris adds.

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Learnerships

Real work is about hard work, and hard work gets you seen With millennials and Gen Z starting to dominate the workforce, so too is a culture of expectancy. Too often, with the misunderstanding that life is a ‘handout’, many young employees are starting off careers on the wrong foot, and companies don’t know where to draw the line.

“There is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’ in business,” says Morris. “It’s a hard line to draw but in the learnership environment, there are too many expectations. It’s a current-day issue amongst the youth and particularly in internships as the general consensus is you don’t have to work very hard to be rewarded.

"But nothing could be further from the truth. Real work is about hard work, and hard work gets you seen – no matter your class, culture, or creed. We need to instill this in learners and up-and-coming workers from the get-go,” says Morris.

A change in attitude and effort is therefore needed on both sides of the learnership spectrum – where business owners and learners approach our ‘new reality’ consciously and show up to be their respective bests. This is needed to change a toxic culture into a thriving one: with win-win working relationships that not only have impact, but also the opportunity to change a life, and to create long-lasting legacy.

One could only imagine if a R350 stipend, similar to the SRD grant, were to be put into SETAs per learner; how that could chip away at SA’s work crisis. Hopefully that can be on the agenda for SONA 2023. Until then, it’s small changes, for businesses and individuals, all the way.

Real work is about hard work, and hard work gets you seen – no matter your class, culture, or creed.

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Inspiring excellence, transforming lives through quality, impact, and care.

University of the Free State The University of the Free State is situated on three diverse campuses – two in Bloemfontein and one near Qwaqwa in the Eastern Free State, each with its own unique character and focus areas.

South Campus in Bloemfontein

Did you know that the UFS:

Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State

Bloemfontein Campus

• Plays a leading role in developing multi-lingual pedagogic strategies through its Academy for Multilingualism.

• Empowers vulnerable mountain communities through its internationally acclaimed Afromontane Research Unit, situated on its Qwaqwa Campus.

• Conducts ground-breaking research in international conflict and terrorism in its Department of Political Studies and Governance.

• Collaborates with the International Law Institute-African Centre for Legal Excellence, exposing law students to best practices from around the globe.

• Is home to the Free State Centre for Human Rights.

• Hosts a Crop Research Platform promoting sustainable agriculture and all crop-related research.

• Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration through its Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures.

• Is the first and only university in South Africa that has been granted a research permit for the pharmacological assessment of the healing qualities of cannabis as part of its mission to strengthen and expand Indigenous Knowledge Systems.

• Is the only South African university that has a permanent resident string quartet – the Odeion String Quartet.

• Boasts among the highest success rates in the country, with globally acclaimed initiatives to improve student success developed by the Centre for Teaching and Learning, enabling it to improve its general success rate by 13% over the past 10 years.

• Has a well-researched comprehensive Digitalisation Plan.

• Makes use of Faculty Advisory Boards to draw on the expertise of members from the private sector, industry, and government to cocreate programmes and stay abreast of changes and advances in different fields of study.

• Is undertaking state-of-the-art robotics research in its Faculty of Health Sciences, supplementing the globally acclaimed work in the fields of Cancer Research, Cardiothoracic Surgery and Medical Simulation Technology Training already undertaken in this faculty.

Contact: Bloemfontein Campus: +27 (0)51 401 9111 | Qwaqwa Campus: +27 (0)58 718 5000 South Campus: +27 51 (0)401 9111 | E: info@ufs.ac.za | W: www.ufs.ac.za

Advertorial: University of The Free State

University of the Free State – How to produce graduates that are not just surviving, but thriving in the new world of work At the University of the Free State (UFS), the adaptability we focus on fostering in our graduates has become a vital part of their skills set to weather the latest workplace storms. For several years now, our graduate attributes have moved away from an exclusive focus on academics, incorporating aspects of local and international workplace requirements to stay relevant.

With academic competence remaining at the centre of our vision, aspects like critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ethical reasoning, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship currently make up the rest of our envisaged graduate attributes.

1. Holistic student support initiatives

Research conducted a few years ago by our Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, indicated that close to 60% of our student population suffered from food insecurity. Our No Student Hungry Bursary Programme was subsequently implemented, ensuring that this very basic need is taken care of, and that affected students receive much needed psycho-social support.

The academic success initiatives developed by our Centre for Teaching and Learning have earned us international recognition. These include language and literacy development and well-supported tutorial programmes. We also play a leading role amongst South African universities in the field of academic advising, where students’ educational paths are aligned with their career dreams.

Our Student Counselling and Development department gives psychological support in the form of individual sessions and workshops addressing a variety of issues students often grapple with, like time management, self-acceptance, and relationships.

Our Academy for Multilingualism is doing ground-breaking work to develop unique multi-lingual pedagogic strategies. On top of that, we have various peer support initiatives, focusing on developing leadership qualities and fostering involvement in different spheres of university life amongst our students.

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, UFS.

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By focusing not only on academic success, but also on personal growth and development, we help students gain confidence in their own abilities and find their purpose. This means that they are a whole lot closer to acquiring the skills identified by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as those most in demand in the workplace – skills such as emotional intelligence, creativity and judgement and decision making.

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Advertorial: University of The Free State

2. Collaboration with industry partners

The UFS has various highly valued industry partners offering support in the form of bursaries and internships. We also have Faculty Advisory Boards made up of members from industry and government, ensuring that our curricula stay abreast of latest developments.

Our Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures initiates projects with a multi-disciplinary approach, combining social, natural, and digital sciences to find solutions for relevant societal needs.

3. Digitalisation strategies

The UFS has developed a comprehensive digitalisation plan to find the best way of using information and communication technology as a tool for enhancing learning, research, collaboration and decision-making.

Digitalisation at higher education institutions has become inevitable and crucial, not only because of the greater flexibility, convenience, and learning options it creates, but because digital processes are a core element in preparing students for a dynamic world of work in which technology takes centre stage.

4. Reaching out to communities through engaged scholarship

In addition to Teaching, Learning and Research, Engaged Scholarship forms one of our three core strategic pillars.

Engaged Scholarship is all about linking the best of the research, teaching, and learning skills of staff and students to specific learning and development needs of society. Almost all our academic courses have a service-learning component, where students apply what they have learned in and with communities.

5. Internationalisation strategies

The UFS is a highly internationalised university with a proud history of international engagements. We strive to preserve and grow staff and student diversity, and to attract the most brilliant minds from across the globe to join our university community, leading to a 66% growth in the number of coauthored international collaborations over the past five years.

We are home to around 1 080 international students and consider our diverse university community as a core resource to incubate intercultural and international competencies and widen researchers’ international networks.

We also have an Internationalisation at Home strategy, whereby we aim to give all our students an international experience – through engagement with international students, cultural celebrations, and other curricular and co-curricular activities.

Providing students with skills and qualifications alone does not adequately equip them for the modern-day work environment.

With initiatives like these, we are producing graduates that are sought-after – and thriving – in workplaces around the globe.

Contact:

Bloemfontein Campus: +27 (0)51 401 9111 Qwaqwa Campus: +27 (0)58 718 5000 South Campus: +27 51 (0)401 9111 Email: info@ufs.ac.za Website: www.ufs.ac.za

In the process, we are as an institution embracing our society focused role and working towards creating graduates who are not only good students, but good citizens too. At the same time, we are working towards establishing two more WEF identified workplace skills, namely service orientation and managing people.

Bloemfontein Campus

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Academic Integrity

Academic integrity in higher education –

don’t build your future on false foundations Academic dishonesty in higher education is not a new phenomenon. The reasons why students are not academically honest are.

However, since the pandemic, which brought with it an increase in the need to submit tests and assignments online, additional loopholes have acted as an incentive for some students to submit work not wholly their own, an academic expert says.

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Academic Integrity

Dr Gillian Mooney, Dean: Academic Support and Development at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest and most accredited private higher education provider, says there are three types of academic dishonesty at university. These include cheating, plagiarism, and referencing issues, she says.

Cheating

Collaborating on assignments with others when you were tasked to do the work on your own; copying work or ideas from other students; helping someone cheat by sharing your work with them; downloading questions or assignments from the internet; and paying someone to complete your coursework, are examples of cheating, says Dr Mooney.

“The increase in online assessments certainly brought this to the fore during the 2020 pandemic. However, cheating websites have been around for years. The reality is that people try to make money off doing work for students, but students should not be tempted to use these sites,” she says.

Plagiarism

Paraphrasing, i.e. using key points from different sources and rewriting them as if they are your own; copying and pasting pieces of different text to create a new text; rewording or changing some words in sourced material; obscuring sourcing to hide the actual source material; and weak citation, and therefore not properly acknowledging that this work was sourced from elsewhere, are examples of plagiarism, Dr Mooney explains.

Referencing

Proper referencing is very important and requires students to consistently use the same referencing format, adhere to technical correctness and follow academic conventions and ensure references in the text match up with the bibliography/reference list.

“Proper referencing is very important because students join an academic community and they need to learn the rules of that community. It is therefore worth the effort to focus on getting your referencing on point right from the start,” says Dr Mooney.

“Students should ensure they have a good understanding of what constitutes academic integrity so that they don’t inadvertently submit questionable work,” she explains.

“Additionally, it must be understood that plagiarism is not a victimless crime and that the most likely victims will be the plagiarising students themselves – whether the impact is immediate in terms of sanction by their institution, or delayed as they enter the workplace unprepared.

"However, the most important consequence is for the person who engages in academic dishonesty. It really means engaging in unethical behaviour. The question is would you steal a cell phone? Would you cheat on your partner? The point is that academic honesty needs to be part of your everyday engagement with the world. Furthermore, the credibility of their qualification could be jeopardised if their institution gains a reputation for being lax in enforcing academic integrity policies," Dr Mooney adds.

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Protecting the credibility of qualifications and the reputation of the institution Any institution, whether public university or private higher education institution, has a duty towards their students to protect the credibility of their qualifications and the reputation of the institution, which is why it is of the utmost importance that institutions serious about this duty have clear policies and consequences – vigilantly enforced – regarding academic integrity.

“Intellectual integrity requires of students to at all times appropriately acknowledge the ideas and creations that influenced their work.

It’s not only about integrity, but also about demonstrating that you are able to critically consider and engage with the thoughts, ideas, and creations of other people while developing your own," Dr Mooney explains.

“It’s about learning new skills and showing that you are ethical. Students may feel reluctant to steal a cell phone, and this reluctance should equally manifest in an unwillingness to steal the work of others. It really is a question of ethics – and being known to be ethical.”

All students want future employers to consider their qualification in a serious light, which means they will be acting in their own self-interest by protecting the credibility of their qualification and their institution by not resorting to plagiarism.

“If employers know that a qualification was gained through hard work only, from an institution that demands the highest degree of intellectual integrity from their students, these graduates will already have an advantage in the jobs marketplace,” says Dr Mooney.

Students who are struggling should rather approach their institution’s support offices and get the assistance and support they need.

“And if you did make a wrong move, and would rather get back on an honest study track, you can work with your institution to resolve the matter.

If you’ve made a mistake, taking responsibility for your actions is an act of empowerment, and will ensure you can continue on your academic journey with a clean slate and your head held high.”

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Opinion

Hire and hold –

employee retention just as critical as attracting talent In skills-scarce environments, businesses put a lot of effort into attracting the right talent. So much focus goes into avoiding the wrong candidate that companies are quick to forget that once they’ve signed the skills they seek, it’s up to them to retain that talent and make it work.

By Dalya Ketz, Managing Director, Gcubed Boutique Recruitment

Instead, fresh hires are thrown in the deep end with no onboarding procedures to get them into the swing of things.

Starting a new job shouldn’t be a sink or swim situation and businesses need to focus more on employee integration, retention and company culture to hold on to their hires.

Times have changed, people have changed

Employee retention makes sense from a numbers perspective.

The time, effort and cost of hiring and training new employees are enormous, and high staff turnover can have a negative impact on the money. With two years of living and working through a global crisis under their belt, individuals have had the time to do a lot of soul searching. Now that they have a clear idea of what they want, they’re unlikely to settle for less.

Jobseekers are currently looking for more than just a job, and the screening process has become just as much of an opportunity for them to interview the company they might like to work for, as it is for the company to assess candidate suitability.

Businesses can no longer expect to attract and retain talent purely based on the job spec, growth opportunity and salary.

Instead, people want working environments that prioritise employee wellbeing and mental health at a company that provides a culture that aligns with the individual’s shared purpose. Companies that cannot meet these expectations will find themselves on the back foot and in situations like this, workers vote with their feet, taking the quickest exit.

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Opinion

Acknowledging tough truths

Today, the biggest challenge is finding a balance between IQ and EQ. It’s time for businesses to accept that ticking boxes from a competence perspective is no longer enough to ensure candidate suitability. It's not enough that individuals can do the work, but essential that they can also fit into the workplace. Then, if the person has the potential, training can take care of the rest.

It’s also time for companies to acknowledge that ‘market-related’ should no longer be an acceptable description for remuneration in a vacancy listing. Instead, candidates require transparency in salary and honesty about the job requirements.

Highly-skilled candidates want to be paid what they’re worth, and companies that insist on seeing payslips from previous employers ignore that the individual is most likely leaving their current job because they feel undervalued and underappreciated.

Onboarding new hires is critical

It’s standard procedure for new hires to be thrown into the deep end without further thought after signing the employment contract. This must change. New hires must be properly immersed in their roles and the company culture.

A carefully crafted onboarding experience is essential for engaging employees positively and creating a connected workspace. A connected workspace is conducive to workers who are committed to the company’s success, which in turn helps retain these new hires by making them feel they belong.

Alignment between profit, passion and people

People want to work for a company that makes a positive impact, not just a profit. The right recruitment partner can make all the difference in creating the right match between employer and potential candidate.

Here, the partner must cultivate a deep understanding of the company they represent to find precisely the right fit.

Still, it’s essential to remember that recruitment can only go so far. Companies overlook and underestimate the next step far too often, yet onboarding a new employee is critical to making the right first impression.

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Dalya Ketz, Managing Director, Gcubed Boutique Recruitment

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Tel: 087 821 1109 or 012 110 4080 • Fax: 086 550 3692 Email: business@foundation.co.za • www.foundation.co.za FPD Knowledge Park, 173 Mary Road, The Willows, Pretoria PO Box 75324, Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria, 0040

ABOUT THE BUSINESS SCHOOL • The Foundation for Professional Development – Business School offers a wide selection of management and business courses.

• The courses comprise of formally registered qualifications, international short courses, short learning programmes and distance education.

• It supports the vision of FPD to “To build a better society through education and capacity development” by offering quality courses at competitive pricing to increase access.

HIGHER CERTIFICATE IN MANAGEMENT (NQF 5) SAQA ID: 73498 • Compliance Administrator.

• Facilities Management Coordinator.

COURSE OFFERINGS ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME This qualification is designed to equip learners with the necessary business and management skills needed to navigate the workplace effectively.

WHY DO THE PROGRAMME? • Prepares individuals and graduates for the world of work.

• Gives individuals and graduates the skill set they need to increase their prospects of landing a job.

• Gives individuals and graduates the skill set they need to increase their prospects of gaining that promotion they desire to advance their careers.

WHAT COMES NEXT AFTER COMPLETING? Upon successful completion of the qualification – you can apply for the following qualifications: • Certificate: Business Studies, NQF Level 6.

• Advanced Certificate in Management, NQF Level 6.

• Advanced Diploma: Management: Business Studies, NQF Level 6.

• Bachelor of Business Administration, NQF Level 6.

• All management qualifications at Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree level.

POSSIBLE JOBS THAT CAN BE SECURED WITH HIGHER CERTIFICATE IN MANAGEMENT • • • •

Administration Supervisor.

Business Administrator.

Business Analyst.

Business Manager's Assistant.

MODULE 1: DIGITAL LITERACY • Introduction to computers • Operating systems and security • Internet, email and social media • Productivity programs and MS Word • MS Excel • MS PowerPoint

MODULE 2: MANAGING SELF • Self-management • Presenting Yourself

MODULE 3: MANAGING OTHERS • Leadership that gets results • Your Role as a supervisor • Strength in teamwork • Introduction to diversity management • Introduction to relationship management • Introduction to human resource management

MODULE 4: MANAGING THE ORGANISATION • Introduction to Operations Management • Introduction to Project Management • Thriving and Surviving change (Economics) • Knowledge Management (Organisational Learning)

MODULE 5: MANAGING STAKEHOLDERS • Introduction to Financial Management • Introduction to Markets and Marketing • Introduction to Customer Service and Client Satisfaction

PROGRAMME FEE R15 000 (Please note that the programme fee is subject to change depending on logistical factors)

500 000 Students 45 Countries 24 Years

REGISTERED with the

DHET SINCE 2002

Registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a Private Institution of Higher Education under the higher education act, 1997. Reg No. 2002/HE07/013

FPD is a member of the SAMA Group

• The FPD Business School has trained over 11 000 managers across Southern and Eastern Africa on various management related courses.

• The school has long standing partnership with the prestigious Alliance Manchester Business School (allowing us to offer their Advanced Management Programme qualification, customized to the South African business environment).

• It also has partnership with the Ivy League Yale University (allowing us to offer a co-certified Advanced Health Management Programme) for health managers.

ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN oNLINE & MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM (NQF 6) SAQA ID: 74379 • A Certificate in Management Studies Programme will also provide articulation with Postgraduate Management Diploma Programmes at other Higher education institutions.

ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME This qualification is designed to equip managers and aspirant managers, with the knowledge and skills to survive and thrive in an ever-changing managerial environment.

WHY DO THE PROGRAMME? • Taking the next step in one’s career often requires advancing one’s skills.

• Gives managers and aspirant managers the skill set they need to increase their prospects of gaining that promotion they desire to advance their careers.

• Online classroom – giving you access to gain knowledge and practical skills from faculty with education and deep contextual experience in business.

• NO exams - only individual assignments and submission of a Portfolio of ` Evidence.

WHAT COMES NEXT AFTER COMPLETING? Upon successful completion of the qualification – you can apply for the following qualifications: • Diploma and degree programmes from related and other sectors of the economy, relevant experience and prior learning.

• Bachelor of Business Administration, NQF Level 6.

COURSE OFFERINGS This qualification will cover the following modules: • Action Research • Understanding Economics and the Business Environment • Managing Self • Leadership • Strategic and Operational Management • Project Management • Managing Information (Monitoring and Evaluation) • Financial Management • Business Proposal Writing • Human Resource Management & Development • Strategic Marketing and Customer Relations PROGRAMME FEE R24 800 (Please note that the programme fee is subject to change depending on logistical factors)

TO REGISTER FOR THESE COURSES, FOLLOW THIS LINK: https://www.foundation.co.za/business-courses

Job Seekers

Fit or Misfit?

More often than not when employees leave a new employer within the first six months the issue is around misalignment because they have realised that either they were not the right fit for the company, or the company was not the right fit for them. How an employee ‘fits’ into their new environment will ultimately determine the success that employee will have in the company. So, what are the questions to ask your future employer to determine if the company will be the right fit for you?

By Thembile Cele, HR Specialist

A ‘fit’ can relate to the shared values, common attributes or characteristics that are found within an organisation. In HR speak we are talking about the company’s culture, which underpins the relationships within an organisation. You will see it in the way that people interact with one another, the values they hold and how they make decisions.

A company’s culture can be intentionally created or it can be result from decision-making processes over time. Either way it sets the tone in an organisation.

In a company where the employees fit into the culture of the company; employees are most likely to enjoy their work because their values match with the company values and they will build better relationships with colleagues and will be more productive.

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Having the right ‘fit’ is just as important for employers because the cost of recruiting the right individuals and the cost of attracting the right individuals is often very high – the clearer they are in their processes in identifying the right individuals who fit into the culture are most likely to stay longer in an organisation which reduces employee turnover and eliminates the associated costs of training new hires.

With rising unemployment rates and rising operating costs it is very easy to just recruit any person that fits the specification on paper. Similarly for job seekers who are competing for limited job

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Job Seekers

What words would you use to describe the culture here?

You want such words as ‘friendly, open, encourages communication, team-orientated’. A red flag is when you are told ‘it’s tough, challenging, only the strong survive’. My follow up question would be why is that the case? I remember asking a potential employer why on their BBBEE scorecard they only reported on five female employees forming their junior to senior management. Beyond being told it’s a tough environment, I was told it’s not a suitable place for women. As a woman, I knew I was not the suitable candidate for them.

What is the most surprising adjustment I would have to make in order to fit into the company? This will tell you

the company’s onboarding processes, how employees are treated when they start with the business, and is there a support structure or is it a sink or swim situation. Red flags include if you are told its challenging to start and it will take you a year or years to settle in, or the environment is not for everybody. Nine out of 10 employers know the challenges that employees deal with in their organisation. You want to get a sense of what those challenges are.

How do the managers motivate their team if they have failed to achieve any targets? How your future employer answers this question will tell you a lot on the learning culture or lack thereof. For example, if they tell you that failures are not tolerated or discussed then you know that it's either you deliver or you are out. Yes, meeting targets is important however how an organisation addresses a deviation will tell you a lot about the management style or how disciplined they are.

Can you describe what is “conflict” referred to in the organisation and how is it handled? How an organisation

opportunities, it would be very easy for them to rush to secure the opportunity because they have been unemployed for so long and they are wanting to no longer be part of that +-34% South African individuals who are currently unemployed.

Taking the time to conduct research on the company that is inviting you for an interview will save you a lot of time in deciding whether they would be suitable for you or not.

At the interviewing stage this is the best time to ask probing questions to save yourself that angst of having to explain that ‘Oops!’ period on your CV. As a recruiter and someone who has sat across future employers the following have been my favorite list of questions that either I have used or have been asked of me as an HR professional, which tells you a lot about the culture of your future employer.

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resolves issues between employees or teams will tell you a lot about how managers engage with their staff and whether openness is encouraged or not. In the same way they will ask you to ‘Tell us about a situation’, you can do the same.

How are decisions made? Here you will get a sense of the company structure, who are the decision-makers, and what is the psychological company structure when it comes to making a decision. As a junior employee, am I encouraged to think independently or am I micromanaged?

As a line manager; how do you manage your people? You will

learn a lot about team dynamics from how the recruiting manager relates to the team. Is independence encouraged or must all decisions taken be approved by the manager? If for instance you like to solve problems independently prior to involving your senior, in an environment where such decision-making is discouraged you will be frustrated.

The above list is not in any way exhaustive but it should spark interesting discussions with your future employer which would also give them a sense of who you are as an individual.

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6 Productivity

productivity killers that impact success

The world of work as we know it is has changed dramatically and with it a growing number of productivity killers that impact your success.

With the pace of work, increased digitization and time pressures, these productivity killers can derail careers and businesses.

By Warren Bonheim, Managing Director of Zinia

1 Incorrect use of focus and energy

2 Stuck in the capacity trap

Every person’s body and mental rhythm is different, we all have times throughout the day where we have more energy to focus, and times when our energy dips. When our energy is low our focus is impacted.

Having too much work and not enough capacity is an absolute productivity killer.

Yet most of us just put our heads down and try to tackle everything; what suffers the most is your ability to achieve.

Yet most people are unaware and do not use peak energy times to their advantage. Using your peak energy times to focus on high impact activities and low energy times to do tasks that don’t require huge mental focus, will dramatically increase productivity.

We relentlessly rush through tasks to meet deadlines, never really giving every task or project the time it deserves to be done thoroughly. Not to mention the emotional impact of not being fully satisfied with the work we have done.

If your peak energy time is first thing in the morning, then driving in traffic will negatively impact your focus time. It may be better to use that time to your advantage and set your travel time for later.

Also, I find that people who work flat out and do not take breaks are in fact draining their energy. While it may seem like you are being productive, in fact you are becoming less effective and can burnout. It is far better to take short breaks to boost your energy then go back to your desk to resume tasks with more focus.

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Also, find ways to create efficiency and better ways of working which ultimately generates more capacity. Productivity tools that analyse where you are spending too much time can help you create efficiency, whether it is by changing a work habit, using work applications more effectively, or even changing a cumbersome work process.

By taking the time to evaluate your available work hours and ways of working realistically against the work you have, and understanding your true capacity, you can now implement solutions to improve your productivity and that of your teams.

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Productivity

3 Help, too many distractions

4 Where did the time go?

Distractions can affect your ability to focus and get work done, so it is important to be aware of the distracting influences in your environment. If you work from home your distractions are obvious, like being interrupted by kids or domestic duties, so it is important to have a private space where you are undisturbed.

Whether you work remotely or in the office, time management is an issue that affects everyone.

Many people struggle with time management faced with different aspects in their day, like long meetings, managing deadlines, new work projects, interruptions and remaining focused.

In a work environment, people interrupt you, especially if you are in an open plan office. It is so much easier to walk over to talk to someone and get a response, even if you can see they are busy with something.

What you may need to do is set some clear boundaries, such as wearing headphones that signal you wish not to be disturbed, or work from a boardroom when you need focus time.

Another common distraction is messaging apps and email whose presence is immediately felt with a sound signalling the arrival of a new message. By putting notifications on silent for a short time, or resisting the urge to keep checking emails, you give yourself focus time after which you can attend to any incoming messages.

The key to time management is being aware of where you spend most of your time and then finding a way to manage your time throughout the day effectively.

This is far more difficult to do when you don’t use a productivity tool as the day goes past so quickly that it is virtually impossible to remember what you worked on, when, and on which day.

However, awareness of where the problem lies is a key factor in helping you manage time better.

5 Micromanagement This must be one of the biggest productivity killers of the day. While micromanagement has its place if a person is not performing, it places immense stress on you and therefore produces the opposite desired result.

Have you ever felt your heart rate rise when someone stands over your shoulder or asks where something is which you haven’t gotten to yet? It is natural for the body to respond negatively.

Understanding why people micromanage gives some insight; it is usually driven by a lack of information and the fear of the unknown. And this is further exacerbated by the shift to remote working where people are disconnected.

The fact is that constant check-ins are an interruption to the flow of work and can hinder progress of work.

6 Use of technology systems or processes While no one likes to admit that technology or processes can sometimes result in unproductivity, the fact is that it does happen.

There is nothing worse than trying to complete an important task and it takes an hour instead of a few minutes. Or be told to follow a process which in fact adds more time not less.

Whether it is inconsistent internet, an inefficient process, slow computer applications, or lack of technology training, this is often a silent productivity killer that flies under the radar.

Today, there are productivity tools like WorkStatz which can help by measuring where you spend your time on your computer, like a fitness app that monitors your physical activity, so you stay on track of your fitness goals. WorkStatz provides valuable insights on time challenges such as too many meetings, long meetings, applications that hinder success, high or low workloads, ineffective processes, too many administrative tasks, multitasking challenges and so on.

Productivity leads to success and embracing tech tools to help you may be just what you need to banish those productivity killers forever.

To find out more, visit go to www.zinia.co.za

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Recruitment

Should recruitment prioritise

skills over education?

The workplace has evolved. New job responsibilities have been introduced, and what may have been a valuable set of skills a decade ago may no longer be relevant in the workplace today.

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Recruitment

There are skills that can be learned, such as digital skills, and then there are inherent soft skills, such as being agile and open to change, or being naturally curious. Many of these skills are unlikely to be taught in schools or universities.

And, if this is the case, why do so many companies require education as a prerequisite for employment?

In his State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged the private sector to consider removing experience as hiring criteria in order to provide as many young people as possible with their first jobs.

And in a country like South Africa, where the school system is confronted with numerous complicated challenges, and the unemployment rate is at an all-time low, it appears that prioritising education may be a nail in the coffin for many.

Businesses must recognise the value of upskilling

The private sector plays a critical role in the economy. It is left to employers to determine their own hiring measures, although basing them on education or experience for new job seekers should be seriously reconsidered. What matters is that businesses recognise the value of upskilling. According to the World Economic Future of Jobs Report, by 2025, half of the world's working population will need to be reskilled.

So, should we push businesses to reconsider asking for education and experience as a measure for hiring? In this article, we ask businesses what their solution is to the skills gap, and the unemployment crisis facing South Africa.

In the company of givers not takers

It is quite clear that South African youth are struggling to find employment, with one in four school leavers in South Africa under the age of 24 being unemployed.

For the Kruger Station precinct and Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge – both based in the Kruger National Park – the focus has been on how much the organisation can do for individuals who need work in the area, rather than how much the candidates can bring to the table.

According to YouthExplorer.org.za, 36% of the Ehlanzeni population is youth (aged 15-35), of which 60-72% of people between the ages of 15-24 are unemployed.

“In an impact report that we carried out for Shalati and Station, we noted that it was expected that by the end of 2019, the real unemployment figure for the youth in the Bushbuckridge area was close to 75%,” says Jerry Mabena, CEO of Motsamayi Tourism.

“Now, take into account that since then, the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. We can only anticipate that these statistics look worse now. We knew going into the Kruger Station and Kruger Shalati projects that we needed to create employment opportunities for young people in the Mpumalanga area. Once we started interviews for the jobs offered we had over 5 000 CVs from people in the area. Jobs are rare and people are desperate,” says Mabena.

“It is against this backdrop that we made the decision to invest in local youth and upskill them in the tourism industry,” he notes.

An open-ended approach to working SizweSihle Dlamini, Customer Experience Director at Hoorah Digital, believes that the skills needed to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) economy are where we need to be focusing our attention.

“Rather than competencies like coding and data analytics, we need to look to the social – or ‘soft’ skills – that allow for a more fluid, open-ended approach to working, learning, developing and innovating,” says Dlamini.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report counts skills including problem solving, self-management, working with people, and technology use and management among those likely to be the most in demand in the future.

“These skills will be heavily influenced by the organisational culture in question. Environments in which innovation regularly occurs tend to be more receptive to change, while cultures that are heavily regulated tend to err on the safer side of things and invariably innovate far less. As such, the ability to influence and manage the turnaround of such staid models will be worth gold (or lots of bitcoin) in the near future,” he adds.

"Ultimately, the ability to constantly learn, unlearn and relearn will be the skill we most value in a techenabled future. And it starts, simply, with a mindset that values the utility and importance of a fluid approach to learning.”

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Recruitment

A shift towards the online learning environment According to the International Finance Corporation, 230 million jobs in subSaharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and automation are also transforming the job landscape in a way that is changing the needs and requirements of certain job roles, making existing jobs redundant, and even creating completely new jobs that did not exist before.

Robin Fisher, Senior Area Vice President of Salesforce Emerging Markets believes that it’s never been more important than now to actively seek out new skills.

"A fortunate side-effect of the last two years of disruption has been the shift towards a more online learning environment at a large scale," he says.

“Learning platforms like Trailhead from Salesforce are making digital skills learning fun, easy, and accessible by providing anyone with the opportunity to learn critical skills for free online, anywhere and at any time,” says Fisher.

The platform offers globally recognised credentials that demonstrate their expertise to current and future employers, and through the Trailblazer Community, learning is not relegated to a silo. There are already more than 3 million people who are scaling up their digital skills using Trailhead.

By better understanding the challenges to closing the digital divide and skills gap, and shaping our response and support accordingly, we can make a difference.

Prioritise upskilling and reskilling

"Both the public and private sectors have a responsibility to unlock vital upskilling, reskilling, and digital literacy within both the current and future workforce, in order to prepare people for the future of work and develop the capabilities to effectively drive innovation and growth,' Fisher explains.

"By better understanding the challenges to closing the digital divide and skills gap, and shaping our response and support accordingly, we can make a difference. But, we need to see a concerted collaborative effort to break down barriers to learning and create an equal and accessible pathway into a digital-first future."

Young people in South Africa are having difficulties finding work. The only way to improve the country's unemployment rate and economy is for the private sector to rethink employment strategies and place a priority on ongoing upskilling and reskilling.

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workplace

Empowering lives

through impactful education and training A trusted partner for businesses and the public sector alike, Optimi Workplace provides top-quality, accessible education and training that positively impacts the lives of adults across South Africa.

This is achieved through our flagship offerings media works and tuta-me .

Established over 26 years ago, Media Works gives adults the education and training needed to succeed in the workplace. Our comprehensive range of qualifications, short courses and institutional support is tailored to suit your needs.

Recognising a critical skills gap that exists in South Africa, every training solution that we offer includes a strong computer literacy component.

“

The training through Media Works has been life-changing for me. The opportunity that I've been given will certainly open doors for me, as my achievement in FLC creates employment, as well as study opportunities, said Mmoledy Emly Maile, a community member who studied through Media Works’ FLC programme at Samancor ECM in Steelpoort, Limpopo.

”

Media Works conducted FLC training for employees of Samancor ECM, as well as for community members in the Steelpoort area in Limpopo. Over 30 learners took part in the FLC training, which helped to improve the learners’ verbal and written literacy, computer proficiency and basic numeracy skills.

“

Working with Media Works was fruitful for both the employer and the employees, as the company is now reaping the benefits of having a literate workforce, which results in higher productivity and reduced incidents occurring in the

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workplace, as employees understand instructions better, said Desmond Mazibuko, Human Resource Development-Adult Education and Training Coordinator at Samancor ECM.

Amended Senior Certificate (ASC)

Foundational Learning Competence (FLC)

Adult Education and Training (AET)

Empowering learners with an upgraded pathway to adult matric, our innovative ASC programme is the superior choice when it comes to upskilling and earning B-BBEE points.

Foundational learning describes the appropriate level of communication and mathematical literacy needed to cope with the demands of occupational learning.

Our comprehensive FLC training is available both online and in-person.

Our flagship product is a groundbreaking, superior training solution that educates adult learners not only in the fundamental skills of mathematics and literacy, but also in fundamental life skills.

Contact us 0861 696 757

enquiries@mediaworks.co.za

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Youth Unemployment

Impact Sourcing – the power to tackle youth unemployment & halt SA’s ticking time bomb South Africa’s unemployment statistics are wrenching, with the recent news of unemployment soaring to just shy of 35%, and to almost 47% if you look at the expanded definition – this includes South Africans who have simply given up looking for a job. Youth unemployment is even more horrifying at almost 67%.

It means that across our entire population of employable citizens, one in three is unemployed. When it comes to our youth, two out three are unemployed – and range from those classified as NEETs - Not in Education, Employment, or Training – to those who have graduated with tertiary qualifications and still cannot secure employment.

“Whether you are a leader of a large multinational, or the founder of an SME, these statistics should have us all focusing on finding a sustainable solution to what is potentially a cataclysmic disaster in wait for our country, our economy and social order," says Trent Lockstone, CEO of The Impact Sourcing Institute of South Africa, a member of Alefbet Holdings.

"One such solution that is making headway in very sustainable ways and has huge potential to address unemployment affecting youth and people living with disabilities, is Impact Sourcing. Also known as socially responsible sourcing, it is a meaningful and impactful way for businesses to train and employ large numbers of lower skilled workers and those with no previous work experience – getting them into the economy and job market and then creating viable pathways to further learning and training for career progression,” he explains.

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Youth Unemployment

Business process outsourcing making a profound difference through impact sourcing

Lockstone says that many businesses, and specifically those in sunrise industries like South Africa’s Global Business Services (also known as Business Process Outsourcing) sector, are making a profound difference in disadvantaged communities through ‘impact sourcing’.

"They do this by recruiting, training and employing socio-economically disadvantaged and disabled individuals as principal workers in their business process outsourcing centres. Without this intervention, many very capable, willing and talented people would be lost to the job market by not having access to the economy.

"When you consider the growth trajectory of South Africa’s GBS sector, which according to McKinsey’s South Africa Big Five report, could grow to over 775 000 jobs by 2030, with two-thirds of these in the service of overseas markets, the potential for impact sourcing is significant,” says Lockstone.

When it comes to our youth, two out three are unemployed – and range from those classified as NEETs - Not in Education, Employment, or Training – to those who have graduated with tertiary qualifications and still cannot secure employment.

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Youth Unemployment

Bridging the gap between social imperatives and strategic business objectives

The Impact Sourcing Institute’s model is designed to bridge the gap between companies wanting to make a difference but lacking the dedicated expertise and know-how of creating a structured work and learning environment for entry level or disabled employees, and the young people who are desperate to work, but struggle to access the labour market.

The model bridges the gap between social imperatives and strategic business objectives, addressing all the challenging practicalities that lie in-between in addressing youth employment through impact sourcing.

As just one example, one of South Africa’s largest steel producers renewed their commitment to funding disabled and disadvantaged young learners through a learnership programme which culminates in a formal qualification. One hundred candidates were impact sourced through the Impact Sourcing Institute and put through a rigorous training and mentorship programme, which besides their formal training as contact centre agents, also includes workplace readiness and life skills coaching.

“We achieved a 100% completion rate at the end of 2021, and every candidate has been placed in permanent employment through our network of business partners and contact centres who support impact sourcing as a strategic business imperative.

Based on the success of this programme, the steel producer has increased the intake Impact sourcing has to be a top priority for every business to 250 learners in the When you consider the trajectory for our country if we do not meaningfully address our structural 2022 financial year,” unemployment challenges, it becomes clear why impact sourcing has to be a top priority for every says Lockstone. business, regardless of size. Every business should be looking at the impact it can make on our human and social capital – in a country where we have an abundance of talented, willing and able people looking to work and contribute if given an opportunity.

“All businesses have a unique opportunity through impact sourcing to empower youth and people living with a disability to improve their living conditions, shape meaningful careers and lift themselves and their families out of a cycle of perpetual hardship," says Lockstone.

"Not only is it a sustainable means to economic growth, but businesses get to support a programme with outputs that align with the UN’s sustainable development goals. At the same time, they are developing a skilled workforce for long-term employment; they get to fully maximise the benefits of their BBBEE scorecards in terms of skills development and they get to fundamentally reshape societal outcomes for the better,” he adds.

For more information visit www.impactsourcinginstitute.org

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Holding hands for our future

Entrepreneurship

Building South Africa by building youth entrepreneurs South Africa has been regarded as one of the most unequal countries in the world, and the effects of this sit heaviest on the shoulders of our youth.

By Busisiwe Bebeza, Programme Manager.

Business Incubation at Fetola

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Entrepreneurship

Our country has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with 46% of those aged between 15 and 24 without work[1]. But this is the same group whose passion and resilience can transform our economy – if we invest in them, offering them the skills they need.

More than half[2] of our entrepreneurs are youth. And as we know, entrepreneurship is one of the best ways to drive economic development and create jobs. This means the next generation is essential for changing our country’s future. For us to get to that future, we need to support their bold and inspiring business ideas, ensuring that they can create sustainable enterprises that will not just survive, but thrive.

Creating an entrepreneurship ecosystem

South Africa still has a long way to go before we have an ecosystem that promotes entrepreneurship. In the National Entrepreneurship Context Index, South Africa ranked 49th out of 54 economies in 2019[3]. Rankings such as this show us that there are serious challenges facing our young entrepreneurs and that we must act quickly to address them.

But the challenges of South Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem aren’t spread out evenly, with the very same people affected by poverty and unemployment also impacted by challenges to entrepreneurship.

Evidence has shown that historically disadvantaged communities are producing fewer entrepreneurs than affluent communities[4]. While this should not be surprising, based on the fact that access to resources and education has a lasting impact on an entrepreneur’s success, it does have devastating results for South Africa’s informal areas and townships.

With more than 60%[5] of the country’s unemployed population among the 22 million South Africans living in townships and informal settlements, it is clear that these communities urgently need to be the focus of employment interventions. Because we know that entrepreneurship leads to employment, we need to focus our efforts to upskill entrepreneurs in these areas as well.

Creating jobs in these areas is likely to have the biggest impact, as these communities tend to have the highest concentrations of poverty[6]. Already, the township economy is responsible for creating 17% of South Africa’s total employment[7] (2.5 million workers) and makes up about 6% of the country’s GDP. There is no lack of talent in townships and informal areas. They are home to robust entrepreneurial activity supported by their communities. Township entrepreneurs have proven to be experts at identifying opportunities in their markets[8]. These entrepreneurs also provide a vital network that sustains small businesses in the township economy, with almost half relying on other small businesses as key clients[9].

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Entrepreneurship

Building entrepreneurs to build South Africa

There are a multitude of challenges facing our young entrepreneurs – everything from high data costs to a failing education system. But there are targeted and tailor-made solutions to help young entrepreneurs learn the skills they need to thrive.

This is exactly what the Fetola Youth Start-up Accelerator Programme aims to do. The fresh, innovative one-year programme is designed to help young aspiring entrepreneurs grow and develop their business ideas. Aimed at unemployed youth, graduates, matriculants, and aspiring entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35, the programme will teach 100 young innovators the skills needed to develop their business idea and get their enterprise off the ground.

It’s a solution that speaks to some of the biggest barriers facing young entrepreneurs: a lack of key business skills, access to mentors and the opportunity to test out their business ideas. If any of these key ingredients are missing, our young entrepreneurs could find themselves among more than half of businesses that fail within the first year[10].

Investing in these young entrepreneurs is essential.

Entrepreneurial activity is among the highest in people aged 25 to 35, showing us that this is a critical age group to target with interventions.

Not only do we want to inspire our youth to dream of a better future, but we also aim to equip them with the skills that will help them build South Africa.

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... the programme will teach 100 young innovators the skills needed to develop their business idea and get their enterprise off the ground.

References: [1] http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/P02113rdQuarter2021. pdf [2] https://brandsouthafrica.com/state-of-entrepreneurship-in-southafrica/ [3] https://www.gemconsortium.org/file/open?fileId=50671 [4] https://www.gemconsortium.org/file/open?fileId=50671 [5] https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/economy/2018-03-14-townshipsare-poised-to-become-major-job-creators-government-says/ [6] http://www.treasury.gov.za/divisions/bo/ndp/TTRI/TTRI%20Oct%20 2007/Day%201%20-%2029%20Oct%202007/1a%20Keynote%20 Address%20Li%20Pernegger%20Paper.pdf [7] http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/P02114thQuarter2020. pdf [8] https://www.gibs.co.za/news-events/news/pages/understanding-thetownship-entrepreneur.aspx [9] https://www.gibs.co.za/news-events/news/pages/understanding-thetownship-entrepreneur.aspx [10] https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/487503/south-africa-hasone-of-the-highest-business-failure-rates-in-the-world-analysts/

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Small Business

Datacentrix & HPE

join forces in Alexandra to assist with small business and youth development initiative Hybrid IT systems integrator and managed services provider, Datacentrix, has continued its ongoing efforts to enable economic development, by participating in a project that will specifically target small businesses and local youth.

The township incubator is based at Motswedi Skills Centre in Alexandra and will foster the growth and development of small businesses and the economy. It is backed by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), Ecosystem Development for Small Enterprise (EDSE) Programme and the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa (EU in SA).

“Broad economic growth and small business development are two areas that are highly dependent on an efficient, integrated and connected network of support platforms, such as these digital hubs and incubators,” explains Billy Mabena, General Manager: Public Sector Sales at Datacentrix, speaking at the recent launch of the Alexandra digital hub.

“This project, and the many others embarked upon by SEDA and the Department of Small Business Development that aim to provide small innovative digital start-ups with the required support, will have a significant impact in addressing our socio-economic challenges. More specifically, they will target youth unemployment by assisting young entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital era.”

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Plethora of digital opportunities across all industries The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) presents a plethora of digital opportunities across all industries, says Mabena.

“What is also accurate, especially for South Africa, is that for this programme to succeed, it requires private/public partnerships that will provide small innovative digital start-ups with the muchneeded business infrastructure, enterprise supplier development linkages, access to funding, and investor linkages.

“Upon initial discussions with HPE regarding involvement in this project, it was clear that it resonated well with Datacentrix’ vision of being a good corporate citizen. We have partnered with HPE for the past 25 years, and both companies share the same the vision in many respects relating to business drivers, social cohesion, particularly when it comes to human development, and philanthropic initiatives.

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Small Business

Enabling economic development and job creation

“As a local business, Datacentrix has a vested interest in the economic development of this country. In simple terms, when the South African economy does well – especially through digital programmes – we do well too. And what better way to enable economic development and job creation, than through digital entrepreneurship?”

Mabena asks.

“It was only natural, then, that Datacentrix raised its hand and offered to assist where it could by providing ICT network infrastructure installation services and expertise for the GALXCOC Digital Hub and Township Incubator.”

Over and above the infrastructure support provided to this facility, Datacentrix will also support the new hub with linkage opportunities through its supplier development and learnership programmes.

“Datacentrix’ transformational projects are not a tick-box exercise. We are very clear and concise about what transformation means for us and the country in general, and about the initiatives that meaningfully contribute to our transformational objectives, in particular, supporting our previously disadvantaged youth,” he adds.

Building sustainable micro and small enterprises that will contribute to job creation and economic growth

The main objective of the Datacentrix supplier development programme is to build sustainable EMEs (exempted micro enterprises) and QSEs (qualifying small enterprises) that will contribute to job creation and economic growth, by providing financial and non-financial support aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP) and broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) Codes of Good Practice.

“In our view, this aligns with the objectives of the GALXCOC Digital Hub and Incubator, and it is for this reason that we took up the challenge to partner on this project. It is encouraging to see that, despite the many challenges faced

by South Africans, including crime and unemployment, which have only been put under more pressure during the pandemic, we have also witnessed a rapid increase in digital adoption across all sectors of the economy and country - and even in our private lives.

“This is an opportunity for the communities to accelerate their digital programmes and contribute towards the revival of the economy through technology,” Mabena said.

“We offer our sincere congratulations to SEDA, the Department of Small Business Development and all involved in this inspirational project and look forward to seeing the fruits borne of this good work.”

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Skills Training

Need for greater welding expertise to maintain

SA's critical infrastructure One of the major factors that plays a significant role in the economy is the basic supply of electricity and water. To maintain this supply, welding is a critical part of the maintenance chain that must be carried out at an acceptable standard using competent personnel, but a lack of welding coordinators is putting huge strain on the system.

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Skills Training

Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) Certification CEO, Herman Potgieter, comments: “It’s vital to have the knowledge and know-how to maintain safety-critical products such as boiler units at power plants and municipal water pipe infrastructure.

Every power station and municipal department responsible for critical infrastructure installation and maintenance needs ISO 3834 welding co-ordination personnel to ensure compliance to specific codes and standard requirements. “Welding coordination specialists are vital as they provide a broader, more strategic view of the welding function and thereby ensure that it is properly leveraged within a particular company or site. Unfortunately, 90% of companies make use of inspection personnel to co-ordinate activities. Inspector and co-ordinator roles are often seen as the same, but each has a very important and distinct part to play.”

SAIW is therefore working hard to up the current in-depth welding skills via its welding co-ordination courses.

“We realise that many welders want to further their skills set but lack the time to do so. To enhance the accessibility of these courses, we offer our IWS qualification courses as live after-hours online sessions and in-house face to face learning opportunities,” Potgieter reports.

“We also offer this hybrid approach to fast track Level 2 inspectors so that existing welders can complete the IWS qualification with a short bridging course This hybrid approach ensures accessibility and enhanced learning opportunities for employed students with limited time availability.”

A continental approach SAIW is also working across Africa to foster this capability having entered into a partnership with Ethiopia’s tertiary education sector to impart in-depth welding, inspection and co-ordination skills across nine TVET Colleges in that country. In addition, SAIW is championing ISO 3834 welding standards across the African continent in partnership with the African Welding Federation. This stems from the requirement for ISO 3834 certified companies to employ Responsible Welding Co-ordinators (RWCs).

“We are encouraging companies to train their RWCs on the IIW welding qualifications given the contribution that our ISO 3834 and specific welding co-ordination ISO 14731 training can make to developing and stimulating welding capabilities in Africa,” SAIW Executive Director John Tarboton says.

Training the trainers

“The idea is that as we roll out ISO 3834 certified companies across Africa and this will stimulate demand for the training of International Welding Practitioners (IWP) International Welding Specialists (IWS) and International Welding Technologists (IWT) training.”

SAIW staff will also ‘train the trainers’ by upskilling an additional 100 Ethiopian welding practitioners through the International Welding Practitioner (IWP) course at The Centre of Excellency for Engineering in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. These students will in turn become instructors at the nine accredited TVET colleges in Ethiopia, mentioned above.

SAIW’s work with Ethiopian welders and welding coordination personnel will see five Ethiopian engineers coming to South Africa to complete the IIW International Welding Inspection Personnel (IWIP) Comprehensive Course at the SAIW’s Johannesburg campus.

The IWP programme provides a combination of theoretical knowledge and high-level practical skills assessed by tests of increasing difficulty and by theoretical examinations. Additional training of 500 students is planned for the second half of 2022 to ultimately train 7 000 students as internationally recognised welders.

This course will provide them with extensive knowledge of welding and inspection theory and application. They will then be able to offer the same course at accredited Ethiopian training bodies.

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This will be followed by SAIW Certification staff travelling to Ethiopia in June to conduct an audit of the first of nine TVET Colleges to be certified Approved Training Bodies (ATBs) under the SAIW (South Africa ‘s IIW Authorised National Body) after which they will have the authority to issue certificates post each welding co-ordination course.

The Ethiopian programme is a prime example of how deepening the welding skills base is as key part of boosting economic growth.

“If we want to position Africa as a centre of welding excellence, we need to develop a deeper more comprehensive welding capacity by offering courses that provide specialist welding inspection and co-ordination skills to ensure ISO 3834 company compliance as well as career progression and enhanced earning potential,” Tarboton stresses.

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Book Reviews: Pearson Higher Education New Titles

Introduction to Human Resource Management: Fresh Perspectives (third edition) The third edition of Introduction to Human Resource Management: Fresh Perspectives has been significantly updated to include the latest trends impacting the way people work today. This book is aimed at first-year students registered for a qualification that requires a foundational understanding of Human Resource Management. It is an ideal complement to students studying towards businessrelated qualifications such as a Diploma in Management, a Certificate in Sales Management, a Certificate in Marketing, Communications Practice or a Diploma in Business Studies.

Risk Management (fifth edition) Management expert Peter Drucker argues that risk management – the ability to manage the unexpected – is as important as entrepreneurship and business skills in propelling economic growth. A society that is able to control and cushion against disaster is better able to deploy its resources towards economic and social advancement.

The target readership for this text includes students enrolled in risk management, safety management, financial management and insurance courses at university level as well as risk management professionals.

Authors: Lyle Markham, Jenika Gobind, Saajida Abdulla, Calvin Mabaso, Shamantha, Rajaram, Marie Uys Format: Paperback Extent: 428pp

Authors: AC Valsamakis, RW Vivian, GS du Toit, J Young Format: Paperback Extent: 416pp

Community Psychology

Sociology: Global and Southern African Perspectives (first edition)

Community psychology has emerged as a viable approach in response to these critiques, practicing cooperative principles of accountability and engagement in a sustainable manner that involves psychologists, community members and other relevant stakeholders. Against this backdrop, each chapter in Community Psychology contextualises community psychology practices in the South African context. Significant issues that are faced by local communities and therefore encountered by community psychologists, such as poverty, violence, substance abuse, racism, HIV/AIDS and genderbased violence, are discussed in depth.

Authors: BR Parry, M Florence, E Fouten, C Hermann, N Matamela, JK Moodley, VM Mpepo, TS Nkomo, DH Odendaal, BR Parry, JD Thwala, S Vasi, M Visser Format: Paperback Extent: 365pp

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Written by sociologists and academics located at universities and research institutions across South Africa, Sociology: Global and Southern African Perspectives is a theoretically informed and research-driven text that discusses classical sociological theories and decolonial theories, as well as providing extensive data, case studies and examples.

Sociology: Global and Southern African Perspectives introduces the key themes, concepts and debates in sociology, and shows how the discipline can assist readers to analyse South African society in an increasingly globalised world.

Authors: JJ Macionis, L Hagemeier, M Bydawell, J De Wet, N De Wet-Billings, S Frade, O Katsaura, G Khunou, L Maisiri, R Matsehedisho, Z McDonald, L Plank, S Rama, S Spicer Format: Paperback Extent: 904pp

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Siyafunda Siyafunda Siyafunda Siyafunda Community Technology Centre Siyafunda y Technology Centre y Community Technology CentreCentre Technology Community Technology Centre Siyafunda Siyafunda SIYAFUNDA COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTRE IS A PUBLIC PLACE WHERE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY SIYAFUNDA COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY Community Technology Centre Community Technology Centre

A PUBLIC PUBLIC PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ACCESS COMPUTERS, SIYAFUNDA COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY A PLACE WHERE CENTRE ISCAN A PUBLIC PLACE WHERE THE ACCESS COMPUTERS, THE INTERNET & OTHER DIGITAL CENTRE IS A PUBLIC PLACE WHERE ACCESS COMPUTERS, THE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS COMPUTERS, THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE THEM TO ET & OTHER DIGITAL PEOPLE CAN ACCESS COMPUTERS, THE ET & OTHER DIGITAL INTERNET & OTHER DIGITAL SIYAFUNDA COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY SIYAFUNDA COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY GATHER INFORMATION, CREATE, LEARN,& ES THAT THAT ENABLE THEM TO INTERNET & OTHER DIGITAL ES ENABLE TO TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE THEM TO CENTRE ISA ATHEM PUBLIC PLACE WHERE CENTRE IS PUBLIC PLACE WHERE COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS WHILE TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE THEMTHEY TO RMATION, CREATE, LEARN,& GATHER INFORMATION, CREATE, LEARN,& PEOPLE CANACCESS ACCESS COMPUTERS, THE PEOPLE CAN COMPUTERS, THE DEVELOP ESSENTIAL DIGITAL SKILLS GATHER INFORMATION, CREATE, LEARN,& E WITH OTHERS WHILE THEY COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS WHILE THEY INTERNET OTHER DIGITAL INTERNET && OTHER DIGITAL COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS SKILLS WHILE THEY SSENTIAL DIGITAL SKILLS DEVELOP ESSENTIAL DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLETHEM THEMTO TO TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE DEVELOP ESSENTIAL DIGITAL SKILLS GATHERINFORMATION, INFORMATION,CREATE, CREATE,LEARN,& LEARN,& GATHER WHAT WE OFFER: COMMUNICATEWITH WITHOTHERS OTHERSWHILE WHILETHEY THEY COMMUNICATE CUSTOMER SERVICE: COPYING, T WE OFFER: WHATESSENTIAL WE OFFER: DEVELOP ESSENTIAL DIGITALSKILLS SKILLS DEVELOP DIGITAL

WHAT WE AND OFFER: FAXING, SCANNING MANY MORE COPYING, SERVICE: CUSTOMER SERVICE: COPYING, Contact us to find out more CUSTOMER COPYING, OURSERVICE: COURSES: NING AND MANY MORE FAXING, SCANNING AND MANY MORE FAXING, SCANNING MANY MORE Contact us tousfind out more Contact to find out more OFFICE ADMINISTRATION WHAT WEAND OFFER: OUR COURSES: R COURSES: WHAT WE OFFER: Contact us to find out more OUR COURSES: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CUSTOMER SERVICE: COPYING, OFFICE ADMINISTRATION MORE INFO : ADMINISTRATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: COPYING, OFFICE ADMINISTRATION CYBERSECURITY TIONFAXING, TECHNOLOGY FAXING, SCANNING ANDMANY MANYMORE MORE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SCANNING AND MORE INFO MORE INFO::: MORE INFO www.siyafundactc.org.z INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Contact us to find out more CODING & Contact us toMORE find out more INFO : ERSECURITY OUR COURSES: CYBERSECURITY OUR COURSES: ERSECURITY www.siyafundactc.org.za www.siyafundactc.org.za CYBERSECURITY www.siyafundactc.org.za ROBOTICS CODING OFFICE ADMINISTRATION CODING & ADMINISTRATION 011 904 2720 CODING & &OFFICE www.siyafundactc.org.z CODING & OBOTICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ROBOTICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 575 1724 MORE INFO:: OBOTICS 011 2720 011074 904 2720 MORE INFO 011 904 904 2720 ROBOTICS CYBERSECURITY 011 904 2720 CYBERSECURITY 074 575 1724 575 1724 074074 575 1724 www.siyafundactc.org.z www.siyafundactc.org.z CODING & 074 575 1724

AA Technical College –

getting the right tools for the future Trained and skilled artisans are often the unseen heroes of many organisations although they are the cogs that keep companies on the road.

Without their skills many companies would not be able to keep their vehicles operational and their contribution to the bottom line is therefore immense. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of skilled artisans in the automotive industry with fewer people entering the profession than is needed.

To address this, the Automobile Association of South Africa NPC (AA) launched its Technical College which was awarded accreditation as a training provider on 21 June 2006, for the facilitation of the full learnership qualifications of Autotronics and Maintaining Vehicles as well as apprentice training in the trades of: Automotive Electrician, Automotive Engine Fitter, Diesel Fitter, Diesel Fuel Injection Technician, Diesel Mechanic and Motor Mechanic (accreditation number: 17-QA/ACC/0023/06).

Skilled artisans play a crucial role in any company “Skilled artisans play a crucial role in any company as they reduce down time and maintenance costs for businesses with big fleets. And, they are employable across a wide variety of industries from mining and agriculture to construction and transport. Many government departments also rely heavily on automotive artisans to keep their vehicles on the road,” says Werner Wandrey, National Technical Training Manager at the AA Technical College (AATC).

Since its inception in 2006, around 1 200 students a year have passed through the AATC’s learning centre, qualifying in a range of different disciplines.

“We train people to become automotive electricians, diesel mechanics, diesel fuel injection technicians, motor mechanics (petrol), diesel fitters and automotive engine fitters. When these students leave us, they leave with a nationally accepted and useful qualification, with which

they will be a scarce resource in a competitive economy,” says Wandrey.

Two main streams of learning

There are two main streams of learning offered at the AATC: Competency Based Modular Training (CBMT) and learnerships that are NQF aligned. There are different courses within each of these streams.

“There are huge benefits to companies sending staff on these courses. The error ratio is reduced and the quality of work of the artisans who have been through our doors is markedly improved.

There is great value in people attending these courses – not only for themselves personally but also for the companies who send them to us,” explains Wandrey.

AATC is an accredited training facility

Importantly the AATC is an accredited training facility and trade test centre. Accreditation has been awarded by the Department of Higher Education and The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). As such AATC can provide training for companies no matter which Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) skills levies are paid to.

Each of the courses offered at the ranges from between 18 months and four years with the artisans then leaving with a formal qualification.

“I think we understand the market extremely well and are teaching quality artisans here; after all, when they leave, they will say the AATC trained them, so we work hard to keep the highest standards,” he says.

And this hard work is paying off judging by the quality of clients who send their learners to the AATC for training. Among these are, OEM’s, Dealers, Groups and even the SME aftermarket.

AATC can be contacted on 086 133 3668 or email: aatrainingjhb@aasa.co.za

The competitive advantage your business needs