An Office Management Technology (OMT) fundraising drive, in which first years raised R21 000 for the Red Cross Children’s Trust, and a series of seminars hosted by second years, gave students an opportunity to put their theory into practice.

Each year OMT students hosts various events, which allows them to take their theory one step further and gain real-world experience. This year first and second-year students pulled out all the stops to create successful events, which took place during October.

First-year OMT students used their entrepreneurship skills to arrange a fundraising event at the Cape Town and Wellington campuses.

With the help of lecturers Belinda Berman and Plaatjies Maribe, the students hosted a market day in order to raise funds for a local charity.

Lecturers said students, who were divided into 16 groups, were extremely creative and innovative with the products they sold.

This year’s products ranged from fruit salads to tantalizing chicken and steak pitas. Students also did cold calling for sponsorship and the teams who were persistent were successful in obtaining sponsorship.

Although preparation for the event was challenging for students, it allowed them to integrate all the skills acquired in the various subjects, such as communication, computing, negotiation and time management.

The students managed to sell all of their products and raised R21 000, which was donated to the Red Cross Children’s Trust, a fundraising arm of the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

Clothing from Naartjie, teddy bears and a Pick n Pay voucher were also handed to representatives from the trust.

Meanwhile, the second year OMT students hosted seminars at the Cape Town, Bellville and Wellington campuses.

The seminars aimed at developing a number of skills including planning, coordination, and leadership skills.

In line with the theoretical background provided, this practical experience enabled the students to successfully execute an event from the planning stage to its completion.

The entire second year student body was divided into six groups and each devised an original programme for their seminar.

Although each seminar followed a difference programme, each was centered on the theme of “Creating Successful Futures.”

Invited guests included the head of the OMT department, Mandie Richards, lecturers in the faculty and partners in industry.

The students were also required to invite keynote speakers to discuss various topics that were significant to their themes.

The keynote speakers included media personalities, motivational speakers, professionals from the industry and entrepreneurs.

The culmination of this exercise was a portfolio which was submitted by each group to their lecturers Jasmiena Latief and Mario da Costa, who assisted them throughout the process.

Lecturers and keynote speakers said they were impressed with the professionalism displayed by all the students.

Written by CPUT News

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

True to its vision of becoming the heart of technology education in Africa, CPUT is strengthening ties with its African counterparts.

Recently two staff members from the Faculty of Business, Mandie Richards and Belinda Berman, visited The School of Management Sciences at Polytechnic of Namibia to discuss various areas of collaboration.

CPUT and Polytechnic of Namibia signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2013.

“This has been a positive move, as it provided an opportunity for a cultural exchange with our African counterparts,” says Richards, a senior lecturer in the Office Management and Technology Department.

Richards says the collaboration between the two institutions emphasises that international exchanges also include exploring educational, social and economic opportunities in Africa.

“Each session provided so many opportunities for future collaboration and strengthening the ties with our Africa partners,” she says.

The faculty is looking forward to staff and student exchanges between the two institutions, especially within the Office Management and Technology Department. Other areas of collaboration include curriculum development as well as joint research initiatives.

Discussions also focused on student and staff development programmes as well as transformation.

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CPUT first-year students recently donated R54 300 to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust.

The Business Administration 1 students and lecturer Belinda Berman, who is the project’s facilitator, recently handed over the cheque to the Trust on the District Six Campus. The money was raised earlier this year and will be spent towards the upgrading and extension of the Hospital’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

The Department of Business and Information Administration started the initiative in 2009 as a Business Administration 1 live academic entrepreneurship project and has to date donated a R430 685 to the Trust.

During the handover, Head of the Department, Prof Visvanathan Naicker, thanked everyone who was involved for their “hard work” in raising the donation for “a good cause”.  Naicker said when the students graduate they will have a proven track record of fundraising.

Every year, prizes are awarded to the student team who has the best academic portfolio and the team that raises the most profit.  All students receive a certificate of participation and merit certificates are issued to the winning teams.

Pauline Solomons, a Fundraiser at The Children’s Hospital Trust, said the students’ longstanding donations entitle them to shares in the Hospital and the partnership has grown incredibly over the past nine years. “The hospital treats 250 000 children every year,” said Solomons.

Another Fundraiser at the Trust, Nokuthula Bonga, said the Hospital upgrades include installing a lift and redesigning the floor near the entrance.

Berman said the project’s academic portfolio will also help the students with project management in the future. She thanked all the students for their time and efforts and expressed how proud she was that they had embraced the spirit of ubuntu.

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.