Setting students on a successful career trajectory was at the heart of an event recently hosted by the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS).
Senior Lecturer Mandie Richards, who is the Faculty’s Transformation Forum Chairperson, said the Career Hook-up and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, was a collaboration with PAWA Africa, its All4Youth Programme and their partners Nestle, NielsenIQ, ABB and Publicis Groupe Africa.
The objective was to engage with students and to enhance their understanding of the skills, competencies and graduate attributes required and to assist in shaping their futures.
Richards said the Transformation Forum also continuously explores various strategies which aligns to the Focus Areas of CPUT’s One Smart Vision 2030 and engages with industry partners to ensure that curriculum is responsive to the social and economic needs, whilst integrating programmes into the curriculum which are relevant and aligns to industry trends and, in so doing, improves career and employability opportunities.
“Institutions of Higher Learning and academics can no longer work in silos, as the voices of the students, their lived experiences as well as 21st century skills need to be integrated into the curriculum, thus contributing to positive change and social and economic empowerment of youth and communities.”
Prof Desiree Scholtz, FBMS Assistant Dean: Teaching and Learning, welcomed attendees and told students that the event was an opportunity to learn.
“We have experts in the field to share with you how your future can change for the better. You need to make today the start of a mindset of how you can go about changing your future. The future is not going to happen to you, you need to make it happen.”
More than 200 students across the faculty were given the opportunity to engage with a panel of experts, which included: Shireen Lutchan (NielsenIQ); Noxolo Mnisi (Nestle); Refilwe Mocumi (ABB), Kaylyn Alexander (Publicis Groupe Africa) and the Faculty’s Work Integrated Learning Co-Ordinators, Bonita Allies, Lauren Swart and Beverley Seager.
PAWA Africa Executive Director, Alesimo Mwanga, said the event was important as institutions “sometimes operate in silos from what private sector needs”.
She said it was important to bring together the two worlds, “particularly for the benefit of the students so that they can also hear from industry what is to be required from them to be employable but also for Higher Education Institutions to hear from industry what the gaps are”.
Richards further stated “As graduates are also faced with the stark reality of unemployment, the event allowed for students, together with the All4YOUth partners to explore their side hustles and further create awareness as to entrepreneurial possibilities.
Students were invited to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas in teams at the entrepreneurship bootcamp and provide solutions to address the challenges experienced in communities in a speed pitch. The various pitches were indications of the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of students, when afforded opportunities”.
The winning team provided a solution to load-shedding as it pertains to refrigerator storage for communities, to ensure that their meat does not spoil, and at a nominal fee, and each team member won Uber Eats vouchers. One student also won an Exclusive Books voucher for the best pitch of an idea which was to create a Dial Up App to connect runners who could assist people with errands.
Mwanga added that the event presented an opportunity for dialogue with young people, to hear from them what their perception is of getting employed and what challenges they face.
“I think the engagement was really fruitful.”
Written by Ilse Fredericks
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