Prof Shirley Zinn is an individual who has experienced incredible career highs and gut-wrenching personal lows, but it was these lows that she encouraged graduates to embrace and learn from.

Zinn, a Harvard graduate and accomplished businesswoman, was the guest speaker at the Faculty of Education graduation ceremony on Tuesday evening and shared a snippet of her own life story which included growing up in a gang-riddled neighbourhood and as an adult losing her only son unexpectedly in a car accident.

“Each one of us has faced our own tragedy and heartache but I am here to say that setbacks and disappointments will come,” she says.

“You have the potential to do far more than what you thought you could. Tonight we celebrate the futures you will create, not only for yourself but also for others.”

Zinn knows exactly what she is talking about since she herself spent many years in a classroom teaching, first at Groenvlei High School then later lecturing at UWC.

She grasped an opportunity to do her Masters at Harvard University in the States and despite immense financial challenges continued on to do her Doctorate at the same Ivy League university.

On her return to South Africa she moved her career into Human Resources and went on to work at many multi-national companies, the corporate banking sector and SARS.    

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The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences partnered with PAWA Africa, resulting in the Shaping Futures Career Virtual Fair, part of the Faculty's Transformation Conversations. The platform was shared with industry leaders from All4Youth, Nestlé, NielsenIQ South Africa, and ABB South Africa, who shared information on bursaries, internships, differently abled internships, apprenticeships, and graduate programmes.

Mandie Richards, a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty and the programme facilitator, indicated that as many students are often unaware of the direction of their careers, the Faculty then assists in shaping futures by partnering with organisations that can guide students through available possibilities and opportunities. Richards further stated that many positions do not even exist as yet, and as the future is being driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), 5IR and the evolving 6IR students must explore opportunities, adapt to change and remain relevant as this is key to their future success.

The virtual fair was attended by over 200 students and staff members, who engaged in an interactive session with industry leaders who shared their insights and guided students on what awaits them in the world of work. The partners shared information that included enhancing students’ skills and talent, building their career portfolios, and emphasising the necessity of integrating 4IR and 5IR skills.

Alesimo Mwanga, executive director at PAWA Africa, asked students, “Have you started working on your career plan?” and elaborated on the need for students to engage in career mapping and networking to work towards achieving their career goals and objectives. Mwanga added that problem-solving abilities, analytical thinking, innovation, and technology skills are required to add value to organisations.

Noxolo Mnisi, the Youth Initiative Lead at Nestlé, raised concerns about the “Triple Gap”, namely Poverty, the Skill Gap and Unemployment, and said the All4Youth movement is a business-driven programme meant to assist youth transition from education and training to employment and was created to address youth unemployment and employability.

Oluwadamilola Adeyinkat, the Human Resources Leader at NielsenIQ, South Africa, shared information as to the role of big data and its relevance to the industry. She further informed us that their organisation was attracted to graduates who were self-starters, team players, and emotionally intelligent, and the Talent Programme afforded opportunities for development via the training curriculum.

Refilwe Mocumi, the Human Resources Services Specialist: Learning & Development at ABB South Africa, engaged students in breaking down gender stereotypes and equal opportunities being afforded via the Young Talent Programmes.

Ortem Callaghan, a Business Information and Administrator Advanced Diploma student, shared her insights on the importance of having a passion for what you do and continuing to develop skills whilst volunteering at organisations.

All partners also advised that recruitment for positions in the industry has changed and that interviews have taken the format of gamification and case studies, as it allows organisations to identify potential employees' problem-solving and analytical abilities.

Richards added that people’s skills are key to ensuring organisational success. Should opportunities not arise, students’ tenacity and innovation will require that they be creators of employment and afford opportunities to youth.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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