SKILLS DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING NEWS

Transforming the MAC industry through education

15 JUN 2016 |  BY: BEVERLEY KLEIN

On Thursday 9 June in Cape Town and on 13 June in Johannesburg, the Red & Yellow School hosted information sessions to address the changes and updates to the B-BBEE Sector Code for the South African Marketing, Advertising and Communications (MAC) industry. BEE is focused on transformation, and that's exactly what the Charter is setting out to achieve.

Dionne Kerr, CEO of Siyakha Implementation Partners, gave a thorough presentation on the importance of transformation, BEE and creating a country that is filled with opportunities. The venue was fitting, as Kerr stated that the marriage between transformation and education is key, and change is important from both a national and industry perspective.


Kerr then moved to the topic of localisation, and how this speaks to more than simply BEE and really is the undercurrent that drives transformation legislation. Localisation focuses on three key areas: local content, capacity building and job creation.

The MAC industry on both agency and client side, needs to examine all the aspects of their business, and identify ways in which to engage local manufacturers and suppliers, instead of leveraging international companies.

Localisation stays true to the “Proudly South African” ideal; one which agencies need to adopt in order to invest in development and ultimately succeed. 

The issue around education

Education plays a major role in our development on a personal and professional level. It gives us knowledge, skills and confidence to pursue our future careers, as well as provides us with the necessary life skills we need to succeed. However, South Africa is faced with the enormous challenge of providing adequate employment opportunities to educated and skilled youth, which, when unavailable, leads to despondency. South Africa has the third highest youth unemployment rate in the world, and this needs to change.

Socio-economic development is a wonderful thing, giving the youth a chance to study and gain experience at top colleges in South Africa – but it’s more than just a once-off investment. Paying for tuition is not enough, as there are still the costs of transport, accommodation, food and so on to consider when investing in young South Africans. The philosophy around education needs to change to ensure that students are settled and able to sustain themselves (and their families if necessary) during their studies, or they run the risk of being forced to drop-out due to a lack of funds.

Education to drive transformation

Katharina Scholtz, head of academics at Red & Yellow, updated us on some of the skills development programmes taking place. Skills development matters, because it offers us meaningful, sustainable ways to invest in transformation and accumulate B-BBEE scorecard points. While it can’t completely replace aspects of the scorecard like ownership and management control, investment in skills and socio economic development in the form of education add considerably to a long term transformation strategy.

Skills development can be designed and rolled out internally (for existing staff) and externally (for suppliers, small enterprises and those looking to enter the industry). This can be done through short interventions such as workshops, medium term solutions like online and blended course programmes and longer term investments such as learnership funding, bursaries for degree and diploma candidates or part-time bursaries for existing employees.

At Red & Yellow, the focus is on offering solutions that demonstrate the philosophy of investing in the whole student, not only while they’re studying but also once they’ve graduated and are seeking employment or work experience. While the formal qualifications do matter enormously, their transformation focus is on practical skills and work readiness. The Red & Yellow Springboard Programme is a great example of this, and has seen 43 graduates and 32 currently completing their workplace internships through the programme. Learners who complete this programme successfully could enter into a Red & Yellow diploma, extended degree programme or be absorbed into the industry. Of course, this is dependent on continued holistic support from the industry in terms of funding, mentorship and the creation of job opportunities for interns. 

Without this proper support, these candidates will fail to thrive, they will not accumulate the skills and experience they need, will struggle to integrate socially and professionally and ultimately this will threaten our transformation efforts. The MAC Charter updates focus on this, which means that businesses within the industry can address the changes through investing in education.

Businesses need to understand the MAC Charter updates in order to play an active role in industry transformation through education and socio economic development initiatives.

Get in touch with Red & Yellow to discuss how we can help you achieve your transformation and education goals. Email: info@redandyellow.co.za. Tel.: 021 462 1946 / 011 067 3400.

PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION NEWS

What you need to know about the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Scholarship

16 JUN 2016 |  

Allan Gray Orbis Foundation's High School Scholarship is available to learners who demonstrate the potential to excel academically and show financial need. The scholarship will provide the brightest Grade 6 learners across South Africa with the opportunity to map their future.

Image Source: IDEATE

What you need to know:

The Scholarship covers full high school tuition and boarding fees. In addition, Scholars will receive allowances to subsidise travel, stationery, prescribed books, toiletries, school uniforms, civilian clothing, pocket money and extra-mural activities. Scholars also participate in the Foundation's Development Programme, which aims to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. 

The Foundation believes that a solid education is the starting point to any entrepreneurial journey and therefore chooses to partner with schools that have a track record of excellence. Successful scholars will have the opportunity to attend one of the Foundation’s placement schools. 

Application criteria:

• Academic requirements: Applicants must achieve 70% or higher in Mathematics and English and an average of 70% in both Grade 5 and Grade 6 

• Evidence of entrepreneurial potential: 

- Intellectual imagination: enjoys being creative and innovative
- Achievement excellence: sets high academic and non-academic standards for self
- Courageous commitment: must be courageous and determined, brave and persistent
- Spirit of significance: wants to impact others and make a difference
- Personal initiative: prepared to take action to address challenges 

• The applicant must demonstrate financial need and must be a South African citizen.

How to get an application form:

• Visit Allan Gray Orbis Foundation to download an application form, or 
• SMS “SCHOLAR and your fax number or email address” to 36777 to have an application form faxed or emailed to you (SMS is free)

Applications open on 17 June 2016.

PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION NEWS

GIBS youth survey reveals political interests of SA youth

16 JUN 2016 |  

The annual Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) youth survey of high school students (average age 17) revealed that, despite what the older generation may think, youth are following political issues rather than specific politicians. This is in sharp contrast to the past when politicians came first.

Image Source: Musina Online - Students and Career Guidance Teachers from 10 local schools attended the GIBS Career Expo thanks to De Beers

Contrary to the perception that youth are not interested in politics, the survey revealed that an average of about 33% of respondents were quite interested in politics. Over 3/5 of the respondents believed that people should follow politics in order to become more informed about how policy-makers make decisions that affect the country as a whole.

The survey includes responses from close to 1,000 Grade 11 and 12 learners from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and schools around Gauteng who took part in the survey at the annual GIBS-MTN Career Expo in Johannesburg as part of the GIBS Spirit of Youth (SoY) high school leaders’ programme. 

Nearly half of those surveyed (48.8%) believed that South Africa’s future was bleak and that certain interventions such as political engagement were needed to change that sentiment. With 1/3 (33%) acknowledging that national politics somewhat affected their future, a resounding 60% believed that people should pay attention to what was happening in South African politics as this had an impact on their future. It would seem however that the youth had mixed feelings about views expressed in parliament and how representative of communities these views were. 

Compared to 2012 survey results where 74% of the respondents surveyed then believed that South Africa would be a great place to have a successful career, this year only 48.8% still hold onto that positive sentiment. Respondents in 2012 believed 2016 was going to be a better year than 2012 with regards to job prospects and economic growth, however, it would seem ongoing jitters about an imminent global meltdown, South Africa’s negative growth prospects and China’s declining growth are among the issues these youth are basing their sentiments on. When asked about furthering their studies after high school, only half believed they would have access to quality tertiary education that would adequately equip them for the job market. 

Carmelita Davey, senior manager of the GIBS Centre of Leadership and Dialogue which runs the SoY programme said, “The results show that there is need for creation of platforms which allow for on-going engagement with the country’s youth. It is the responsibility of established leadership to seek the youth’s viewpoint and opinion on issues that matter, and not only when a crisis hits. Doing so will create a more inclusive culture thereby ensuring a pipeline of credible and authentic future leaders for our country.”

Jadey Bosman, a manager who runs this programme added that while the survey tried to touch on as many issues as possible, it was clear that further creating opportunities for positive youth engagement was needed in order to ensure a pipeline of worthy, high quality future leaders. She also emphasised that the survey and the year-long SoY programme has revealed that the youth are no longer willing to sit on the side-lines and wait for things to happen to them. They want to take charge and have their voices heard to achieve the dream of having a more socially cohesive society. If their voices are silenced and side-lined for too long the consequences may not be palatable to leaders in business, government or society.

HOSPITALITY NEWS

#YouthMonth: Upskilling youth is key to opportunities in the tourism and hospitality industry

17 JUN 2016 |  BY: KIM VILJOEN

Youth unemployment remains one of the most significant challenges facing South Africa, with young people three times more likely to be unemployed than their elder counterparts. The latest youth unemployment and health report from Statistics South Africa revealed that of the 19,7 million young people in the country, only 6,2 million were employed.

©langstrup via 123RF

While most sectors do not have enough jobs available to fill the demand of young job seekers, others struggle to find workers qualified for the jobs they do need to fill. Furthermore, in a low-income economy such as South Africa, many cannot afford the time to upskill through tertiary institutions due to the pressing need to provide for themselves and their families. 

The South African government has identified the tourism and hospitality sector as a major creator of jobs and has encouraged young citizens to consider a career in tourism. As of July 2015, the government has even put into place various training and skills development programmes to enable young people to enter the tourism industry. 

Educate24 is an online portal that offers courses on a wide variety of subjects across all the major industries, and included is ‘Introduction to Customer Service’. The course is designed to explain the importance and benefits of good customer service, how to determine what customer’s needs and expectations are and how to deal with unhappy customers. The course is written simply and clearly, to suit the needs of people at any skill level. It can be done in just six weeks, or less, depending on the pace of the student. It is also affordable so people from different economic backgrounds stand to benefit. 

For employees or job seekers in hospitality, having a proven soft skill such as customer service is invaluable. Not only will learning such skills help make job seekers more employable but showing the initiative to acquire a qualification despite a possible lack of opportunities in the formal tertiary education sector, can make the difference when a potential employer is flooded with CVs.

South Africa’s hospitality sector is poised for significant growth over the next few years due to the growing tourism numbers. Despite economic uncertainty, PricewaterhouseCoopers released statistics that said the total number of foreign visitors to South Africa is steadily rising each year. In addition to the growing number of opportunities, the hospitality industry is also well-resourced to offer meaningful work and career development opportunities to employees. There are many entry-level jobs available with plenty of room to grow professionally and personally. 

For young South Africans unsure of which industry to join, or how to move further up their career ladders, online courses such as Educate24’s Customer Service course, is a solid way to ensure they are a step ahead and are able to show a skill set that makes them the ideal candidate.

PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION NEWS

Parents integral to children's education

1 JUN 2016 |  

Research shows that parents have an important role to play in a child's education and the more involved they are, the more successful their children will be.

© langstrup – 123RF.com

Magadi and Matheatsie are participants in a programme, introduced by BrainBoosters and the Kagiso Shanduka Trust, aiming to increase parents’ involvement in their children’s education. 

Magadi tells of how her son, Matheatsie, a seven-year-old learner in Grade 2 at Moipone Primary in the Free State, completed a sum by himself for the first time. “It took me by surprise. We’d been playing maths games together, counting on his fingers, for a long time – and then, all of a sudden, he showed me how he had developed this new skill.

“It was a wonderful programme. At first, I felt a bit odd playing games – it seemed a bit childish. However, helping him with his schoolwork brought us closer together. It helped me see things from his point of view; before, I would get impatient if he did not grasp a concept immediately. Now I see exactly what goes into his learning. It’s made a real difference to his schoolwork, too: he’s now excelling at school, and he enjoys his lessons more.”

Sancha Hein of BrainBoosters is not surprised to learn that Matheatsie benefited significantly from the programme. “Parent involvement in their child’s development and formal education is key to a child’s achievement and performance in their education. 

“This is why BrainBoosters started focusing on supporting parenting skills and knowledge about their children’s development as far back as 2010. Kagiso Shanduka Trust’s (KST) partnership with BrainBoosters began when the latter was called upon to implement catch-up maths and reading programmes, implemented at several schools. 

KST is a collaboration between Kagiso Trust and the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation (formerly Shanduka Foundation), which was formed to support government in fulfilling its mandate in education through a holistic approach, explains Kagiso Shanduka Trust Operations Manager, Kaya Nyati. The Trust elected to focus on 16 schools in the Free State district of Motheo as part of this, and it was these schools that participated in the BrainBoosters programme.

Hein reports that the programme started parent meetings, comprising 16 icebreakers (usually games hosted on the sports field), followed by an in-class demonstration of the BrainBoosters programme. Thereafter, parents would play the two board games that were supplied as part of the parent packs given to each school. Back at home, the programme required parents to assist their children with tasks detailed on a homework sheet. Tasks had to be completed every day for 12 weeks. 

US research backs up results

Hein notes that, internationally, parent participation of this nature has been shown to have a massive impact. She cites US research, based on the responses of participants in an American initiative called Parents as Teachers, which noted that with extra parental involvement, children from disadvantaged backgrounds displayed the same level of school readiness as children from more affluent areas. They further experienced fewer remedial issues, their homes contained more books and their parents were inclined to be more up to date with their vaccination schedules. 

Parents involved in the KST BrainBoosters programme seem to have gained similar benefits. Hein has received feedback from many parents, observing how the programme has taught them how to help and support their children. Some say they have even learned more themselves from taking part in the initiative. They have also noticed a difference in their children: with some indicating their children are now less shy, and take pride in being the first to raise their hands in the classroom. They see children who feel more confident, display greater self-esteem and are eager to show off their new skills to their parents. Almost all parents have commented on the improvement they have seen in their children’s schoolwork – often, because they now see that learning is fun.

“The school readiness of every child is determined by the level of their parent’s involvement,” Hein says. “Yet, parents often don’t understand the importance of putting solid foundations in place before their children go to school.”

Steps in participation

So, how can you, as a parent, get more involved in your child’s education? After all, in a time-pressured society, this is not always easy. The answer is heartening: parents need not brush up on their algebra and long division in order to make a lasting impact. In fact, something as simple as eating healthily during pregnancy can be effective, as it ensures appropriate brain development. 

As children grow older, arranging play dates can give them a chance to develop social skills and learn how to interact with other children. Interactive games can also have a positive impact: a simple game with building blocks will expose children to new ideas and help stimulate their thinking, which, contributes to creativity, vocabulary and fine motor development. 

It is also a good idea for reading to be part of an everyday routine. More than simply boosting a child’s vocabulary, this will instil a life-long love of books and a curious mind – true gifts that will help them navigate the increasingly complex world we live in. Finally, parents are encouraged to engage with their children actively and take time to have proper conversations with them. Listening to what children have to say will teach them about respecting others, and will ensure they are opening to hearing about ideas. 

Often, a child will remember teachers long after they have left the classroom; but even this dims in comparison to the lasting impression a parent can make in a child’s readiness and attitude to learning.

YOUTH MONTH NEWS

#YouthMonth: Building a Youth Village with Bruce Dube

10 JUN 2016 | SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT |  PDF    BY: CARI VAN WYK

28-year-old Bruce Dube owns and co-owns many digital media platforms through which he shares his passion for youth development and plays a significant role in promoting the role youth plays in our country and across the continent. Dube is one of the most active and successful leaders in youth development and entrepreneurship, his roles and achievements too many for this short intro. Let's hear what he has to say about South Africa and Africa's youth.

Bruce Dube

Tell us a bit more about yourself and how you’re involved in the youth of South Africa

I am the MD of a digital publishing company called Nine80 Digital Media which is a publishing company that targets the South African and African youth demographic. The business currently has a footprint in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. We have dedicated youth portals running under the Youth Village brand in each of these countries that aim at facilitating better access to developmental information on areas like education, employment, entrepreneurship, health, opportunities, etc. In South Africa alone we generate over a million unique youth visitors every month from our digital platforms. 

On a personal level, I am an advocate for youth development and I have spoken on local and international platforms like Brussels Forum, Friends of Europe Summit, World Bank Young Professionals, British Council Global Change Makers and the German Marshall Fund of the United States on the importance of capitalising on Africa’s demographic dividend. 

What are the biggest challenges our youth is facing in your opinion?

I believe unemployment and access to opportunities are some of the biggest challenges faced by South African youth and I believe we need to urgently address these issues so we can capitalise on our youthful human capital which, if not addressed, will create problems for South Africa and the continent as we have seen with other fragile states on the continent where strikes and uprisings are the order of the day and young people are usually at the forefront of these movements.

You could be classified as a young mover and shaker. What were some of the obstacles you faced?

My biggest challenges were access to funding, networks and mentorship which I believe are core to a startup looking at scaling. A lot of challenges I went through could have been averted if I had access to these.

Your greatest achievements so far?

My greatest achievement has to be building a digital media company with a continental footprint which is self-sustainable and gaining massive momentum in all regions we are operating in. The business has 15-20 employees and is still growing. What is also exciting about this business is that we are part of a generation that is shaping the content and the format in which it’s being consumed by African youth. It’s also comforting to know that we are stimulating young people to stand up and be proactive in issues affecting them.

What can be done to accelerate youth development in the country?

I think in a lot of instances young people are constantly seen as drivers of change and not vehicles of change. I think we need to create more spaces where youth can contribute actively to issues affecting them and be part of those solutions. I also think that we need to expose our youth to more opportunities and resources, build more infrastructure in communities and create spaces for youth to learn, think, grow and create.

Entrepreneurship is often being hailed as the panacea for unemployment and youth becoming active in the economy. Do you think this is true? Why?

Definitely. Drawing from the high levels of youth unemployment in SA which is listed as one of the highest globally, it’s clear that whilst it’s important to expose the youth to more employment opportunities that could see them entering the job market, it’s equally important to seek to nurture a generation of job creators and not job seekers. 

SMEs are the largest recruiters of jobs in South Africa, attributed to at least 60% of all jobs and contributing 40% to the country’s GDP. These analytics indicate that SMMEs in South Africa employ more people than the private sector and government combined and because of that we need to see a lot more youth active in these space so they can create employment for more youth and be part of solutions to service and infrastructure development in their communities. With every challenge faced by communities, these challenges present business opportunities youth can tap into.

In your experience, how do the youth of our country and the African continent approach and view the challenges they are presented with?

I think most South African and African youth see constraints faced by the continent as just challenges and not opportunities and I think we need to stimulate a generation of solution seekers and innovators. Africa is a continent filled with many challenges but has natural resources and human capital potential that, if tapped into, can see the advancement of the continent from an infrastructure and employment point of view.

Which industries offer the most challenges for youth to access opportunities?

Assuming we're talking entrepreneurial opportunities, I think capital extensive industries like manufacturing, mining and construction are the most challenging for youth to tap into as they require a lot of capital and the capital usually requires collateral which most of our youth don’t have. I also think most of these industries have already been monopolised by major corporates which make it even harder for small players and startups.

Any words of wisdom or inspiration that you would like to share with SA’s youth?

Starting up I had a series of failures and from those failures I learned to persevere and keep pushing for my dream until it became a reality so I would like to encourage SA's youth to not allow anyone to belittle their dreams, to persevere, to work hard, to look around their communities for opportunities because remember with any challenge you see, an opportunity to address the challenge is presented. Furthermore, I would like to encourage young people to start with the little they have, where there are. Some of my greatest accomplishments did not necessarily have great beginnings, a lot of my projects got better with time but had I not tried and started something I would never have been where I am now.

INCLUSION & EQUALITY NEWS

Universities must do far more for students with disabilities

14 JUN 2016 | SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT |  PDF    BY: DESIRE CHIWANDIRE AND LOUISE VINCENT

On paper, people with disabilities in South Africa enjoy the same rights as anyone else to an education, whether at school or university. The country's constitution prohibits the state from unfairly discriminating "directly or indirectly against anyone on the grounds of disability". South Africa is also a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This obliges the state "to take proactive measures to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are promoted and protected".

Students with disabilities face massive physical and attitudinal hurdles. UNAMID/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

Universities, too, are obliged to reasonably accommodate those with disabilities. They must provide appropriate support services that are tailored to individuals’ educational needs.

The Higher Education Institutional Culture, Equity and Transformation Group at Rhodes University has been exploring disabled students’ experiences of universities. Our work, which will be presented at three different conferences in the latter half of 2016, suggests that many universities are not meeting their obligations to these students.

Universities are excluding, disabling

Most universities have, to date, responded to disabled students’ presence by drawing from what’s been called the “medical model” of disability. This model frames disability as an individual physical problem that’s inherent in a person’s own body. It emphasises the ways in which a disabled person lacks the capacity to fit into the existing institutional framework or environment – and so needs to be accommodated, if possible.

The alternative is to see the ways in which environments that are geared towards those who are regarded as “normal” are themselves excluding and disabling. It’s not disabled people who lack capacity: the lack lies in how these environments operate and what assumptions those who occupy them have about what is “normal”.

For example, institutions might see the person who needs a ramp to access a building as someone who needs to be “accommodated”. Instead environments should be seen as disabled when they don’t, as a matter of course, provide access to all humans regardless of their physical makeup.

Students with disabilities find that they must accommodate themselves to institutional contexts that are, from their point of view, profoundly disabling. The onus is placed on the student to “fit in”. These students often find themselves unable to access higher education. They make up less than 1% of South Africa’s total student population in post-secondary education and training. In total, 2.9 million South Africans – 7.5% of the population – are disabled.

When people with disabilities make it past the initial hurdles and into higher education, they’re often on the margins of university life – not just academically, but also socially.

More than financial barriers

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme provides bursaries specifically for students with disabilities. This money is meant to cover tuition, accommodation, meals and transport costs. It also pays for materials prescribed by the institution and one or more assistive devices, like wheelchairs.

But simply removing financial barriers and providing access to a disabling environment is not enough.

Many universities still don’t even have disability units. There have been several instances of students being turned away because universities don’t have the facilities to accommodate them. Even when access isn’t denied outright, though, students with disabilities face attitudinal and physical barriers. It’s not unreasonable to expect universities to provide sign language interpreters, ramps, assistive devices, carers and the like. Society must take its obligations to all its members seriously, regardless of their physical traits.

International examples prove that this can be done. In Sweden, 0.3% of the annual university budget is earmarked for meeting the different needs of students with disabilities. Canadian universities do well in supporting students with disabilities, too. Cornell University in the US has done excellent, practical work around this issue.

Canaries in the coal mine

Students with disabilities can be seen, in many ways, as the canaries of South Africa’s higher education system. They alert society to the ways in which universities continue to preach “inclusion” without asking the important question: included into what and by whom?

Universities must think carefully and engage fully with what it might mean to create cultures that are friendly to disability. This might provide new insights into the multiple ways in which dominant norms and practices do violence to those whose lives and experiences they exclude, ignore, denigrate and fail to recognise as fully human, deserving of equal respect and consideration. Inclusion into unchanged cultures, physical environments and day-to-day practices does not make institutions more just. It is institutions, not students, that are disabled and disabling.

Authors’ note: Are you an academic, Master’s or Doctoral student conducting research related to the experiences of students with disabilities in South African universities? If so, we would like to invite you to contribute a chapter to a new book. For more information or to send a concept note, contact Des Chiwandire on chiwandiredesire@gmail.com.