The importance of collaboration between industry and educators was highlighted at a breakfast hosted by CTU Training Solutions on 25 April at the CSIR in Pretoria. The event was attended by CTU staff members and representatives of its Programme Advisory Committee (PAC).
Erna Ferreira, COO of CTU Training Solutions, initiated proceedings by discussing the vital role the PAC plays in the development and implementation of programmes. “We rely on their input and recommendations to ensure that our courses are relevant, practical and meet the needs of industry.”
Underlining the importance of collaboration between business and industry, Ferreira says: “The success of our programmes is determined by how well we respond to the needs of both our students and those of our industry partners. The placement of students in industry is important to us, thus we have to ensure we train them on current skills as well as future skills that will be in demand in SA. The contribution of the PAC ensures this.”
Dr Abhinanda Barman, CTU Training Solutions’ Academic Dean, says: “We need to shift from market sharing to mind sharing. We’re seeing a move towards collaborative intelligence – consider AI – and it’s going to become the new professional currency. We can’t work in silos; we also need to be in touch with other cultures, collaborate in research, learning methodologies, etc.
“To this end, CTU collaborates with three international partners: the American European Education in Romania; University of Stirling, the UAE Campus; and the Albright Institute of Business and Language in Australia.”
These collaborations include initiatives like lecturer and student exchange programmes, giving students the opportunity to learn more about not just SA but what’s happening in other corners of the world. “Commonalities across faculties are sought, we encourage guest lecturers and seek input into how they upskill their students.”
Other initiatives include event participation, co-authoring of research publications, shared assessments and research supervision.
Dr Barman also discusses international industrial collaborations that help the education provider to develop programmes on skills that industry requires, bridging the gap between what’s needed and what’s offered academically.
“These international partnerships hold great benefits for our students: they have the opportunity to study abroad, to be evaluated by international lecturers; they get exposure to study with diverse student groups, an international learning experience, the experience of working with cross-cultural teams, with the potential for student internships and placements.”
Faculty head of Design at CTU Training Solutions, Steyn Pretorius, speaks about the value of human skills in a world that is concerned about the potential impact of AI. “While proficiency in new technology is an important component, human skills and creativity are now, more than ever, highly valued skills. The World Economic Forum cites complex problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity as key skills for the fourth industrial revolution.”
Faculty head of IT/NATED at CTU Training Solutions, Joshua Ojelakin, also unpacks the value of collaboration, saying the goal is to provide people with knowledge and skills that will allow them to secure jobs, so it is key to keep adding programmes to keep pace with demand from industry.
“We hold masterclasses where people from the industry address students, so they’re informed about real world requirements. Also, we tailor our programmes to industry at large, not just the SA industry.”
Isa Swart, new head of programme for CTU Training Solution’s newest addition to its campus, the Green Technologies Faculty, addressed the need to develop skills that speak to systemic failure, such as power and water shortages. “Systemic failures affect every single person in SA and there’s an urgency for skills around this. This country has some of the best environmental laws in the world, but lacks the skills to support and enforce them.”
CTU will offer courses that speak to this systemic failure, to develop people with the skills and knowledge to understand how to prevent further systemic failures. The initial two certifications available are around water reticulation and waste management.
Swart also emphasises the importance of industry liaison to ensure employable students that have knowledge relevant to the industry.
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