Johannesburg - The University of Cape Town (UCT) has expanded its executive education short courses to bridge the skills gap in the labour market. It expanded more than 200 short courses and opened up opportunities for study to school-leavers, and recent graduates, as well as to drive continuous development among working professionals.
To overcome the unemployment rate, high economic inequality and well-intended but poorly executed labour policies, UCT's aim was to help the workforce obtain relevant skills using its catalogue of executive education short courses to open opportunities for continuing education (CE) and encourage lifelong learning.
"UCT executive education short courses are in a variety of fields, from commerce and business to health sciences and humanities,“ it added.
UCT’s chief financial officer, Vincent Motholo said that CE courses would enable those who might otherwise not have had the chance to attend a university to obtain a UCT-backed qualification.
"These courses are available to everyone, no matter where you are in the world. They give access to someone who may not have qualified to come to UCT because of their location, or based on admission requirements.
“They’re also structured in a way that fits people who are already in the workforce. So, professionals who want to upskill or corporates who want to grow the skill set of their employees can easily enrol and complete the course to remain current with developments in their industries in a targeted way," he said.
Motholo noted that part of their institution’s rationale for offering short courses was to provide training that will help to address some of the overarching issues in the labour market.
“Really, this is our way of unleashing human potential. It’s our way of contributing to a fair and just society through education and continuous learning, and creating that environment where people can upskill themselves,” he explained.
Although a university degree might be useful, Motholo said there were various reasons why three-or four-year programmes may not be appropriate for some.
“Factors such as time, costs and the specificity of skills sought by those who have graduated from school or university, or who are looking to develop professionally, are the biggest considerations,” he said.
According to Motholo, these considerations have been a major driving factor behind the development and expansion of UCT’s short course offering.
“The beauty of these executive education short courses being a great enabler is their time frame,” he added.
He mentioned that most people do not have time to study for years, and the courses were tailor-made to meet the skills needs that businesses have in their chosen field of work.
“So, it’s really about upskilling yourself at a much quicker pace and more reasonable amount,” he said.
He stated the CE programme would be convenient and also offer the benefit of being highly flexible.
Motholo further said the CE would allow more rapid responses to new learning opportunities, as well as significant cost savings in course development and delivery, which can then be passed on to students.
He said the courses would be backed up by UCT which is rated top in Africa.
“We are a top-rated university in Africa and that speaks to the quality of our academics and the quality of our programmes,” said Motholo.
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