JOINT STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE MANAGEMENT BOARD AND THE SRC OF CIDA CITY CAMPUS
Dear Stakeholder,
On Wednesday, 23 May 2012 the Management Board and the SRC (Student Representative Council) met to engage on the SRC Letter of Demand as per the resolution passed at the Council meeting on Tuesday, 22 May 2012.
After consultation with members of the Management Board together with the SRC and other representatives of the student body the following was agreed:
1. RESTRUCTURING: Restructuring is never easy and various stakeholders will develop the capacity to interact within the new structures. Appointments made by the HR Department pertaining to the restructuring needs to be reviewed. The Council has approved as a matter of policy that the Management Board engage with an external HR resource that specialises in academic institutions to support HR in the restructuring process.
2. THE HR PORTFOLIO It has been acknowledged that the HR department is facing a capacity problem and that the current acting HR manager has also unfortunately inherited the problem. The procurement of an external HR resource will address and remedy the problems currently in the HR department. The report received from the external HR resource will be reviewed by all stakeholders.
3. POSITION OF THE ACADEMIC DEAN At the Council meeting on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 it was acknowledged that due process was not followed. The Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Council will review the recommendation of the Selection Committee and will provide feedback to the Council by the 31 May 2012. In the interim the position of the Academic Dean remains vacant.
The Management Board is committed to go the extra mile to ensure that the newly established Work Place Forum and the Management Board-SRC Forum will develop a mutually respectful and beneficial structure.
The management has not initiated the unfortunate media attention and is most disappointed with this preventable development and both the Management Board and the SRC are working together to address this matter.
All academic activities have resumed as from today and students are delighted to go back to lectures.
The Management Board is aware of many unfortunate undercurrents amongst various constituencies in CIDA and is committed to convert these into constructive forces and re-establish positive working relationships amongst all stakeholders.
CIDA STUDENT CLEANING CAMPAIGN
CIDA students embrace taking pride in their campus through the CIDA Practicum Programme – that aims to ensure that students not only learn the theory in their lecture rooms but also learn to take full responsibility of their own surroundings.
On the 02nd of March 2012 a cleaning campaign was lead by our new Academic Dean, Mr Martin Njah to sensitize the new BBA1 students with the objectives of the Practicum Programme. Students rolled-up their sleeves and started cleaning the campus in the early hours of the morning till late in the afternoon which included the cutting of grass, picking-up of litter, cleaning of lecture halls, cleaning of management offices and ensuring that all work was done properly.
“Here at CIDA, we don’t only teach our students to excel in class, we go beyond the boundaries of a lecture room. Holistic development of a student is what we are all about. CIDA is a home away from home, a motto that all the students live by” concludes Martin Njah.
Pictured from left: Mr Jürgen Kögl (Acting Head – CIDA), Charlene Verzmoter (Progamme Manager – Microsoft), Loraine Vorster (Regional Director – CompTIA Africa), Mardia van der Walt-Korsten (Senior Vice President – T-Systems Africa & Middle East), Sunil Geness (Corporate Affairs Executive – SAP Africa)
CIDA ICT Academy moves to new facilities Next step in a remarkable journey.
To provide the perfect platform to excel in trainings.
The CIDA ICT Academy has relocated to new premises in Lyndhurst, Johannesburg – a move which sees the academy consolidating and streamlining its facilities and operations, benefiting both delivery to its students and sponsors’ investment.
“The year of the move has been difficult and yet invigorating with students and stakeholders re-establishing the institutions with the same aims and dreams but very different circumstances” adds Mr. Jürgen Kogl the Acting Executive Director of CIDA City Campus
CIDA was previously situated in Johannesburg, 54 Commissioner Street, the new Lyndhurst campus for the ICT Academy undoubtedly represents the next chapter in its remarkable journey which has since its inception in 2003 – with an initial 121 students - enrolled almost 1000 students from marginalized communities.
Comments Mardia van der Walt-Korsten from T-Systems in South Africa: “We’re extremely excited about providing both the students and co-sponsors with a campus that sets yet another important benchmark for the country’s ICT training endeavours. The new facilities will provide students with the perfect platform to excel in their training, setting them firmly on a path to career success in the South African ICT industry.”
Since its inception, the academy has had a 95 percent pass rate which is higher than some profit-making training organisations and importantly above 85 percent employment in IT-related fields.
Inspired by the success of the CIDA City Campus, a non-profit higher education establishment founded in Johannesburg 1999, T-Systems in South Africa together with founding partners CIDA, SAP, Sun Microsystems, CompTIA, Cisco Systems, DEG and Outlearning established the ICT Academy. This included R4 million start-up funding.
Currently, four of the seven founding members are still involved with academy. The current partners - Microsoft, SAP, CompTIA, T-Systems and CIDA - offer financial contribution that is utilised towards rent, utilities and infrastructure, text books, tuition, exam fees and student lunches. Additionally, some of the country’s most prominent ICT players support the academy through workplace programmes.
T-Systems in South Africa has since 2003 continually invested R3.5 million annually towards the academy and also uses the ICT Academy graduates as one of the feeders to their Internship Programme. The programme has enrolled more than 250 interns since inception, of which 90 percent have been employed fulltime by the company. For those that have not gained permanent employment within T-Systems, the company’s learnership programme has assisted in finding positions for these interns at other prominent organisations.
SAP has been a long-standing partner of the CIDA ICT Academy in partnership with T-Systems. The software giant currently offers Business One training and certification to the SAP students. “We see the academy as a vital platform to promote relevant ICT skills for the African market,” says Siphiwe Sibanda, HR Director of SAP Africa. We have invested more than R 8 million rands in the academy since its inception and have made a contribution of R500 000,00 towards the development of the new ICT academy here in Lyndhurst.
However, in order to run a successful training programme such as the CIDA ICT Academy and learnership, it is important to remain abreast of what business requires from its technology partners and employees, and where the globe is heading with regards to ICT advancements.
As a result the campus features cutting-edge training resources which includes 12 computer labs with well over R10 million worth of equipment. “It is important that our students and interns are equipped with current training to ensure that they are sought-after and highly employable,” adds van der Walt-Korsten.
Citizenship lead at Microsoft South Africa, Vis Naidoo, echoes this: “We are delighted with the work these institutions do to ready young people for the job market. In broad, our citizenship programme at Microsoft is devoted to ultimately prepare students to become productive members’ of society and to contribute to the South African economy.”
Administrative costs are also kept low as students – who only pay 7 percent of what they would pay at similar institutions – are expected to contribute to the running of the campus, earning credits toward their final mark. These include computer maintenance, administrative work, marketing, market research and even cleaning and cooking.
The ICT Academy curriculum comprises 70 percent theoretical training and 30 percent learnership or workplace practical training where the students are placed at various ICT organisations. Furthermore, the academy offers softer skills training to overcome communication and cultural challenges.
The high standard of learning and credibility of the ICT Academy has also been recognised by the Media, Advertising, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA), previously known as Isett SETA. CompTIA has also added the ICT Academy to its database of corporate trainers, which is undoubtedly a feather in the cap of any local institution and again indicative of the standard of the curriculum.
“The ICT Academy has also proven its sustainability and has been operational for eight years. We believe the academy is one of the ICT learning institutions of the future which is why it is imperative that we stay ahead of the curve with up-to-date facilities, theory and practical learning,” concludes van der Walt-Korsten.
Current certification courses include: - Entry-level certificates ICDL, A+ and Network+
CISCO CCNA and Security
- SAP Business - 1 certificates
- Microsoft MCITP Server Admin and Enterprise Admin
- Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD)
August 2011 - T-Systems SA and CIDA City Campus partnership is up-skilling disadvantaged youth in South Africa - Interview with T-Systems Managing Director, Mardia van der Walt-Korsten.
IIG sponsored student wins Top CIDA Student award at this year’s 8th Graduation Ceremony
CIDA student Thandeka Zulu, sponsored by IIG (Insurance Institute of Gauteng) graduated with distinction at this years 8th graduation ceremony and also won the Top CIDA Student award for 2010.
Please click here to read the full story featured in their newsletter (The Informer)
Management Today magazine (August 2011) - Women in Business
In celebration of Women’s Month, Management Today magazine featured interviews with CIDA’s young women graduates and top achievers at this years 8th Graduation Ceremony.
Please click on the link below to read the full story. (CIDA is featured on pages 82 – 85)
CIDA ICT student Raymond Mazibuko has once again placed CIDA on the world stage
21 July 2011, CIDA ICT Academy student, Raymond Mazibuko has done it again.
Raymond won first place for the Middle East and Africa regions in the Cisco Networking Academy EMEA 2011 International NetRiders Skills Challenge for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
According to Alfie Hamid (Cisco Regional Lead – Sub Sahara Africa), Raymond’s score was 16 places above the 2nd prize winner.
His first place has won him the Study Trip Prize to San Jose, California in January next year. His prize includes flights, hotel accommodation, meals and excursions during his stay in the USA.
Over 2,000 students from over 400 academies from 46 countries participated in EMEA competition this year which makes his achievement so much more remarkable.
The Study Trip Prize will consist of 17 students from around the world. Students from Asia Pacific, Latin America and USA and Canada will be selected later this year when their region’s International NetRiders competitions take place. In November 2011 Raymond will be invited to join a Facebook group just for Study Trip Prize winners and Cisco staff whom he can meet and communicate with before his travel to the USA in January 2012.
The success of CIDA’s ICT Academy is testimony to the hard work and dedication of a true CIDA hero, Mr Khulu Ntuli, head of the CIDA ICT Academy. Raymond’s success has once again placed CIDA on the world stage and he is the pride of the CIDA ICT Academy, says Khulu.
South Africa’s youth have limited access to employment opportunities; this is largely related to a lack of skills and suitable qualifications. About 51% of the country’s youth are unemployed. One of the biggest challenges faced by university graduates when entering the job market is the lack of experience in real life interview situations and the inability to present themselves properly to employers.
The CIDA City Campus (CIDA) Job Shop is a career development program which prepares students for the work environment. It is designed to equip students with the necessary skills required by employers. Students are trained in handling job interviews, preparing a CV and exposing them to expected standards of professionalism.
Aphiwe Nxuseka is a CIDA alumni who has gone on to make a great success of his career and is now an employee of Alexander Forbes Risk Services. Despite being an orphan and not having the financial means to access tertiary education, he pursued a Bachelor’s Degree, specializing in Finance at CIDA. Aphiwe is one of the students who took part in the CIDA Job Shop program during his final year of studies.
“The real life experience I got from the ‘CIDA Job Shop’ equipped me with all the relevant skills required for the corporate world and proud to be employed at one of one of the leading provider of financial and risk services internationally as a Risk Analyst,” says Aphiwe.
According to Nesan Chetty, Senior Marketing manager for CIDA City Campus, employers look for skills and experience and regard unskilled, inexperienced job seekers as a costly investment. CIDA City Campus is proactively bridging this gap for unemployment through its CIDA Job Shop career centre and internship programme offered by its funders and donors.
“The centre promotes independent, work- ready graduates who can navigate the South African job market skillfully with confidence,” says Chetty. “It is set up in a professional environment with counseling services from highly trained job search coaches and is fully resourced with computers and written material for research purposes.”
CIDA is proud to announce that 86% of its graduates year-on-year, get employed at South Africa’s recognised corporates. CIDA’s donors and funders also play a role in the up-skilling of students and some have had the opportunity to serve as interns at companies that support us financially. “In most cases our students managed to secure permanent jobs on completion of the internship, we pride ourselves with the quality of education and skills we offer.” adds Chetty.
Ends
CIDA ICT Academy’s 7th Certification ceremony
CIDA City Campus in partnership with major ICT companies namely; T Systems, SAP, CompTIA and MICT Seta held their annual certification ceremony on Friday, 24 June.
The class of 2010 comprised of 155 students who completed their training and received international certification in the following IT fields; ICDL, CompTIA A+, CompTIA N+, SAP (Business One), Cisco Certified Network Administration (CCNA), Cisco Security, SUN Systems & Security Administration and SUN Java Programming and Solaris Systems Administration. The top SAP student award was won by Trenna Lunga who also received and iPad2 and an iPhone in prizes.
“The CIDA ICT Academy certification students are studying towards their Bachelor in Business Administration degree (BBA), which ultimately makes them competitive in the job market”, says Nesan Chetty, Senior Marketing Manager at CIDA City Campus.
The corporate sponsors for the CIDA ICT Academy provide curricula, training material, lecturers, hardware and software relevant to their specialisation. CIDA is also supported by the Dell Development Fund which sponsors all the computers to run the relevant programmes. “The demand for IT graduates is growing, and we hope to make a meaningful contribution to South Africa’s ICT skills shortage”, adds Chetty.
“With 7 years of offering specialist ICT training, and hosting the 7th CIDA ICT certification ceremony, the CIDA ICT academy is continuing to empower the youth of our country through our honorable ICT partners” concludes, Chetty.
CIDA CELEBRATES ITS 8TH GRADUATION CEREMONY.
CIDA City Campus hosted its 8th annual graduation ceremony on Friday, 8 July 2011. CIDA City Campus’ chancellor, Mrs Mbeki, was joined by the Managing Director of T-Systems South Africa (Mrs Mardia van der Walt-Korsten), guest speaker Dr Vincent Maphai and chairman of the CIDA board Bishop Mpumlwana in congratulating students for their academic achievements.
Dr Maphai is the Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Transformation at SAB. 185 students graduated with a BBA degree this year of which 16 students graduated with distinction. Top students from various faculties were awarded for their excellence and academic performance. Other successes celebrated at this year’s graduation were the number of graduates who completed and passed all modules in the Schools of Investments faculty. The ceremony was held at the Braamfontein Conference and Recreation Centre. CIDA has to date qualified over 1400 graduates in its primary offering of a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree.
Ends.
CIDA CITY CAMPUS AUCTIONS THE NELSON MANDELA BUILDING IN THE JOBURG CBD
Thursday, 23 June 2011, in 2004 First Rand Bank Limited donated a building, being 37 Harrison Street now the Nelson Mandela Building, to CIDA City Campus. Between November 2010 and January 2011 CIDA City Campus moved out of the Johannesburg CBD and successfully relocated to its residential campus at CIDA Park in Lyndhurst.
CIDA City Campus is in the process of acquiring a property (CIDA Park Extension) which is adjacent to our campus. This property is currently being leased from Rand Aid and is used for student accommodation. In order to finalise the acquisition, the CIDA Board has resolved to dispose of the building, being 37 Harrison Street, in order to acquire and renovate the CIDA City Campus property in Lyndhurst.
The auction will not inconvenience the current external School of Investment students as the CIDA School of Investment will continue to operate from 37 Harrison Street under the new owner.
CIDA City Campus would sincerely like to thank First Rand Bank for this generous donation as the proceeds from the auction will contribute towards the tertiary education of historically disadvantaged youth and in turn advance the socio-economic development of our country.
07 June 2011, CIDA City Campus is proud to announce that one of their ICT Academy students, Raymond Mazibuko has won the national 2011 Cisco Networking Academy NetRiders competition. He will also be representing South Africa in the international competition to be held at the CIDA Lyndhurst campus later this year.
The NetRiders competition has hosted a record of over 16,000 Cisco Networking Academy students to date who have competed in over 80 countries across the globe. It’s a great opportunity for students and alumni to showcase their IT or Networking skills and gain visibility among talent recruiters in the growing ICT and networking field.
The competition comprised of 27 students from various universities in Gauteng, Free State, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Kwazulu Natal. Student’s networking and IT skills were tested through a series of theoretical and practical exams as an opportunity for them to participate in a valuable learning experience.
We wish to congratulate Raymond on this great achievement. There is no doubt that this recent achievement will be spoken of for a long time to come and that the admiration for his accomplishment is felt by all of us as well the networking industry.
NB: if you would like to mentor Raymond towards preparation for the international competition, please contact the CIDA ICT academy. (011887 4495)
CIDA Graduates: spreading the message on education for South Africa’s youth.
Molefi Lekaota is a modern day marketing success story and an inspiration to his community. Born in the Free State and raised by a single parent from a family of five, Molefi’s resolve to succeed in life was apparent from an early age.
After completing his schooling at Lephola Secondary School with matric results yielding all A’s, he knew he wanted to take his education further and was one of the top five students given an opportunity to apply for a scholarship at CIDA City Campus where he graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Degree majoring in marketing.
“Without the option of an almost fully paid scholarship, I would never have had the opportunity to achieve my dream of a tertiary education. The challenges of moving from a small town to a city like Johannesburg are enormous and I had no friends, no place to stay and was terrified of the crime” he adds “but I did not let these challenges stop me from getting a good education.”
Giving back consequently became something that Molefi felt compelled to do, and after serving as a member of the Students Representative Council during his time at CIDA, he went on to establish the CIDA Alumni Association with the help of other graduates. “We have created a forum for likeminded individuals who come together to discuss how we can inspire people just like us who are financially crippled when it comes to financing their education. We need to spread the message that there are options out there!” he says.
As one of CIDA’s alumni, Molefi was given the opportunity to fly to London to attend the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s (DEF) first international fundraising event in November last year. The Diamond Empowerment Fund is a non-profit international organisation, with the aim to raise money to support education initiatives that develop and empower economically disadvantaged people in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource.
As a beneficiary of the Diamond Empowerment Fund, CIDA was represented at the London event by Molefi, who got to rub shoulders with the likes of Russell Simmons, founder of the DEF and Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of De Beers in an effort to raise more than $1 million.
Molefi now devotes his expertise solely to CIDA City Campus as Marketing and Communications Officer with a single minded goal to awaken encouragement and uplift through education those crippled by poverty and negative peer pressure. His advice to young people is that education is something that no one can ever take away from you and is the single most important tool to achieve success.
“CIDA has opened doors for many of us, whether as entrepreneurs or for those who have gone on to serve in government, with NGO’s or in the corporate sector. Job creation is topping the agenda for our youth, and it’s our responsibility to take charge and arm ourselves with education,” he says, “we can’t wait for things to happen to us, we need to get out there and seek out the many opportunities available, like a free education at CIDA.”
ENDS
Changing the lives of students in South Africa - Entrepreneurs in Action continue to make the connection between Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship through successful and effective partnerships with the Corporate sector.
EiA (Entrepreneurs in Action) increased its international presence by delivering an inspirational and motivational 7 day programme to 30 third year students at CIDA University, based in Johannesburg. The students were set exciting Business Challenges from 2 companies: Standard Bank and Omnicor. Throughout the week, the students prepared their presentations which were delivered in a fantastic climax to the week in the company boardrooms.
In May, Japanese journalist Kenji Nakanishi of The Yomiuri Shimbun (international news department) wanted to do a story on innovative educational projects in Africa, and chose to feature CIDA City Campus. Kenji works for the Sub-Saharan African bureau , situated in Johannesburg which reports on all issues that are pertinent to African politics, culture and development as well as constantly evolving and improving ties between Africa and Japan. The article which is unfortunately written in Japanese also focuses on funding for CIDA City Campus.
About The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Yomiuri Shimbun is an influential daily newspaper that is circulated in Japan, with satellite editions in Asia and Europe. It is the largest selling newspaper in the world, the circulation figures are presently at over 10 million readers and 20 million copies are printed daily.
CIDA STUDENT TO REPRESENT SOUTH AFRICA IN AMSTERDAM
Patricia Montsioa’s is living her dream, studying for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree where she is majoring in International Finance and Investments at CIDA City Campus. Her tenacity and drive to get to the top are taking her places.
When the opportunity to participate in the Traders Trophy competition to learn about investments and trade in a virtual market presented itself, Patricia grabbed it with both hands and went on to take second place in the South African Traders Trophy last year.
In April this year, Patricia will be representing South Africa in Amsterdam in the Traders Trophy Final where she will compete with traders from all corners of the globe.
“When my name was called in as second-winner, I was overwhelmed. It brings me one step closer to achieving my career as a stock broker and has given me the confidence I needed to make it happen” She is looking forward to the finals and hopes to pick up tips and other trading skills and tactics from her experience at the global student trading competition.
The Traders Trophy is a competition run by Oxyor (Holland) and sponsored by Standard Bank and the JSE where students from universities in South Africa compete to become the best student trader on profitability, market awareness, client service and risk management.
The competition is conducted in a virtual dealing room environment connecting computers in a network. Each computer represents the trading desk of one trader, where the participant has access to news and market information relevant to the shares that are being traded.
Amongst 200 participants from other universities including the University of the Witwatersrand, University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, four students from CIDA were in the Top 10, with Patricia taking the 2nd position.
“We are extremely proud of our students’ achievements and wish Patricia all the best as an ambassador for CIDA and her country in the final round in the Netherlands” says Nesan Chetty, Senior Marketing Manager at CIDA City Campus.
About CIDA:
CIDA City Campus, based in Johannesburg, is the first virtually free higher education institution in South Africa, offering holistic education to historically disadvantaged youth who would not otherwise be able to access higher education. CIDA aims to transform these students into leaders of their communities who will then advance the socio-economic transformation of the country. Since its founding in 2000, CIDA has developed an innovative education model. It offers a fully accredited Bachelor of Business administration degree. CIDA aims to develop business minded graduates who can think creatively, engage in open dialogue and care about transforming Africa. http://www.cida.co.za
CIDA City Campus is a registered Non-profit Organization no: 075-717-NPO. CIDA City Campus is accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) until 31 December 2014 as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act 1997.
Registration Certificate No. 2002/HE08/011.
Deadline for Late applications for the Bachelor of Business Administration is Friday 21 January 2011
Applicants may fax their matric results to 086 577 8974
Dear Friend of CIDA,
As the year draws to a close, CIDA City Campus students and staff can reflect on a year that’s brought success and growth to us all. It’s been a year of knowledge, participation, involvement, sharing and appreciation.
It’s a year in which you’ve invested in us, and believed in us. In doing so, you’ve made a difference to all our lives and inspired us to be the best we could be. Without you at the centre of it all, we couldn’t have done it.
Thank you. May your festive season be filled with joy and peace, and the coming year be one of prosperity, achievement and harmony.
With good wishes from
CIDA CITY CAMPUS STUDENTS, STAFF AND MANAGEMENT
Please be informed that CIDA will officially be closed from the 16th December 2010 to the 09th January 2011. The campus will re-open on Monday, 10th January 2011.
CIDA CITY CAMPUS IS MOVING TO ITS CIDA PARK CAMPUS IN LYNDHURST
After ten memorable years in the City centre CIDA City Campus (CIDA) will soon begin moving its premises to its CIDA Park Campus in Lyndhurst from 1st November 2010. From 2011 all campus facilities will be at CIDA Park and the building of new educational and accommodation facilities will commence. This move presents the higher education institution with an exciting opportunity to build new facilities and improve on existing ones and afford students better learning and excellent resources as soon as CIDA is able to secure funding and the necessary resources.
Currently at CIDA Park Extension there is extensive student housing that needs some urgent upgrading and on the main CIDA Park property lecture venues (converted halls) and other areas (dining, recreation, etc.) needs to be renovated significantly. CIDA humbly appeals to all its friends, donors and supporters to please assist the institution in whatever capacity they can. Donations in cash, in kind and time will be most welcome to renovate and build our new campus.
CIDA would like to thank Investec for its generous donation of their building for the last ten years and is very pleased to continue its partnership with the company. The completion of the move will be on the 28th November 2010, well in time for final preparations for the beginning of the 2011 academic year.
Ends.
For additional information please contact CIDA City Campus Senior Manager: Marketing and Communication on 011 833 8825 ext 460 or 083 582 1174.
CIDA visits the UK's Number One New University, Bournemouth University
In 2009 CIDA was privileged to have an education partnership with UK based, Bournemouth University (BU). Bournemouth University as awarded a grant to develop its partnership with CIDA and comes from the UK government’s Education Partnerships in Africa (EPA) programme, managed by the British Council. Through this partnership, more CIDA students will have the opportunity to be part of the student exchange programme and to enrol in a media studies and tourism course that Bournemouth University will facilitate and provide material for the courses. The partnership will comprise of Bournemouth University's Media School and School of Services Management – both renowned for their areas of expertise – will specifically assist CIDA in developing new programmes in media and communication, tourism and event management. These subjects are aligned with the South African government strategies for economic growth and cultural development.
On the 16th of October 2010, a group of four students accompanied by CIDA’s BBA coordinator, Fred Agami visited Bournemouth University for one week for the first exchange programme. The visit was intended to give the CIDA group a profound knowledge of the Bournemouth experience. The visit was no holiday for our students who were very busy from day one. Our students made a presentation on Branding in South Africa, The impact of the 2010 World Cup on South African brands, Tourism and Eco-tourism, participated in workshops and attended classes on cultural diversity and communication. The students were given a tour of the Media School, School of Tourism as well as the luxurious BU Executive Business School which is one of the best in the UK and the World. CIDA students also got the opportunity to interact with fellow BU students including the Dean of the media school, Professor Tom Watson and the Vice Chancellor the university. At the end of the programme our students had a TV interview coordinated by the media students at BU and also conducted a radio presentation interview at one the many on campus radio stations.
To view the interview that the CIDA group did on BU station’s Lunchbox proramme please click on the link below.
http://www.bustation.net/index.php/media/view/1287730669
CIDA ICT Academy meets year on year benchmarks - The Star Business Report, 28 Oct ‘10
CIDA student, Gertrude Kitongo nominated to join South Africa’s leading CEOs To Tackle Leadership Challenges Facing South Africa.
As South Africa basks in the glory of hosting a tremendously successful FIFA World Cup, the country has a revitalised and exciting sense of unity. A sense that by pulling together we can seize this momentum to make greater economic and social strides than we have achieved for many years.
This is the time for strong leaders, innovative thinkers and inspiring citizens to harness that renewed pride and optimism.
Following on from the Brightest Young Minds summit, CIDA 3rd year student, Gertrude Kitongo was selected as one of South Africa’s most promising young leaders - to join like-minded compatriots at South Africa’s only Council created to debate, analyse, explore and find solutions to the leadership crisis in our country.
As one of only 24 Protégés nominated by the Brightest Young Minds, Gertrude will meet and work alongside a select group of today’s most respected thinkers and leaders at the annual 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council to be staged over a 3-day period at the end of October at the exclusive Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort & Spa in Herolds Bay near George.
Gertrude will be expected to contribute fully with youthful energy and enthusiasm to the debates, workshops and seminars, bringing her fresh ideas and insights as representatives of the next generation of citizens, consumers and employees as well as leaders.
The Council will be attended by 24 of the country’s most distinguished CEOs, the CEOs and Executives from almost 30 other prestigious companies partnering the Initiative, and the 24 young leaders hand-picked by the Brightest Young Minds. Crucially, they will also work with the 24 young Protégés in a mentoring process that will provide them with invaluable experience and insight into the role of leadership. To add a third generation, two Matric boys and two girls selected by Francois Pienaar’s Make-A-Difference foundation will also attend, bringing together three generations of the country’s foremost thinkers and leaders.
The Council will pool their collective brainpower to debate issues facing the leaders of today and tomorrow, and to devise ways to improve the current and future quality of leadership.
The event is a premier platform for captains of industry and decision-makers to debate and define the underlying role and qualities of leadership that are crucial for South Africa to forge ahead. Rated as one of South Africa’s premier three business events by The Sunday Times since its inception in 2005, the Council has the power to build on the country’s current momentum and enhance our companies, our country and our future.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (Centre for Public Service and Innovation Journal)
CIDA wins top honours at the national SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) competition
Another award-winning student achievement in September was the SIFE CIDA initiative. The SIFE CIDA group won the 5th place overall out of 26 South African tertiary institutions and brought home 5 other awards and R6750 in prize money in the following categories:
· 1st place on Financial Literacy sponsored by ABSA
· 2nd place on Success Skills sponsored by FNB
· 2nd place on Entrepreneurship sponsored by Harmony
· 2nd place on Market Economics sponsored by Nedbank Group
· 2nd place on Business Ethics sponsored by Eskom
About SIFE:
Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) is an international network of students, academics and business leaders.Working in partnership with business and higher education, SIFE "mobilizes university students around the world to use the knowledge gained in the classroom to address real world business and economic issues in their communities. SIFE students form teams on their university campuses and perform community service projects that teach market economics, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, personal success skills, business ethics, and environmental sustainability."
CIDA student selected to attend the Brightest Young Minds Summit
14 September 2010, Gertrude Kitongo, a 3rd year student was selected to represent CIDA at the Brightest Young Minds Summit in Stellenbosch between the 7th and 11th September. Delegates had to be between the ages of 20 and 30 years and were selected based on criteria of innovation, leadership and academic accomplishment. While delegates are predominantly sourced from university campuses, recent graduates who are now working were also considered. The summit brought together 100 of the country’s brightest young minds from diverse backgrounds for a week-long summit of exposure, training and developing innovative solutions. The summit was attended by distinguished guests which included former Reserve Bank Governor, Tito Mboweni. The summits have been running successfully since 2000.
About Brightest Young Minds
Brightest Young Minds (BYM) is an initiative of young people passionate about exploring, demonstrating and implementing ideas and alternative solutions to the problems plaguing humanity. BYM’s mission is to channel the hearts and minds of young people into initiatives that can affect societal improvement.
Brightest Young Minds is an incubator for social entrepreneurship. It does this on two levels:
1. Through developing young leaders and equipping them to affect social change wherever they are Brightest Young Minds seeks to inspire, develop, train young people through several initiatives. Of these, the annual Brightest Young Minds summit is the flagship project. Other spaces created for fresh dialogue throughout the year are the Think Tanks, and Playshops.
2. Through designing, developing and supporting projects that have a positive social impact.
Leadership Magazine profiles Tracey Chiappini-Young, CEO of the CIDA Empowerment Fund
About the CIDA Empowerment Fund CIDA Empowerment (Pty) Limited's credentials and the track record of its sole shareholder and beneficiary, the CIDA Empowerment Trust ("CET"), are evidence of an unmatched capacity to deliver an optimized, broad-based, black economic empowerment solution to companies operating in South Africa.
Such a solution will encompass the key areas of equity ownership, management control, employment equity, human resource development, preferential procurement, enterprise development, Socio -Economic Development and ICT access. Visit www.cidafund.co.za or contact
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for further information.
Media release: CIDA Celebrates Nelson Mandela Day
19 July 2010
Nelson Mandela Day has brought about a new energy and fervour amongst the youth of the world to do something for their communities and to help those around them; changing the world collectively.
On the 18th July 2010, the first anniversary of Nelson Mandela Day, CIDA City Campus (CIDA) students, joined by their corporate partners, spent 67 minutes cleaning up Johannesburg streets around the university. To not only serve as an initiative of giving back to the community and the city, CIDA’s students and corporate partners felt that such action would encourage more hands-on involvement from the CBD’s publics and the university’s students.
Acting Executive Dean, Wiseman Jack, says that cleaning up the streets is about much more than picking up a piece of paper and tossing it into the bin. “As a citizen, you have to be involved in making sure that your country changes every day for the better. We mostly read reports of what people are saying regarding their tax money and the call for better service delivery, but we forget that we also have to give back to the community and the country by taking part in how our country develops.”
Johannesburg CBD has played a very important part in shaping the city, and with prominent and historical buildings in the area, CIDA felt that honouring the past and looking forward to a more youth-involved future, cleaning up the streets is a way of bringing people together and supporting a common cause: living in a city that all can be proud of. Nesan Chetty, Senior Manager for Marketing and Communications at CIDA says that for the students, Johannesburg represents their dreams and hopes of living a better life.
“Johannesburg is a cultural hub for many students – not just the CIDA ones, and the city is a destination point for all those who want to achieve their dreams of career success and wealth. This clean up is the start of bigger things for us, and with the number of our outreach programmes growing, we plan to do more leading up to 2011’s Nelson Mandela Day and beyond,” says Chetty.
About CIDA City Campus
Nelson Mandela Day 2010 is dedicated to the visions of the Millennium Development Goal 2; calling for quality education for all of our children. CIDA City Campus epitomises this vision. CIDA City Campus (CIDA), a university based in Johannesburg, is South Africa’s first virtually free higher education institution. The university offers a holistic education to historically disadvantaged youth who would not otherwise be able to access higher education due to the increasingly high costs and inaccessible curricula of other tertiary institutions. CIDA City Campus has emerged as the abiding hope for underprivileged students who have a desire to pursue a university level education and the university is driven to develop the infinite potential of every student regardless of his or her background. CIDA aims to transform these students into leaders of their communities who will then advance the socio-economic transformation of the country. At CIDA, we believe that by educating the youth we can contribute meaningfully to the transformation of our nation and the continent.
CIDA’s contribution to access to education for all and its innovative approach to education has been recognised both locally and internationally by winning many prestigious awards. Last November CIDA was awarded the 2009/10 Public Sector Innovator of the year by Centre for Public Service and Innovation (CPSI). Recently CIDA received a special honourable recognition award at the prestigious African Access National Business Awards held in Sandton on the 27th May 2010 for its innovative approach to educating Africa’s youth.
Ends.
For more information, please contact Nesan Chetty on:
Phone: +27 11 833 8825 ext. 460
Mobile: +27 83 582 1174
Email:
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Media release: CIDA celebrates its 7th graduation and ten year celebration
07 July 2010
CIDA City Campus (CIDA) has celebrated its graduation ceremonies with great fervour in the past, but for the year 2010, this year’s ceremony was particularly exciting. The university is celebrating its 10 year anniversary, and more than ever, the fruits of CIDA’s efforts to alleviating and eradicating poverty are becoming evident. With an increase in the number of female graduates and graduates who have passed their degrees with distinction, CIDA is proud to see that not only is the youth harnessing the opportunities afforded to them, but are also using them to the best of their abilities.
The number of graduates at this year’s ceremony was 216, with 48% female and 52% male. Three students graduated with distinction: Esther Gichamba with 84%, Zamokuhle Dhludhlu with 76% and Sonke Mmango with 75%. Acting Executive Dean, Wiseman Jack, praised the top three graduates as well as those who’d passed with merit. “We at CIDA like having benchmarks that we can work towards exceeding and we are fully confident that next year, there’ll be more graduates who graduate with distinction and even more who pass with merit. We are very proud of our graduates and we laud their achievements and commend the role that they are playing in society. It is through their efforts and successes that others are inspired to pursue their dreams and do anything they can to achieve them.”
Other successes celebrated at this year’s graduation were the number of graduates who’s completed and passed all modules in the Schools of Investments faculty; and the university’s 10 year anniversary.
“Our students are making the right waves in the financial services industry, and with the increased interest we get from students for the financial services and investments sectors, we are glad to be making a transformative impact on this sector by bringing out skilled candidates who are employable and competitive on all platforms,” says Jack.
CIDA celebrates its 10 year anniversary from July 2010 until July 2011: a period that will see many eras that the university has gone through being celebrated and other initiatives being introduced to students and the public, such as the need for social entrepreneurship in a developing country such as South Africa.
About CIDA City Campus
CIDA City Campus (CIDA), a university based in Johannesburg, is South Africa’s first virtually free higher education institution. The university offers a holistic education to historically disadvantaged youth who would not otherwise be able to access higher education due to the increasingly high costs and inaccessible curricula of other tertiary institutions. CIDA City Campus has emerged as the abiding hope for underprivileged students who have a desire to pursue a university level education and the university is driven to develop the infinite potential of every student regardless of his or her background. CIDA aims to transform these students into leaders of their communities who will then advance the socio-economic transformation of the country. At CIDA, we believe that by educating the youth we can contribute meaningfully to the transformation of our nation and the continent.
CIDA’s contribution to access to education for all and its innovative approach to education has been recognised both locally and internationally by winning many prestigious awards. Last November CIDA was awarded the 2009/10 Public Sector Innovator of the year by Centre for Public Service and Innovation (CPSI). Recently CIDA received a special honourable recognition award at the prestigious African Access National Business Awards held in Sandton on the 27th May 2010 for its innovative approach to educating Africa’s youth.
Ends.
CIDA celebrated its 7th graduation and 10 year celebration
CIDA City Campus (CIDA) has celebrated its graduation ceremonies with great fervour in the past, but for the year 2010, this year’s ceremony was particularly exciting. CIDA celebrated its 10 year anniversary, and more than ever, the fruits of CIDA’s efforts to alleviating and eradicating poverty are becoming evident. With an increase in the number of female graduates and graduates who have passed their degrees with distinction, CIDA is proud to see that not only is the youth harnessing the opportunities afforded to them, but are also using them to the best of their abilities.
The number of graduates at this year’s ceremony was 216, with 48% female and 52% male.
Highlights
2010Graduation
· 216 students graduated this year.
· Of the graduating students 66% will have completed the degree programme within the minimum stipulated period of 3 years.
· 3 students passed with Distinction - all were female.
· Over 93% of the 2010 graduation candidates have been gainfully employed.
Graduation (overall)
· The first graduation ceremony took place in 2004, 83 students graduated then.
· 2 July 2010 was CIDA’s 7th graduation ceremony.
· A total of 1256 students have graduated from CIDA; of these 47% are female and 53% male.
Total number of CIDA Graduates to date:
Year 2004
83
Year 2005
167
Year 2006
257
Year 2007
226
Year 2008
109
Year 2009
201
Year 2010
216
Total
1256
Today over 87% of CIDA’s graduates are employed
International Celebrity Activist SUZANNE "AFRICA" ENGO completes I Love Africa run at CIDA City Campus
30 June 2010, International celebrity activist, AIDS and education campaigner, Suzanne “Africa” Engo, who is also an advocate for the Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF, a foundation founded by Russell Simmons), started running in the fall of 2008, from New York (United Nations) to the Oprah Winfrey Studios Chicago to promote AIDS awareness and education initiatives in Africa. She had already embarked on a run through the USA and Europe, followed by South Africa during the World Cup and after 3 years and three continents later Suzanne completed her I Love Africa run at CIDA City Campus (CIDA) in June, to raise funds for CIDA, as part of DEF’s international campaign to empower Africa through education.
Accompanied by local celebrities during the last 5km of her run, Suzanne’s efforts would not only bring back international focus on the need for education in developing countries and communities, but is also in line with this year’s World Cup education initiative.
CIDA ICT Certification Ceremony
At the CIDA ICT Certification ceremony, 155 students received their international ICT certificates in ICDL, A+, Network+, SAP Business 1, Cisco CNA international, Java programming, Web development and Solaris system admin and were accredited with providing software support and installations to companies.
The ceremony had Dr. Molapo Qhobela, from the department of Science & Technology as key note speaker.
CIDA was officially accredited as the new Cisco Regional Academy for Johannesburg and the university’s ICT Academy is sponsored by major ICT industry players - Cisco Systems, SAP, T-Systems, Dell SA Development Fund, Sun Microsystems, CompTIA, DEG and Outlearning.
The ICT certification that the students receive will contribute a great deal to nation building. Those who were certified will not only be able to provide software support and knowledge to companies, but would also contribute to their communities by starting internet shops and helping bridge the digital divide through skills development.
CIDA also serves as a Cisco Regional Academy for IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software and CCNA, meaning that it is accredited to provide instructor training in these courses to prospective Cisco Networking Academies.
The Elders invite Africa’s youth champions to draw up a winning game plan for the continent
On Sunday, 30th of May 2010, 10 students from 8 universities and colleges were selected by their respective institutions to attend the first Elders and Youth meeting in Newtown, Johannesburg. Around 80 young women and men representing as many African countries as possible were invited to take part in an exciting pan-African brainstorm event with The Elders. The theme of the event was called “A Game Plan for a Winning Continent” and brought together some of Africa’s best and brightest young people to discuss the opportunities and hurdles ahead for their continent.
The institutions that participated included: 1. African Institute of for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)
2. African Leadership Academy
3. Branson School of Entrepreneurship
4. CIDA City Campus
5. Mandela Rhodes Foundation
6. Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy
7. Sci-Bono Science and Technology Centre
8. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
CIDA City Campus was represented by: 1. Mahlase Nkoane
2. Rosinah Mafa
3. Eugene Rammutla
4. Rapelang Motsumi
5. Thami Mphahlwa
6. Gertrude Kitongo
7. Nompumelelo Mthimunye
8. Peter Wanjiru
9. Lindsay Saka
10. Busisiwe Zulu
During the meeting each student was assigned one Elder and after the table discussion, CIDA student Gertrude Kitongo from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s table was selected to report back to everyone about the solution they had come up with…
Two weeks after the event, Gertrude Kitongo was selected as one of three youth leaders from Africa to attend the Global Forum in Cape Town, on 28 June 2010 as part of a session with three of the Elders. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Graça Machel and Mary Robinson were involved in the closing session at the Forum called ‘The Elders and the new youth leaders’. The organisers were impressed with Gertrude’s ability to communicate succinctly at the event in Johannesburg, as well as her clear vision for the future of Africa.
About The Elders
The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity. The Elders are: Martti Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu (Chair).
When the group was formed, Madiba told the Elders to be bold, but also to listen, especially to young people, and to ensure that boys and girls get the best possible education.
Nelson Mandela Day 2010: 67 Minutes To Make A Difference
About Nelson Mandela Day
On 18 July 2010, people across the world will join hands to establish Nelson Mandela Day as an international day of action. People from all walks of life will take social justice into their own hands by volunteering their time and energy in the common cause of social justice. Nelson Mandela Day is an annual celebration of the life of Nelson Mandela, and a call to action to spend 67 minutes of our time to change our world. Nelson Mandela has been making an imprint on the world for 67 years, beginning in 1942 when he first started to campaign for the human rights of every South African. His life has been an inspiration to the world. Now, the Mandela Day campaign is calling on people around the world to commit 67 minutes of their time "to make an imprint and help change the world around them."
About CIDA City Campus
Nelson Mandela Day 2010 is dedicated to the visions of the Millennium Development Goal 2; calling for quality education for all of our children. CIDA City Campus epitomises this vision. CIDA City Campus (CIDA), a university based in Johannesburg, is South Africa’s first virtually free higher education institution. The university offers a holistic education to historically disadvantaged youth who would not otherwise be able to access higher education due to the increasingly high costs and inaccessible curricula of other tertiary institutions. CIDA City Campus has emerged as the abiding hope for underprivileged students who have a desire to pursue a university level education and the university is driven to develop the infinite potential of every student regardless of his or her background. CIDA aims to transform these students into leaders of their communities who will then advance the socio-economic transformation of the country. At CIDA, we believe that by educating the youth we can contribute meaningfully to the transformation of our nation and the continent.
On Sunday, 18th July 2010, CIDA City Campus
INVITES YOU
to celebrate Mandela Day by joining its students, staff members and corporate partners to spend at least 67 minutes to cleaning certain areas of Johannesburg’s streets around its campus.
Date: Sunday, 18th July 2010
Time: 10:00 to 11:07 (67 minutes, symbolic of Nelson Mandela’s 67 years campaigning for human rights)
Venue: CIDA City Campus, 54 Commissioner Street, Joburg CBD
Please find attached directions to CIDA City Campus
The schedule of events for the day is as follows:
Item No.
Time
Activity
1
09H00 - 09H30
Arrival
2
09H30 - 09H45
T-shirts distribution
3
09H45 - 09H55
Briefing and task allocation by group Champions
4
10H00 - 11H07
Cleaning of the streets
5
11H30
Re-convening at CIDA City Campus - 2nd floor
6
11H40 - 11H55
Cutting of the Birthday cake and singing a birthday song and well wishes to Madiba
7
12H00
End
This day is of great significance to CIDA as it epitomises and cherishes the fundamental values of CIDA’s existence, most particularly humanity and the spirit of Ubuntu.
We are looking forward to joining hands with you to make this a significant and memorable day.
"It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it." Nelson Mandela.
CIDA RECEIVES SPECIAL RECOGNITION AT THE ANNUAL NATIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS
Wednesday, 09 June – CIDA City Campus (CIDA) received a special honourable recognition award at the African Access National Business Awards held in Sandton on the 27th May 2010. This event acknowledges and rewards companies; individuals; industry; and government for outstanding achievements in business.
The award was in the category: Business Education and Training. The overall winner in this category, that featured organisations such as Media Works and Boland College, was UCT Graduate School of Business.
“This award is a tribute to the students, communities and corporate sponsors who keep us going,” said Wiseman Jack, CIDA acting Executive Dean. “We truly appreciate this recognition and hope that more funders including the government will take notice of the work that is done for our students and become partners in this exercise.”
Ends.
CIDA STUDENTS RECEIVE TOP HONOURS AT THE NATIONAL TRADERS TROPHY FINAL
At the annual Traders Trophy in May this year out of 5 competing universities including University of the Witwatersrand, University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, University of Cape Town and the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, CIDA School of Investment students took home 4 of the top 10 places including the runners-up.
Patricia Montsioa who finished 2nd received R5 000, Thulani Sihlali (6th), Monde Jini (8th) and Delisani Sihlongonyane (10th) received R2 000 each in an online share trading account from Standard Bank with a 1 year free subscription.
All students will also have the opportunity to be recruited by Standard Bank on their Graduate Recruitment Programme.
The top 10 spots went to:
CIDA City Campus
4
University of Johannesburg
2
University of Cape Town
1
University of KwaZulu-Natal
1
University of Pretoria
1
University of the Witwatersrand
1
Congratulations to all our students. What a truly amazing achievement.
About The Traders Trophy
The Traders Trophy is a competition run by Oxyor (Holland) and sponsored by Standard Bank and the JSE where students from universities in South Africa compete to become the best student trader on profitability, market awareness, client service and risk management. The competition is conducted in a virtual dealing room environment connecting computers in a network. Each computer represents the trading desk of one trader, where the participant has access to news and market information relevant to the shares that are being traded.
CIDA CELEBRATES 2010 ICT CERTIFICATION STUDENTS
CIDA City Campus (CIDA) held its annual ICT Certification Ceremony on the 28th May 2010 at the university’s premises in Johannesburg. 155 students received their certificate during the ceremony and they will now be accredited with providing software support and installations to companies.
The ceremony had Dr. Molapo Qhobela, from the department of Science & Technology and motivational speaker, Thandi Mabuya as key note speakers and was attended by CIDA’s head of the ICT School of Excellence, Khulu Ntuli, and acting Executive Dean, Wiseman Jack. In 2008, CIDA was officially accredited as the new Cisco Regional Academy for Johannesburg and the university’s ICT Academy is sponsored by major ICT industry players - Cisco Systems, SAP, T-Systems, Dell SA, Sun Microsystems, CompTIA, DEG and Outlearning.
“The ICT certification that the students receive will contribute a great deal to nation building. Those who are certified will not only be able to provide software support and knowledge to companies, but they can also contribute to their communities by starting internet shops and helping bridge the digital divide through skills development,” says Jack.
CIDA also serves as a Cisco Regional Academy for IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software and CCNA, meaning that it is accredited to provide instructor training in these courses to prospective Cisco Networking Academies.
Ends.
For more information please contact Nesan Chetty, CIDA City Campus Senior Manager: Marketing & Communications (083 582 1174)
CIDA receives ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Accreditation
Following extensive discussions between CIDA’s Academic Dean, Wiseman Jack, and South Africa’s Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), CIDA has been accredited to offer ACCA programmes.
Our new partnership with ACCA will give those undecided students another career option to pursue and will in turn give CIDA’s graduates the opportunity to embark on the course to becoming auditors, accounting technicians and certified charted accountants. The most important element about CIDA’s membership is that ACCA recognises CIDA’s BBA degree as an exemption into the association’s accounting programme.
Visit from the Brazilian Minister of Racial Equality
CIDA was honoured to host a visit from the Brazilian Minister of Racial Equality, Minister Santos to explore partnerships between CIDA and his ministry e.g. student exchange programmes amongst others.
Nedbank Graduate Development Programme
CIDA graduate, Lucky Sidney Madonsela, excelled in the Nedbank Graduate Development Programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). Lucky finished 8th overall out of a full compliment of around 100 delegates on the GIBS course.
CIDA CITY CAMPUS JOINS SAP UNIVERSITY ALLIANCES PROGRAMME AS FULL PARTNER BY INTEGRATING ERP TRAINING INTO ITS FULL CURRICULUM
More than 150 students have received SAP ERP training at CIDA ICT Academy, with the vast majority employed by companies that run SAP
Thursday, 18th February 2010 — CIDA City Campus students will have full access to the SAP University Alliances TERP10 training course following the signing today of an agreement to introduce the programme as part of the CIDA Bachelor of Business Administration curriculum.
“We are very excited to welcome CIDA City Campus as a fully-fledged member of the SAP University Alliances programme, and especially for the opportunities it will help create for the university's students,” says Max Fuzani, SAP Africa's University Alliances Manager. “They will join the more than 150 students who have already graduated from the CIDA ICT Academy that has been offering SAP ERP training since 2003.”
The signing ceremony was hosted at the CIDA City Campus, Johannesburg and attended by senior CIDA staff members and students, as well as senior SAP executives. “This enhances our position as an innovator in the education field and lends weight to the 2009/10 Public Sector Innovator of the Year Award bestowed on CIDA by the Centre for Public Service Innovation last year,” says Wiseman Jack, acting Executive Dean of CIDA City Campus. “We are now the first higher education institution in South Africa to integrate the SAP TERP10 programme into our curriculum, and will go a long way to improving the qualifications and capabilities of our graduates.”
The TERP10 course is offered in more than 30 countries as part of SAP's education and training initiatives, while the University Alliances programme is closely aligned with SAP's corporate social investment initiatives. It aims to equip students with a deeper understanding of all functional areas within SAP software and thereby better prepare them to advance their careers in the fields of ICT and business management.
The CIDA ICT Academy has been part of the programme since 2003, offering training on SAP ERP, which was extended last year to include SAP Business One to help student gain a solid grounding in business and transactional processes.
“Today’s agreement will see the training become part of the Bachelor of Business Administration curriculum, thereby exposing all students to these business principles,” say Khulu Ntuli, CIDA ICT Academy manager. “Between 150 and 200 graduates have completed the training over the past number of years, with 80% of them employed by companies that run SAP.”
The course not only introduces students to the principles behind business process, but exposes them to SAP ERP by working on functional versions of the software in simulated environments.
The TERP10 course is already available to many hundreds of students at universities around South Africa, including the University of Cape Town, University of the Western Cape, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the Durban University of Technology. The programme has also been rolled out to the Ribane-Laka Secondary School in Mamelodi, Matthew Goniwe High School in Cradock and the Asoka Secondary School in Chatsworth. The TERP10 course is accredited and certified by SAP, although it expects to bring this qualification into the main stream through negotiations with the departments of Labour and Higher Education while also working to have the course accredited by the SA Qualifications Authority.
“We hope to have completed this by the middle of the year, which will be a great benefit for students who have undertaken the course as it will be nationally, and internationally, recognised,” comments Fuzani.
About SAP
SAP is the world’s leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 95,000 customers in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol “SAP.” For more information, visit www.sap.com.
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