News & Media
Unisa expands its RPL and WIL footprint
Unisa’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) units, in a quest to increase RPL enrolments and source WIL placement opportunities respectively, recently participated in the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Inter-Provincial Records and ICT Forum in the Kathu District Municipality, in the Northern Cape.
From left: Dr Mutambuli Hadji, Specialist: Recognition of Prior Learning, Unisa; Thabo Legalamitlwa, Manager: Finance and Corporate Services, SALGA; Gladwell Marebane, Deputy Director: Tuition Support, Unisa; and Sibusiso Kumalo, Officer: Assets and Finance, SALGA
This was made possible by the Midlands Region under the tutelage of Marinda Louw. The forum was themed "Institutionalising Effective Record-Keeping and Digitalised Governance towards a Capable State".
Other role players included representatives from the Auditor-General South Africa, the Local Government SETA, the State Security Agency, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and MTN South Africa. Speakers noted the continued migration from manual record management to fully online and digitalisation, although this presented other challenges such as cybersecurity and cyberattacks.
Though there was adoption of new technologies in municipalities, the Unisa Midlands Region partnered with SALGA to address the skills gap that is prevalent among some of the employees. Appreciating the pivotal role played by Unisa, Thabo Legalamitlwa, Manager: Finance and Corporate Services, SALGA, noted: "We realised that we will not reach our full digitalisation of record management if we do not appreciate the need to skill and reskill our municipal employees."
Opportunities to use RPL by those who have work experience but do not meet admission requirements at undergraduate and postgraduate levels were outlined. Furthermore, those who are already registered for various qualifications were advised to use RPL to be credited for modules that relate to the experience they have already acquired. Dr Mutambuli Hadji, Unisa RPL Specialist, emphasised: "With RPL, we open doors of learning to those who could not access them."
SALGA welcomed the collaboration proposal by Unisa WIL wherein it is envisaged that district municipalities will absorb Unisa students to be exposed to and guided on various operations within municipalities related to their qualifications. The qualifications include Diplomas in Agricultural Management, Animal Health, Ornamental Horticulture, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering and Public Relations. In addition, there is also a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, and a Higher Certificate in Social Auxiliary Work.
Commenting on this initiative, Gladwell Marebane, Deputy Director of Tuition Support highlighted: "The Department of Tuition Support and Facilitation of Learning observed that students are taking long to graduate because they are unable to secure placements for their experiential learning modules."
He further noted that municipalities are central to livelihoods and that they are also the government sphere closest to students. Representatives from various municipalities expressed their desire to pursue discussions with Unisa to explore possible partnerships regarding WIL and RPL.
* Submitted by the Department: Tuition Support and Facilitation of Learning
Publish date: 2024-11-26 00:00:00.0
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