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Unisa Majuba TVET partnership bearing fruit

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This is evident in the fact that the partnership was able to produce its first Master’s fruit much to the delight of the audience at the graduation ceremony held at Unisa, Pretoria on 28 March 2018. According to Principal and Vice Chancellor, Prof Makhanya, this is how Unisa stayed true to its vision of being the African University shaping futures in the service of humanity.

Principal and Vice- Chancellor, Prof Mandla Makhanya (centre) together with Unisa supervisors and the first Master’s graduates from the Majuba TVET College in Kwazulu-Natal

The success of the fastracked Master’s degree yielded positive results when eight graduates from the Majuba TVET College project were conferred their degrees. The exciting and first of its kind project was led by Unisa’s College of Education, to capacitate educators in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector with teaching skills.

Many of the teaching staff in the TVET sector are equipped with other qualifications but not necessarily the teaching qualification. Moreover, in 2013, the Minister of Education had launched the White Paper on Post School Education, which prompted the need to streamline educational opportunities in South Africa.

A Memorundum of Understanding (MoU) was then signed in 2013 between Unisa and the South African College Principals’ Organisation (SACPO), a non-statutory voluntary association of Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges’ (TVETs) principals to set the initiatives in motion.

As a result, Unisa’s intervention saw the Majuba TVET College in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal identify 50 of their lecturers to participate in a pilot project to study Post Graduate Certification in Education (PGCE) with the university. The project was completed successfully within a record time of three years in 2015 when 47 members graduated with the qualification. They had received ongoing support from Unisa supervisors through contact sessions and colloqiums in order to be empowered with journal writing, research and publishing skills.  

Based on the success of the PGCE pilot project, Unisa then extended the project to Master’s level. Ten of the 47 teaching staff members from the PGCE project registered for Master’s degrees in education management, adult education and Maths education. They all completed their studies within two years beginning in 2016 until 2017.   

  • Satish Harilal Rampersadh (Education Management)           
  • Ravinand Chetram (Education Management)
  • Munyaradzi Muchineripi (Adult Management)
  • Wium La Cock (Education Management)            
  • Nkosingiphile Olpha Selepe (Education Management)
  • Nkosiphile Sunrise Dlamini (Education Management)
  • Mphikiseni Petrick Ntshangase (Education Management)
  • Koko Jumaima Mdluli (Education Management - graduated posthumously)     
  • Goodwill Phezulu Mbambo (Education Management)           

 

According to Prof Sello Mokoena, project leader from Unisa’s CEDU, Unisa begins another Master’s series in April 2018 with 34 members from TVET Colleges in the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces. The project is set to end at the end of 2019.

 

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Publish date: 2018-04-11 00:00:00.0

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