Gospel of 4IR brought to future Unisa students

The KwaMashu Christian Centre (KCC) is one of the largest and most influential churches located in KwaMashu, the sprawling, second biggest township in KwaZulu-Natal. The centre recently held a career guidance event for the youth and Unisa was invited to participate.

Learners from all walks of life attended the highly informatife sessions

This career guidance event was not only attended by the church’s own youth members but was open to any young person and parents from the township and surrounding areas. In line with COVID-19 protocols, attendance was limited to about 50 learners per session. Learners came from all walks of life; some were Grade 8 to 12 high school learners and others were from the Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) group. This event served both as a motivational session and career guidance event since most speakers explained how they too rose above almost similar social conditions to become successful in their careers and in life in general. Presentations placed more emphasis on encouraging the youth not to be hindered by their prevailing circumstances, which prevented them from dreaming about bright futures. The young church pastor, Pastor Mzimela, told the audience that "Failure doesn't mean you are a failure it just means you haven't succeeded yet”.

Unisa's Siyabonga Seme inspired the young audience with his personal journey

Unisa’s representative, Siyabonga Seme, Unisa’s Communications Manager for the region, spoke about his own upbringing and schooling in the same township where he matriculated. “Today, I hold a managerial position at Unisa,” he said. “As an ODeL university with a digital workforce, Unisa is best suited to assist the youth who are struggling to access higher education because of various difficulties since this institution presents the best chance for anyone in South Africa to obtain a university education. The university’s online applications, registration, and teaching and learning makes it an ideal future-focus institution for the youth at an affordable tuition fee.”

This message was well received by excited youth who promised to make good on seeking more information about Unisa as they look to further their studies. The youth was encouraged to embrace the “new normal” since the higher education sector was now moving with speed to implement the fourth industrial revolution vision. The move into the online virtual academic space is now inevitable.

This career guidance event provided the youth of KwaMashu with practical examples of what a future workplace might look like in the context of 4IR’s unavoidable consequences propelled by an ICT explosion and the “new normal”. Unisa is well positioned to play a catalytic role in educating students of the future since most university students in South Africa are already enrolled with this institution.

* Submitted by the Communications Office of Unisa’s KZN Region