UFS partners with Absa to prepare students for the world of work
23 February 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs
Seventy students from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences attended the ReadytoWork Programme – an opportunity for self-development and growth, which was exclusively available to final-year undergraduate and honours students.
Among other things, the University of the Free State (UFS) is committed to being a student-centred institution and producing graduates who are globally competitive. This commitment is reflected in its focus on enhancing learning experiences, providing academic support, and offering assistance tailored to the diverse needs and backgrounds of the student body. At the same time, the university is driving initiatives aimed at significantly increasing graduate employability.
Opportunity for self-development and growth
One of these initiatives is the Absa ReadytoWork Programme, a collaboration between Absa and the Department of Business Management in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. This Pan-African programme aims to prepare young people for the transition from studies or unemployment to the world of work.
According to Annemarie van Noordwyk, Lecturer in the Department of Business Management, 70 students attended the ReadytoWork Programme in 2023 – an opportunity for self-development and growth, exclusively available to final-year undergraduate and honours students.
“During the programme, Absa presenters – including Johnny Molifi, the Regional Manager: External Sales for the Central Region; Moremi Losabe, the Student and Youth Specialist for the Free State and the Northern Cape; and Pumzile Mkele, the Team Coordinator in the Free State – engaged the students on four important topics: work skills, people skills, money skills, and entrepreneurial skills,” says Van Noordwyk.
Absa awarded each student a certificate of attendance.
“The Department of Business Management will build on this collaborative initiative with Absa in 2024 to give Economic and Management Sciences students the best possible foundation for future employment.”
– Annemarie van Noordwyk
Foundation for future employment
According to her, the department will build on this collaborative initiative with Absa in 2024 to give Economic and Management Sciences students the best possible foundation for future employment.
The students were grateful to attend this programme, which they found insightful and thought-provoking. What stood out for them in this programme were the practical examples of how the world of work operates.