The
Career Services office opened its facilities in 2007 as a help desk on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus at the Sasol Library, due to the increasing number of students looking for employment opportunities. The team has grown over the years and now consists of two chief officers, Belinda Janeke and Carmenita Redcliffe, two research assistants, 15 volunteers and seven career ambassadors. The portfolio of company relations is the latest addition to the team that runs a number of new initiatives and events that aim to enhance overall marketing and services offered by the department.
In January this year, Career Services hosted a corporate breakfast in Johannesburg. Rector and Vice-Chancellor,
Prof Francis Petersen, led a delegation consisting of Vice Rector: Institutional Change, Student Affairs,
Prof Puleng LenkaBula, Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane, Director of Institutional Advancement, and Director of
Communication and Marketing, Annamia van den Heever, and Lacea Loader respectively . The event was an initiative that sought to motivating companies, donors and funders to employ and fund top UFS graduates.
According to Belinda Janeke, keeping UFS students informed about career opportunities and equipping them with the skills and grit to make them employable, finding employment or starting their own business is the department’s ultimate goal.