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02 March 2023 | Story Kekeletso Takang | Photo Supplied
EMS Entrepreneurship awards ceremony
The School of Accountancy hosted the award ceremony for attendance of the event in the Centenary Complex on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State, issuing certificates of completion to the entrepreneurs who were part of the programme in collaboration with the National Youth Development Agency.

Concerns are constantly raised in South Africa that graduates do not have the requisite practical skills when entering the world of work. Along with this, the country grapples with a high youth unemployment rate that is higher than the national average. The University of the Free State (UFS) attempts to bridge this gap. 

In partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the UFS School of Accountancy (SOA) recently held a training programme for approximately 100 Free State youth in need of entrepreneurial upskilling. The training, aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills among the youth, took place on the Bloemfontein Campus over several sessions. 
This comes at a time when the UFS intends to maximise its societal impact with sustainable relationships through its Vision 130. 

On 22 February 2023, participants were awarded certificates of attendance at a prestigious event held on the Bloemfontein Campus.z

Addressing the participants at the event, Tumi Dithebe, Regional Manager of the Free State NYDA office, said he was impressed by the high level of commitment displayed by the participants during the training, and hoped that it would extend to how they manage their businesses. “Today, we are gathered here to acknowledge your achievement and to celebrate the partnership with the UFS.” 

Meaningful partnerships

“The School of Accountancy has had a working relationship with the SETA for Finance, Accounting, Management Consulting, and Other Financial Services (FASSET) since 2015. FASSET introduced the SOA to the NYDA, which was looking for a public institution to assist with the training of entrepreneurs,” said James Veitch, Senior Officer in the School of Accountancy. “We are in the process of negotiating a mentoring process to extend the influence of the training.” 

Entrepreneurship upskilling is a growing need in the business environment. While formal programmes offer hard skills development, training workshops such as this one provides an in-depth practical approach to support young people in mastering day-to-day challenges. 

Partnerships with various stakeholders are critical to providing young people with the skills they need to succeed in entrepreneurship. No one institution can do it alone. Initiatives should be sustainable and adaptive to the constantly evolving business environment. 

Vusi Peter, one of the participants with an information technology business, said the training has afforded him the opportunity to learn about financial management and business modelling. “Many times, we tend to neglect the management side of things when running a business. This training was a reminder to take care of the basics and to ensure that our businesses comply.”

News Archive

Council concerned over health crisis
2009-06-08

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) has come out in support of doctors and health professionals attached to its Faculty of Health Sciences who expressed their concerns about the health crisis in the Free State.

At its meeting on Friday, 5 June 2009 the Council said it shared the concerns of health professionals that the quality of patient care and the quality of training being provided at the health faculties across the country are being compromised.

Earlier last week doctors and other health professionals of the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences issued a statement highlighting the seriousness of the crisis in health care provision in the Free State Province, warning that the system was on the verge of collapse.

According to the Council of the UFS, a petition will be addressed to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Education calling for urgent steps to be taken to correct the deteriorating situation in the province’s health care system.

In other decisions, the UFS Council also decided to confer an honorary doctorate on Judge Louis Harms, the Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.

Judge Harms is an international specialist in the field of Intellectual Property Law and has been actively involved in legislation and international agreements on intellectual property law, including the Designs Act, Trademarks Act and Patents and Copyrights Acts.

The motivation quotes one of his fellow jurists as saying that: “Harms is one of the greatest South African lawyers of the last 50 years. He is an intellectual giant who has made an impressive and profound contribution to the development of South African law: He is erudite, visionary, astute and principled.”

An honorary doctorate will also be conferred on geologist and expert on the geology of the Karoo Supergroup, Mr Johan Loock, for his distinguished efforts towards promoting the earth sciences and specifically geology, particularly in the context of the Free State.

Mr Loock has had two Karoo fossils named after him, which is a particular honour in the scientific world of palaeontology. He was employed by the UFS for 32 years and has close ties with the Free State in terms of his wide field of research interests.

The motivation further states that “the man affectionately and respectfully known as Oom Loock, or Malome, has selflessly given of his vast knowledge, expertise and insights into the physical and cultural heritage of the Free State to all who would learn from, and with, him”.

A Council Medal will be awarded to Prof. Johan Grobbelaar from the Department of Plant Sciences at the UFS. During his time at the UFS he has been a pioneer in many areas, including the first research expedition to Marion Island, the first PhD about research on Marion Island, the establishment of the Institute of Environmental Sciences as well as the establishment of the Centre for Environmental Management.

Council also decided to refer a report from the iGubu consultants regarding aspects of diversity in student residences to the Executive Committee of the Council so that the benefit of the participation of the rector-designate Prof Jonathan Jansen could be obtained and for further participation and consultation with relevant stakeholders.

In another decision the Council also extended the term of appointment of Prof. Tienie Crous as Dean: Economic and Management Sciences for an additional term of five years.

The Council furthermore appointed Prof. Hugh Patterton as the director of the strategic academic cluster dealing with advanced biomolecular research and Prof. Wijnand Swart as Director of the strategic academic cluster dealing with technologies for sustainable crop industries in semi-arid regions.

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