Link and learn

Kupe said it is crucial for the University to prepare and equip its students for the future world of work, which is anticipated to be vastly different from the current one.

“This next generation of graduates is expected to change jobs and professions multiple times across many new emerging sectors, and will need to continuously upskill in order to stay employable. Education authors worldwide concur that the current educational systems and qualifications will rapidly become dated and obsolete. It is therefore important that we recognise which essential skills need to be developed for our graduates to actualise themselves and function optimally in the workplace, as well as contribute to the developmental aspirations of South Africa and Africa,” he said at the launch.

The Digital Capability Lab will be transdisciplinary-focused, and will be managed by the faculties of Humanities and Economic and Management Sciences and UP’s Department of Career Services.

Professor Sandy Africa, Deputy Dean: Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Humanities, said the lab’s equipment and technologies will harness the students’ limitless potential and nurture their talents, while preparing them to be agile in their future working environments.

“When innovative ideas, industry tools, community engagement and professional simulations are effectively applied to real-world scenarios and contexts, youth employment opportunities in the global south become endless,” said Prof Africa.

Echoing Prof Africa’s sentiments on the essence of technology in boosting employability, Professor Margaret ChitigaMabugu, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, said one of the Faculty’s key focus areas is to develop employable graduates who will use technology to be part of a skilled and innovative labour force in South Africa.

Prof Chitiga-Mabugu added that postgraduate students in the business management and financial management programmes have already started using the lab to identify financial vulnerabilities in companies and explaining these using economic and supply chain data.

Oprah Winfrey, herself a mentor to many women, has succinctly summarised the role a mentor plays: “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”

Dr Krinesha George, Project Coordinator: Mentorships and Employability at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Career Services, explained further: “The journey of mentorship is a process that involves the development and growth of an individual with the aid of an experienced professional. The role of mentors is to provide support and guidance to their mentees regarding aspects of their social life or career functions.”

The University of Pretoria Career Services Mentorship Programme was launched in 2019. It is implemented across all faculties and is available to final-year students. “The programme recognises the importance of students needing the guidance of industry specialists to prepare them for the world of work,” Dr George said. “It aims to link students (mentees) with industry experts (mentors)

The Career Services Office sets goals for both mentors and mentees to attain by the end of the programme.

for a period of six months. The minimum requirement is four mentoring sessions, conducted either online or face-to-face.”

The Career Services Office identifies mentors through various platforms, such as LinkedIn, its alumni platform and industry database, and now through the UP Alumni Connect app. Mentors who qualify to participate in the programme are matched with mentees based on the gender preference of the mentee, and the mentor’s qualifications, skills, expertise, and field of interest.

The programme includes a series of webinars that are available to all mentees.

“We hosted a total of 36 webinars based on topics relevant to the student population,” Dr George mentioned. “Our webinars were also extended to industry, where students were offered volunteering opportunities, graduate placements, internships, and bursaries.”

The Career Services Office’s mentor database consists of 1 370 industry experts, and 1 193 final-year students applied for mentoring in 2022. A feedback survey was completed by 87% of mentees, with results showing that 84% of final-year students who participated benefited from the programme.

“The Career Services Mentorship Programme for 2023 will be launched in December 2022 to ensure that final-year students can gain maximum benefit from the programme,” Dr George said.

Join the UP Alumni Connect app from your app store, or by visiting https://upalumniconnect.com/

To apply, mentors can complete the Google form at https://forms.gle/ZgjBPZc5HSqTdZp66 one’s skills and experience Problem-solving skills

Benefiting from a sense of fulfilment and personal growth Gain visibility for potential opportunities

Enhancing one’s CV Gain practical advice on job search techniques and skills