Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 5015               Fax: +27 (0) 866 359 245               E-mail: data.ce@up.ac.za 

January/February 2008

Activating Human Energy in 2008

As a leading continuing education provider, Continuing Education at the University of Pretoria (CE at UP) is looking forward to reaching the next level of business and academic excellence in 2008. The entity will strive to achieve this by stimulating positive human energy towards skills development, a winning attitude and strength of mindset. CE at UP invests ongoing energy and intelligence into success by a shifted focus from human resource management to positive people energy management.

People energy management with more emphasis on the development of positive and motivated staff in a healthy environment, generates human energy with the outcomes precision business and customer service excellence. With South Africa ’s current energy crisis, people should become aware of, measure and maintain their own personal energy. By stimulating human energy, organisational energy will develop and grow towards complimenting and optimising the organisational outputs.

Continuing education has become a guaranteed method of enhancing productivity, customer service excellence, empowering employees and addressing ongoing skills shortages in various industries. CE at UP contributes as a life long training partner and offered short learning programmes to 22 051 delegates during 2007. CE at UP trained several delegates in leading companies of the private sector as well as the public sector and governmental organisations.

The product portfolio for 2008 represents more than 400 active products which include various new innovative courses, specifically in Languages, Project Management, Business Management, Finance and Health as well as a new portfolio of Public Sector courses. With this variety of new courses, CE at UP is well aligned for preparations for 2010 and beyond, and will continue to contribute towards skills development, professionalism and sustainable empowerment.

At the Centenary Celebrations of 8 February, prof Calie Pistorius, Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria stated that this year marks a hundred years in pursuit of academic excellence, a century in the service of knowledge. "The University of Pretoria is proud to be acknowledged as one of the world's top 500 universities and, for the last decade, also the country's leading university with regard to the number of research outputs", he said. 

CE at UP is proud in sharing the centenary celebrations as a leading continuing education entity and will keep on striving towards balancing academic perfection and commercial  realities.

African Initiative

The product profile of CE at UP, the drive towards an African education renaissance and globally relevant skills development, provide the ideal backdrop against which continuing training opportunities in a global environment may be offered. Popular skills requirements include courses in veterinary science, health sciences and HIV/AIDS management and training, management development, language training, skills for community development, teachers training in science, mathematics and technology, training in law, financial and public sector development, tourism, sport and recreation as well as organisational development.

SADC’s Regional Environment Education Programme has the purpose of enabling countries in the SADC region to strengthen environmental institutions and laws and expand environmental and training programmes.  The overriding goal and priority of SADC in which CE at UP is playing a role as part of an African initiative is alleviating of poverty of the majority of over 120 million people in the region.  

Improving health, income and living conditions of the poor majority remains the top policy imperative for ensuring the political stability and social sustainability needed to move toward greater economic and environmental sustainability.

CE at UP Contributes to Enterprise Development

Continuing Education at the University of Pretoria activated a more structured Corporate Social Responsibility approach for 2008 which can contribute more progressive to the community. The entity also became part of an Enterprise Development Initiative to support upcoming SMME to enhance businesses and enrich the community.

CE at UP donated in December 2007 to Dung Beetle Printers cc, an upcoming business, by donating printing equipment to the value of R12 000. Dung Beetle Printers is located in Mamelodi, outside Pretoria and owned by Kabelo Rantho who is physically challenged.

The story of Kabelo Rantho is about an inspiring young man. After matriculated at Pretoria Boys High, he was involved in an unfortunate accident that left him severely handicapped and wheelchair bound. With perseverance and determination Kabelo overcame his set backs and completed a Learnership which focused on developing entrepreneurs and consisted out of Skills programmes.

At present, Kabelo is the proud owner of his own printing business (Dung Beetle Printers cc) and could complete his offices with the support of CE at UP.

The entity enhances this opportunity for contributing to the community with commitment and an urgent sense of duty.

Kabelo Rantho, owner of Dung Beetle Printers cc.

Back row from left: Rebacca Rantho (Mother of Kabelo) and Daan Kemp (Desto Pty Ltd).  Front row from left: Martha Mabena (CE at UP), Kabelo Rantho (Owner of Dung Beetle Printers cc) and Irvin Bogopa (CE at UP) .

Architecture, Arts, Culture and Languages

3 March -  Short Course in Afrikaans for Beginners

4 March - IsiZulu (Zulu) for Beginners

4 March - Short Course in Afrikaans at Intermediate Level

4 March - Better Business English

6 March - Report Writing for Results

10 March - Effective Curriculum Development

Creativity, Innovation and Technology in Business

5 March - Short Course in Creativity, Lateral Thinking and Leadership

Economics, Finance, Accounting and Statistics

3 March - Advanced Fraud Examination

7 March - Advanced Taxation

10 March - Socio Economic Rights

14 March - Taxation

31 March - Economic Indicators: Monitoring the South African Economy

Engineering

10 March - Sport Ground Turf Management

10 March - Programme in Engineering Management

10 March -  Programme in Asset and Maintenance Management

Health Sciences

1 March - Training Course in Environmental Impact Assessment Management

3 March - Programme in Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment

3 March - Certificate in  Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV and AIDS Programmes

3 March - Multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS Programme for Managers

5 March - Basic Implantology

6 March - Insulin Pump Therapy

8 March - Intervention of Communication Disorders in Preschoolers with Cleft Palate

10 March - Course in Primary Aviation Medicine

10 March - Course in Project Management for the Health Sector

10 March - Short Course in Understanding the Legislation Impact on Healthcare Delivery

19 March - Assessor Training in Health

FOCUS ON SPECIALISED TRAINING FIELDS

A number of partnership programmes have been identified to strengthen South Africa ’s national system of innovation. These projects will focus on institutional skills and capacity development instead of infrastructure investment.

Weaknesses identified in the national system of innovation include:

·         The lack of foresight capabilities

·         The lack of a shared understanding between the system’s stakeholders

·         Insufficiently developed systems of innovation

·         Lack of institutional support structures and

·         A failure to recognise the potential of science and technology to solve problems in poor and rural communities

The main aim is to enhance the national system of innovation, support innovation at provincial level, pilot rural innovation mechanisms and share knowledge and systems of innovation in sub-Sahara Africa . It is a strategic invention to help South Africa make its innovation system work better. It is about transferring best practices and supporting intellectual capabilities in institutions – particularly in science, technology and innovation policy.

Click here to view details on all courses offered on the Community Development and People Intervention portfolio. For additional information,  contact CE at UP's Customer Service Centre on 012 420 5015 or visit the Courses section of our website.

Effective, Creative and Parallel Thinking

• Innovative Thinking and Solution Finding; This course demonstrates how delegates can apply problem solving techniques to increase innovation and how new thinking paradigms are developed to overcome obstacles facing small businesses. Since problems are fundamental to any venture, entrepreneurial and creative thinking are valuable tools to owners and managers in overcoming globalisation demands. The course is practical and the techniques learnt can be applied immediately.

• Short Course in Creativity, Lateral Thinking and Leadership; Vertical thinking gives us logic.  Lateral thinking gives us creativity.  Whenever one is faced with rapid change, fierce competition, or the need to produce miracles against all odds, lateral thinking will enhance performance. Developing breakthrough ideas does not have to be the result of exhausting brainstorming sessions. There is a proven deliberate and systematic approach to creativity that will result in innovative ideas and solutions. While the commonly used term, lateral thinking, is often ill-defined and miss-used it is in fact a creative process that empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities, a process that improves creativity, and innovation and one that leads to increased productivity and profitability.

Communication Skills

• Report Writing for Results; This two-day workshop is aimed at people who were trained to do "real" work, but who have ended up writing reports. After completion of this course delegates will be better able to determine the purpose of a report, accurately gather data as well as structure their thinking through an appropriate executive summary.

Technology Management

• Short Course on Technology Management; This course enables managers and technology practitioners to understand and manage technology in the business environment. The course focuses on the identification of the technological needs of the organisation, the acquisition of competitive technologies and the utilisation of technology in order to optimise technology investment.

• Basic Concepts in Science and Technology Management;  The overall objective with this course is to provide delegates with sufficient knowledge and skills to engage with Science and Technology (S&T) related legislation and role-players and the oversight of S&T institutions and programs. The course will provide delegates with conceptual models and sufficient broad national context of the S&T system and processes. The course is designed for members of the Portfolio Committee for Science and Technology.

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