Antidote for Skills Shortages Bite

In an article published in the Sunday Times, Business Times on 11 March 2007 the serious skills crisis currently being experienced by South African companies was highlighted. According to the Barloworld Logistics supplychainforesight report, critical skills crisis is compromising competitiveness and spurring poorer service, inhibiting South Africa to respond positively to changing market conditions both locally and abroad.    

The report is based on responses of 250 CEO's, general managers, logistics directors and managers in companies with over R1-billion in turnover. Skills shortages identified, include: 

• Industrial Engineering

• Supply Chain Management

• Expertise in Warehousing and Distribution

• Network Analytical Skills 

"An effective and viable solution for South Africa's skills crisis is quality career-focused short courses and training programmes, states Deon Herbst, Managing Director for CE at UP. "Our focus is on the alleviation of skills shortages and the enhancement of sustainable economic growth."  

Mr Deon Herbst, Managing Director of CE at UP.

In the past year CE at UP has managed to alleviate some of the skills shortages as identified above. According to statistics, the company has trained 1640 delegates in the engineering field, skilled close to 2000 project managers and educated 268 delegates in supply chain and logistics in 2006 alone.

"CE at UP has managed to establish itself as the leading university-based, continuing education entity in the country", continues Herbst. "Our offering of more than 360 certificate courses in various training fields, a dedication towards quality assurance and our affiliation with the University of Pretoria, truly sets us apart from other service providers within the industry."

Graduate School of Technology Management Launched  

The University's Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) was officially launched on 17 April 2007 as a fourth school in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology. Amongst other formal programmes, it will offer the Master's in Engineering Management (MEM) and Master's in Project Management (MPM) programmes, previously offered through the Graduate School of Management (GSM).  

From the left: Prof Roelf Sandenbergh, Dean: Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology; Prof Tinus Pretorius, Chairperson: Graduate School of Technology Management; guest speaker Dr Rob Adams, CEO: NECSA, and Prof Calie Pistorius, Vice-chancellor and Principal. 

The GSTM has developed out of the Department of Engineering and Technology Management and will continue to position engineering and technology management as a discipline in South Africa. In addition to its internationally recognised management development programmes, it also offers one-year certificate programmes and short courses in collaboration with CE at UP. These programmes and courses are aimed at developing individual and organisational skills, gained from research-based knowledge and offered by experienced lecturers who are leaders in industry.  

The GSTM is registered with the Project Management Institute in the USA as a global education provider. It has international links and collaboration agreements in place with universities in the USA, Europe and Asia. 

June 2007

04 June - Object Oriented System Analysis and Design
                using UML
04 June - Seminar on Sexuality
04 June - Logistics for Non-logisticians
04 June - Economic Indicators: Monitoring the South
                African  Economy
04 June - Senior Management Programme
04 June - Panel Data Econometrics for the Practitioner
04 June - Basic Hydrometallurgy
04 June - CA2 Modelling Course
04 June - E-Commerce Certificate
04 June - Spanish Refresher Course
04 June - Financial Management
05 June - Spanish for Beginners
05 June - CA2 Modelling Course
06 June - Pharmacoeconomics 
08 June - Physical Metallurgy: Phase Transformations
                in Metals and Alloys
11 June - Econometrics in Depth - Using Cointegration

July 2007

02 July - Employee Health Benefits Course
02 July - Bushveld Geology
02 July - Seed Science 
02 July - Winter School: Unit for Creative Writing
16 July - A Practical Update for the Companion
               Animal General Practitioner 
16 July - Business and Systems Analysis
16 July - Object Oriented System Analysis and Design
               using UML
16 July - Advanced Course in Business Analysis
16 July - Contract Management

In-house training 

Training programmes can also be presented on an in-house basis where the course content is customised to meet the unique needs of each particular client.

    Complete a Certificate Course 

Contact us on (012) 420 5015 or data.ce@up.ac.za for further information.  For online enrolments visit www.ceatup.com

The University of Pretoria signed an agreement with the Medi-Clinic Hospital Group on 19 April 2007 to present short courses in Clinical Nursing Science to its professional nurses in order to improve the quality of nursing care.

The courses, which will be presented by the Department of Nursing Science, University of Pretoria in cooperation with CE at UP, will focus on the areas that are most affected by the shortage of skilled nurses. These areas include Operating Theatre Nursing, Critical Care and Emergency Nursing, Neonatal Nursing and Pediatric Nursing. The emphasis will be on integrating theory and practice to ensure that the nurses acquire advanced knowledge and develop practical skills.  

Prof Neltjie van Wyk, Head of the Department 
of Nursing Science, University of Pretoria.

"We view this as an opportunity to participate in relieving the skills shortage by enhancing the clinical skills of nurses and by contributing to quality nursing care," comments Prof Neltjie van Wyk, Head of the Department of Nursing Science, University of Pretoria. "The courses will be presented in a decentralised manner and will be available to all professional / registered nurses of the Medi-Clinic staff establishment. 
 
For additional information on the these courses, contact CE at UP's Customer Service Centre on 012 420 5015 or visit the Courses section at www.ceatup.com.

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) in Netherland, has made 20 scholarships available for two of the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases (DVTD), University of Pretoria's web-based, tropical animal health courses. 

The scholarships have been earmarked for the Community-based Animal Health: Veterinary Communication and Extension, and Research Methodology courses. The scholarships are available to candidates from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and other African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, who meet the requirements of the CTA. 

CTA is an ACP-EU institution and is focused on "information for development". The institute is tasked with improving the flow of information among stakeholders in agriculture and rural development in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. 

The DVTD in co-operation with CE at UP has developed a range of web-based, tropical animal health courses, providing learners with the opportunity to enrol for courses that are computer-delivered and accessible via the Internet and e-mail links.

For additional information on the these and other web-based courses, contact CE at UP's Customer Service Centre on 012 420 5015 or visit the Courses section at www.ceatup.com.

Focus on Community Development and People Intervention

Community Development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities. Community Development seeks to empower individuals and groups of people with the skills they need to effect change in their own communities. An intervention is an orchestrated attempt to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic event or crisis. Interventions are either direct or indirect. 

Adult Basic Education and Training 

• Seminar on Eating Disorders; deals with the unresolved trauma and pain that often play a part in eating disorders. It teaches delegate to manage the repressed emotions and needs that have never been addressed.

Computer and Information Literacy  

• Computer Literacy; targets the Mamelodi community with the objective of introducing participants to the basics of the computer using the most recent and popular Microsoft Office Automation tools.

• Advanced Course on Computer Training; targets the Mamelodi community with the objective of improving their knowledge and skills of computer hardware and software.

Counselling and Therapeutic Intervention 

• Trauma Counselling; equips pastors and counsellors to guide people towards emotional and spiritual healing after a traumatic experience.

• Counselling Addicted Persons and their Friends and Family; aims to help dedicated people to increase their knowledge of the topic. The course will enable delegates to function more effectively when dealing with children and adolescents with addiction and related problems.

• Play Therapy with the Traumatised Child; equips the professional to better understand and communicate with a child on the child's own development level during intervention. Play techniques are introduced as a means of improved assessment and treatment of the traumatised child. 

Gender Studies  

• Sexuality and Gender; aims to enhance gender sensitivity; explore issues of gender and sexuality; explore how gender affects sexuality; develop skills in terms of gender and sexuality; bring about a common understanding about changing social norms; research the impact of gender-based violence and teach skills related to gender and sexuality. 

Pastoral Care 

• Pastoral Care; trains and motivates pastors and key leaders to provide more effective pastoral care in the South African context.

• Burnout in the Ministry; addresses the issue of emotional overload within the ministry and why pastors are particularly prone to burnout.

Therapeutic Intervention and Counselling 

• Advanced Course in Play Therapy; equips the professional to understand and practically integrate play therapy knowledge and techniques from the Gestalt approach for application with the traumatised child. 

For additional information on our Community Development and People Intervention portfolio contact CE at UP's Customer Service Centre on 012 420 5015 or visit the Courses section of our website.