scholarly journals South African specific complexities in aligning graduate attributes to employability

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-221
Author(s):  
Aradhana Ramnund-Mansingh ◽  
Nikita Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The South ◽  
Clinical Model ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

South African higher education (HE) cannot be compared to any other country’s HE systems due to the unique political landscape and structural narrative that it has undergone. Subsequent to the reorganisation of HEIs in 2004, a number of complexities arose. These included accessibility to education across race and the alignment of the South African HEIs to global pedagogic benchmarks. With the changing political landscape, transformations within higher education, socio economic inequities and changes in the workplace, researchers failed to cognize the impact of these factors on graduate employability. Changing graduate attributes to align with a decolonised curriculum and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) workspaces were transiently underway when COVID-19 set a new narrative for the future of employability. This paper seeks to identify the impact of workplace changes and its direct influence on successful graduate employment and integration into the HE curriculum. The work environment has cursorily moved from 4IR to an advanced stage of the 4IR, where there is a full emphasis on digitisation, non-localised workspaces and is an ostensible playground for digital natives (Generation Z). This paper provides a systematic review of literature in the South African HE contexts that pertains to graduate attributes for employability within the workplace.  The adoption of malleable secondary data will allow for an understanding of the relationship between changing workplace environments and expectations from graduates. This correlation is directly linked to graduate attributes which students need to comply with from year one. The paper will provide context to changes which are required for the future success of graduates, and whether graduate attributes are adequate preparation for employability. A clinical model is recommended with an intervention to manage the risk factors of decolonisation of curriculum, the 4IR and multi-generational workplace and responses to COVID-19.

scholarly journals South African universities in a time of increasing disruption

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Coetzee ◽  
Brownhilder Neneh ◽  
Karlien Stemmet ◽  
Jana Lamprecht ◽  
Constance Motsitsi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
African Students ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
The Impact

Background: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have disrupted the higher education environment in unprecedented ways.Aim: This article identifies the impact of increasing disruption driven by the 4IR and COVID-19 on the content and curriculum design of degree programmes in economic and management sciences offered by South African universities.Setting: Six South African and five top-tier US and UK universities.Methods: The study used a non-positivist qualitative research design and specifically the case-study approach. A document analysis of the information in university yearbooks and prospectuses was conducted, using a purposive sampling design.Results: An online presence will become more important due to increased disruption, and will not only ensure an additional revenue stream, but also promote continuity in operations and mitigate threats from competitors. COVID-19 has accelerated the extent of this disruption and expedited the migration to online teaching and learning platforms.Conclusion: Since science, technology, engineering and mathematics are integral to the majority of 4IR-related modules, South African universities must not shy away from degree programmes that ignore inter- and multi-disciplinary curriculum designs. Coupled with the challenges facing the majority of South African students to access electronic devices, data and the internet, COVID-19 has thrust this challenge to the forefront in the South African higher education landscape. By comparing the developments in South African universities with those in trendsetting, top-tier, global universities, management can assess the extent to which they are internationally competitive and adapting to the demands of the 4IR.

scholarly journals The future of the South African retail pharmacy industry in the light of international experience and the changing healthcare market

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 612-626
Author(s):  
Martin Wessels ◽  
John Luiz
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
International Experience ◽  
The South ◽  
Retail Pharmacy ◽  
Healthcare Market ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

The paper evaluates how the changing South African healthcare market is likely to affect the future of retail pharmacy. It examines current developments in retail pharmacy and the impact that these developments will have on the retail pharmacy market. This information is used to create scenarios as to what types of retail pharmacies are likely to thrive in the future.

scholarly journals The influence of Calvinism on the South African Council of Churches

2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
P.G.J. Meiring
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
The South ◽  
South African Council ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Prophetic Witness

The impact of Calvinist theology and of reformed leadership on the South African Council of Churches (SACC) is vast. After a brief history of the SACC, the author notes the contribution that a number of reformed and presbyterian clergy and theologians have made – as presidents, general secretaries or as theo- logians who helped develop the SACC’s message. At least five principles that Calvin held dear, are reflected in the SACC’s agenda during the past decades: the quest for unity, the con- cern for mission, covenanting for justice, providing a prophetic witness in the community, and when the need arose, the willingness to confront the government of the day. The article concludes with a brief look at the future of the SACC and of the continued input that reformed theologians may be able to make.

scholarly journals Labour productivity and employee diversity in the South African workplace

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 451-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardus Van Zyl
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
The South ◽  
Racially Diverse ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this article is to determine the impact that employee diversity attributes have on labour productivity in the South African workplace. Given the perceived general low levels of labour productivity in the South African economy, this particular research aims to serve as a further contribution to our understanding of the labour productivity debate when a broad range of employee attributes at firm and individual levels are considered. A firm-based model is used for the estimation of the link between the employee group demographic characteristics and labour productivity, and an employee remuneration model is used to estimate the link between individual employee diversity demographics and labour productivity. The main conclusions of the estimation results are that a less age-diverse workforce, higher education/training levels, greater levels of gender diversity and a more racially diverse workforce are pre-requisites for higher real remuneration and labour productivity benefits.

scholarly journals HIGHER EDUCATION: SUSTAINING THE FUTURE OF STUDENTS DURING A PANDEMIC

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naziema Jappie ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Disadvantaged Students ◽  
The South ◽  
Digital Platform ◽  
The Future ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 challenge is unprecedented; its scale still is not fully understood. Universities in the South Africa do have plans in place to continue the academic year in 2021 but have no idea to what extent education will resume to normal face to face activity. Although the future is unpredictable, given the uncertainty in the epidemiological and economic outlooks, universities have to ensure quality and sustainability for the medium and long-term implications for teaching, learning, the student experience, infrastructure, operations, and staff. Amongst the range of effects that COVID-19 will have on higher education this year, and possibly into future years, admission arrangements for students is one of the biggest. It is also one of the most difficult to manage because it is inherently cross sector, involving both schools and higher education. There is no template in any country of how to manage education during the pandemic. However, there are major concerns that exist, in particular, regarding the impact on learners from low income and disadvantaged groups. Many are vulnerable and cannot access the digital platform. Post 1994, the South African government placed emphasis on the introduction of policies, resources and mechanisms aimed at redressing the legacy of a racially and ethnically fragmented, unjust, dysfunctional and unequal education system inherited from apartheid. Many gains were made over the past two decades especially, in higher education, two of which were access and funding for the disadvantaged students to attend university. However, the pandemic in 2020 disrupted this plan, causing the very same disadvantaged students to stay at home without proper learning facilities, poor living conditions or no access to devices and data. The paper argues that the tensions and challenges that dominated the Covid-19 digital educational reform have resulted in a significant paradigm shift focused on out of classroom experiences as expressed in the new ways of teaching and learning and possibly leaving certain groups of students behind. Consideration is given to three broad areas within higher education in South Africa. Firstly the current dilemma of teaching and learning, secondly, the access or lack thereof to the digital platform and challenges facing students, and the thirdly, the issue of admission to higher education. All three areas of concern represent the degree to which we face educational disruption during the pandemic.

scholarly journals The emergence of an education policy dispositif in South Africa: An analysis of educational discourses associated with the fourth industrial revolution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aslam Fataar
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Research Association ◽  
The South ◽  
African Education ◽  
Generic Skills ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
South African Education ◽  
The Impact

The notion of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has recently entered the public and policy domain in South Africa. It has rapidly found resonance in policy discourse and the popular media. It has also entered the language of educational policy and institutions. The impact of 4IR on educational thinking and practice has hitherto not featured in academic discussion on education in South Africa except for a keynote plenary session at the annual conference of the South African Education Research Association (SAERA) in Durban (October 2019). The South African Education Deans Forum recently published a call for the submission of chapters for a book on teacher education, 4IR, and decolonisation. In this article, I develop an address that I delivered at the SAERA 2019 conference as part of the plenary panel. The article consists of four sections. The first offers a consideration of the entry of 4IR discourse into the educational imaginary. I suggest in this section that 4IR discourse has installed a socio-technical imaginary in South Africa's unequal educational dispensation. The second section concentrates on the construction of educational governance. Based on research on 4IR-related policy making, I discuss the policy directions taken by the Department of Higher Education and Training and the Department of Basic Education in giving effect to ways of engaging with 4IR in each of their domains. The third section features a discussion of the impact of technological disruption on society, the economy and education. The final section presents a discussion of the emerging educational architectures in the 4IR and a critical consideration of the curriculum and pedagogical dimensions of 4IR, which, I argue, are informed by an orientation that prioritises the acquisition of generic skills. Sidelining knowledge and concepts as central to the structuring of the curriculum, a generic skills approach succumbs to what might be called a knowledge blindness that holds pernicious consequences for epistemic access in South Africa.

Cognitive Skills Development at Higher Educational Level in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

2019 ◽  
pp. 126-157
Author(s):  
Ziska Fields
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Traditional Education ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
The Future ◽  
Fostering Creativity

To compete in the workplace of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, cognitive skills development is critical. The traditional education system is not geared to prepare students for the demands of the future workplace and the disruptions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and beyond. The objective of this chapter is to explore the development of cognitive skills in higher education with a specific focus on creativity. The chapter explains that higher education institutions need to place greater emphasis on developing cognitive skills and different types of intelligences to meet the demands of the future workplace. Fostering creativity is particularly important in this regard. The chapter presents two ways of assessing creativity and three techniques to develop this key skill in students. The author used qualitatively summarized evidence on the topic using informal and subjective methods to collect and interpret studies and secondary data.

scholarly journals The impact of corruption on service delivery: a topical matter in the South African Municipalities

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mabeba SJ ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
South African ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The South ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

One of the topical challenges facing South African municipalities recently is corruption. From time-to-time citizens learn about and witness the corrupt practices of public officials in the Local Government sphere. Arguably, the phenomenon of corruption has both direct and indirect impact on service delivery with specific focus to municipalities. Section 152(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) states that the Local Government sphere has the mandate to ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. Subsequently, some of the communities across the country still wish to have access to basic services namely: water, electricity, community halls and proper tar roads to name a few. As a result, at times it seems impossible for municipalities to smoothly render such services due to corrupt practices emanating in the South African Local Government sphere. This article aimed to explore the impact of corruption on service delivery in the South African municipalities. The article fully relied on secondary data as it collects information from newspapers, books, journal articles, conference proceedings, officials report and academic dissertations. In pursuit of all this, Afrocentricity: a theory of social change has been placed in context with a view that the needs of the society should be placed at the center of the local government sphere. To be specific, these needs are but not limited to water and electricity. Looking at the findings of the study, indeed literature can confirm that corruptions have negative impact on the ability of the municipalities in South Africa to provide basic services. Because the interests of the public are competing with those of the municipal officials. Therefore, at the end of the day service delivery is compromised due unlawful practices.

How Kinesiology Leaders Can Use the Constructs of Adaptive, Complexity, and Transformational Leadership to Anticipate and Prepare for Future Possibilities

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Lara M. Duke ◽  
Jennifer P. Gorman ◽  
Jennifer M. Browne
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Leadership Theories ◽  
Curriculum And Pedagogy ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
The Future ◽  
Adaptive Complexity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Leadership Approaches

In this article, we present a rationale for infusing adaptive, complexity, and transformational leadership theories into the kinesiology leader’s praxis. Understanding and incorporating these theories will prepare kinesiology leaders to respond to the emerging trends influencing the future of higher education and work leading into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Specifically, we discuss the impact of the pandemic, which has transformed the way students and academics approach curriculum and pedagogy. We conclude the article with a discussion of the future of higher education and work and explore ways to cultivate kinesiology leadership approaches for anticipatory thinking and planning to respond to the transformation occurring in our field.

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