Staff reporter
14/09/2015
The Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Mduduzi Manana, said students should “Remember, September is the month that most higher education institutions target for accepting enrolment forms for the following academic year of study, the window is closing – if you have not applied, please apply now.”
Deputy Minister Manana, encouraging learners to apply on time for admission to post-school institutions and thus avert possible stampedes and long queues that take place at the beginning of each academic year. The Career Guidance component of the campaign seeks to inform learners about career choices available within the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector.
The campaign was initiated by the Department of Higher Education and Training following the unfortunate incident that happened at the University of Johannesburg in 2012 where a mother died in a stampede whilst accompanying her child to submit a late application.
The Apply Now Campaign runs from March to September, across the country aims to assist learners to make informed choices when applying to institutions of higher learning. It also seeks to inform learners about things to look out for when choosing their institutions of higher learning to avert being conned by unregistered and bogus colleges who offer them unaccredited qualifications.
The Deputy Minister encouraged learners to consider Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges as an alternative to university education because the skills needs of the country necessitate massive production of artisans from TVET colleges.
The Deputy Minister promoted the list of “100 Occupations in high demand” that was released by the Minister of Higher Education and Training in 2014. This will assist learners to make informed career choices to avoid a situation where they too join a cohort of unemployed and unemployable graduates.
Deputy Minister Manana said the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is aimed at assisting poor and deserving students to further their studies within the post-school sector. NSFAS has to date assisted more than 1.5 million beneficiaries who have since joined the ranks of the black middle class.
The Deputy Minister said there are currently 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) which are responsible for learnerships and other training opportunities for learners who cannot pursue further education and training.
The Department of Higher Education and Training currently runs a Career Development Services Centre to assist learners with career advice. The Deputy Minister encouraged learners to use their cell phones to reach the Centre as follows:
SMS or “Please Call Me”: 072 204 5056
Telephone: 086 999 0123
E-Mail: careerhelp@dhet.gov.za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/careerhelp
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rsacareerhelp
Website: www.careerhelp.org.za
National Career Advice Portal:http://ncap.careerhelp.org.za
Walk-in Center: 123 Francis Baard Street, Pretoria
