CPUT’s best practices and longstanding contribution to the wholesale and retail sector has been recognised by the Wholesale and Retail Sectoral Education and Training Authourity (W&R SETA) with a Good Practice Award.

CPUT walked away with R100 000 for winning the Training Providers: Universities category at the 2016 Good Practice Awards hosted by the W&R SETA at the Sandton Convention Centre recently.

The purpose of the awards are to recognise remarkable contributions to skills development in the Wholesale and Retail Sector by the stakeholders of the W&RSETA.

CPUT has the largest Retail Department of all universities in Africa with more than 800 students studying different retail programmes and was one of the first institutions in South Africa to offer qualifications in Retail Business Management

CPUT was the first university to establish a Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair funded by the W&RSETA through a national open bid process and has since started a Retail Academy to offer the Retail Quality Council for Trades and Occupations programmes as well as credit bearing short courses.

“We are proud to be the first university to win the WRSETA Good Practice Award in the Category for South African universities,” says Petrus Venter, HOD: Retail Business Management Department.

“We are grateful for the contributions and teamwork of every member in the Retail Department, Retail Chair and Retail Academy, the management and support staff of CPUT, the retail industry, other universities and the WRSETA that have made this achievement possible.”

Venter added that the department is heading towards exciting times as it will implement the new HEQSF-qualifications including the development and registration of a D Com degree in Retail Business Management as well as securing a sustainable Retail Research Chair and Retail Academy.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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The Wholesale & Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&R SETA) has this year awarded bursaries to 316 CPUT students to the value of approximately R30 million.

  The students in the Retail Business Management Department applied for the bursaries after the SETA invited applicants in an advertisement published in national media.

“SETA adjudicates the applications and award based on merit,” says Advancement Director Calvin Maseko.

“The SETA then sends a list of the approved students to CPUT before coming to us for verifications.”

The SETA’s bursaries were awarded to CPUT students as follows:

303 undergraduate students got a maximum of R71 000 each;

Seven continuing students got a maximum of R71 000 each. Previously the SETA funded 96 students and out of the 96 the seven are still continuing with their qualifications;

Four PhD students, got a maximum of R250 000 each and;

12 Masters students got a maximum of R150 000 each.

“The PhD students are CPUT lecturers and this is highly appreciated because it motivates staff members to get higher qualifications,” says Maseko.

The initiative contributes to the university’s targets for the New Generation of Academics Programme.

CPUT has already made books and meals allocation to the students and the invoices were sent to the SETA.

“CPUT highly appreciates this partnership,” he says gratefully.   

Written by Kwanele Butana
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