Faculty of Applied Sciences students who are participating in a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programme were urged to be hands-on during their industry training.

The faculty hosted an industry breakfast for second-year students and industry partners. Among the attendees were former WIL students who were top achievers in their respective programmes during the 2018 academic year. WIL coordinators awarded top achievers with certificates and a plaque. Faculty of Applied Sciences lecturer and WIL coordinator, Prof Lalini Reddy, highlighted the importance of working closely with the industry to prepare the students for work.

“Industry is invited to continue to engage with the institution to ensure students are provided with adequate learning in the workplace,” she added.  Guest speaker, Lorna Odendaal from Kutsha Agriculture, said internships benefit industry as well as students, but that expectations can be different from both parties.

She said students need to adopt a pro-active attitude.

“Be hands-on, do whatever needs to be done, learn as much as you can from everybody, taking part, experiencing as much as you can, ask lots of questions,” she said.

She then urged industry partners to make the internship placements meaningful.

In concluding her address, Odendaal told students to remain humble and in the service of others.

“To have a diploma or any tertiary qualification is a noble thing, but wear your nobility in your heart rather than your head,” she said.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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A number of businesses were recognized at the workplace learning employer’s breakfast for their pivotal role in providing students with work-integrated learning opportunities.

Hosted by the Faculty of Business at Kelvin Grove in Newlands, the event was attended by various companies that contributed greatly to the triumph of the university’s Work Integrated Learning programme.

Various speakers at the event highlighted the value and impact the programme has on its various role-players.

Dean of the Faculty of Business, Prof Mzikayise Binza thanked the businesses for their constant support to CPUT, its students and their families, especially under today’s current economic climate.

He says the businesses are key stakeholders in the development of CPUT students.

“Without companies like yours the programme would not be a success,” says Prof Binza.

The morning’s events included a certificate ceremony to note the role that various companies played in the department’s Work Integrated Learning programmes. Special awards were given to companies that have had ten or more years involvement in the programmes.

By Nurahn Ryklief

Written by CPUT News
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The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences is celebrating the success of three doctoral graduates this week.

Among them are two academics from the Faculty, Lizel Hudson and Merlisa Kemp who will both be awarded the degree: Doctor of Radiography during tomorrow’s digital graduation.

Hudson, is the Work-Integrated Learning and Language Coordinator in the faculty and her thesis is titled: Teaching and learning threshold concepts in radiation physics for professional practice.

“The research aim was to contribute to an understanding of threshold concepts in the first-year radiation physics curriculum and pedagogical approaches used for the purpose of preparation towards competent and safe clinical practice,” she said.

Kemp is a lecturer and the BSc Diagnostic Ultrasound Programme Co-ordinator in the Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences. Her study is titled: Ultrasound investigation of risk factors for extracranial vascular pathology in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

“The most significant finding which indicates the positive correlation between vascular health of the major neck arteries and MS disability, means that MS persons with greater disability are not only at risk of developing carotid atherosclerosis, but are also at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, early therapeutic interventional measures should be implemented to reduce extracranial atherosclerosis which will slow down progression of MS disability and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Ultimately, the quality of life and life expectancy of MS persons will be improved,” said Kemp.

The third graduate, Toyin Alabi, will be awarded the degree: Doctor of Philosophy: Biomedical Sciences. Her thesis is titled: Effect of Anchomanes difformis extract on biochemical and histological parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetes and diabetic complications.

“This study was able to establish the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic potentials of Anchomanes difformis. Furthermore, this study was able to demonstrate the ability of Anchomanes difformis to ameliorate and delay the progression of diabetic complications in the heart, kidney, liver, testes and epididymis,” she said

Alabi, an academic tutor, had to overcome several hurdles on her way to achieving her degree. “My doctorate degree is a dream fulfilled, however not without hurdles, but the most important and rewarding thing I learnt is to keep going, keep working and keep harnessing all the resources provided and available till you get to the finishing line. Despite the personal challenges I had such as a broken ankle in 2018 which kept me off my work for two months, and a dislocated elbow in 2019, I kept pushing and wasn't going to give in, this has brought to me my dream of 15 years: a PhD graduate.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Two Medical Laboratory Sciences students are looking forward to broadening their horizons and gaining valuable practical skills during a work-integrated learning stint in Norway.
Bright sparks Heibrecht Fielies and Thobekile Leyane, who have never travelled outside South Africa, will be jetting off to Bergen, Norway in August as part of the UTFORSK Partnership Programme. 

The programme supports project cooperation between higher education institutions in Norway and higher education institutions in Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia and South Africa.
Fielies and Leyane, who are both in their third year, were selected based on their academic record and a motivation that they wrote.

“I look forward to everything Norway has to offer from the work experience to going hiking,” said Fielies.

While Fielies and Leyane are planning their trip six students from the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences have just completed their stay at the Department of Biomedical Sciences.

While at CPUT the Norwegian students were divided into two groups and participated in two pilot studies into certain aspects of diabetes, which forms part of a larger study spearheaded by Prof Tandi Matsha, founder and lead researcher of CPUT’s Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit.

“The first’s group’s focus was on looking for different gene variants that causes diabetes in young people,” said co-supervisor Dr Stanton Hector.

“We also recently bought a new genetic analysis machine that tests for imprints on DNA that influence gene expression. The second group did a pilot study to troubleshoot and optimise the machine.”

Matsha said the CPUT students were the second cohort to participate in the programme, which also includes staff exchanges.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT students continue to benefit from the provincial government’s Masakh’iSizwe Bursary Programme which aims to address the skills shortage in the fields of transport, engineering and the built environment. 

Last year the programme paid for tuition fees and accommodation expenses as well as meals, travelling costs, books and stationery allowances on behalf of 101 CPUT students. This year 21 new bursaries have been added to the programme.

The bursary recipients also get an opportunity to work for the Department of Transport and Public Works or its collaborative partners in industry as part of their Work-Integrated Learning placements.

The bursaries are offered on a work-back basis meaning the beneficiaries will have to work for the public service for every year they received the bursary.

Western Cape Minister of Transport and Public Works, Donald Grant, told the audience during the recent bursary award ceremony that the flagship programme focuses on facilitating the development and availability of skills identified nationally as scarce and critical, in order to meet the operational needs of his department and the country.

“The underpinning concept of the bursary programme is to empower financially disadvantaged youth through access to tertiary education. The programme also boasts support services, tutoring, employment placement and partnerships with the private sector. These features serve to distinguish the programme from many other similar programmes and opportunities for young people.”

Financial Aid Office’s Curtis Pietersen said CPUT is grateful for the financial allocations made by the department since the programme started in 2006: “We are thankful to the Department of Public Works Western Cape for this support and we look forward to our continued partnership well into the future.”

Only South African students who are enrolled or would be studying at Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town and CPUT in the fields of transport, engineering and the built environment are eligible to apply.

For more information regarding which diplomas and degrees are funded by the programme contact Lee Maggott on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 021 483 9545.

 The closing date for 2019 applications is 30 September 2018 and forms can be downloaded at https://www.westerncape.gov.za

Written by Kwanele Butana
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CPUT offers a wide range of opportunities for students to ready themselves for the world of work as well as contribute towards uplifting communities.

Service-Learning

Service-Learning (SL) is a course-based, credit-bearing experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and furthers their understanding of the course content.

•          CPUT’s SL Unit coordinates SL projects and assist academics to integrate community service into mainstream academic programmes and research.
•          The unit develops s and nurtures mutually beneficial partnerships between communities, higher education institutions and the service sector.
•          SL has a triad partnership model that consists of staff and students, community partners and service providers (government departments and agencies) and the projects aim to benefit all the affected parties.

Work Integrated Learning  

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) presents students with the opportunity to integrate their academic theoretical knowledge with real-life work situations. WIL entails the following:

•          Students are placed in a workplace as interns for up to 12 months, depending on the requirements of the discipline.
•         During the WIL period interns are required to record their progress in logbooks that are signed by their supervisors or mentors, as well as submit regular assignments and projects to the co-operative educators.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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One of the university's core aims is to enhance the employability and soft skills of our students before entering the workplace.

The Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning at CPUT strives to strengthen partnerships with industry, private organisations and the community in order to create an environment for the application of knowledge and production of well- grounded and socially responsive graduates.

Community engagement entails activities and programs offered by the university which involve collaborative interaction with individuals, groups, and organizations external to CPUT at the local, regional, national and international levels to achieve economic and social objectives using engaged teaching and learning initiatives, volunteerism, research and various forms of work-integrated learning, such as service learning and cooperative education.

In an attempt to implement the above definition, the centre integrates the following three units:

• Co-operative Education, which is responsible for nurturing industry partnerships that result in student workplace learning;
• Service Learning, that drives the integration of community engagement with teaching, learning and research and;
• Civic Engagement, that coordinates volunteer and outreach programs.

The centre seeks to establish an empowering environment that supports the development of socially responsive and accomplished students through work-integrated learning (WIL) based on mutually beneficial partnerships with industry and the community. WIL gives students an opportunity to apply in the workplace the knowledge they gained in the classroom while earning a stipend for the six or 12 months spent at the company.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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The Cooperative Education Unit, Centre for Community Engagement recently hosted a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Indaba at the Cape Town Hotel School.

Prof Lalini Reddy, Director for Community Engagement and WIL, welcomed the CPUT industry partners and articulated the urgency for continued partnership in relation to work-integrated learning. Reddy re-iterated the impact of work-integrated learning and the benefits thereof for students and their development.

The target audience for this event were industry partners who play an integral role in hosting the students for their WIL component requirement. The partners who attended this event are well represented across all six faculties. David Haarhoff, project lead, indicated that: “Initiatives of this nature are imperative for connectiveness between organisations and our University. Organisations invest a substantial amount of money and time in the development of our students and that is commendable.” The attendees showed tremendous interest and were very engaging.

The purpose of the engagement was to embark on meaningful engagement in terms of challenges, highlights and how to strengthen partnerships between key stakeholders for the greater good of work-integrated learning.

Haarhoff said the industry partners expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to engage in such a manner, saying everything was well organised. He added that the meeting with different industry partners and WIL Coordinators worked well for this event.

“The Centre envisages to embark on many more such initiatives for the greater good of students.”

Written by CPUT News
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A medical student who was displaced from her home country of Sudan was recently welcomed to CPUT, ahead of the Ubuntu 2024 Conference.

Sara Idrees, a fourth-year student at the University of Gezira, was on a two-week Student Network Organisation exchange and was hosted by the four local universities, CPUT, the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town.

The four institutions co-hosted the Ubuntu 2024 conference with the Western Cape Department of Health, Rural WONCA and The Network: Towards Unity for Health.

This year’s conference was hosted at UWC from 10 to 13 September and the theme was People, Place and Policy for Community Wellness.

During her stay at CPUT, Sara was hosted by the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences.

She said that after the conflict in Sudan she and her family were displaced and now live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“We are displaced in Riyadh for about seven months now. The first few months was a bit difficult and everything was new.”

Her university opened an external branch in Riyadh and other cities to facilitate the education process for students.

Sara said visiting CPUT “was a beautiful experience” in terms of education and culture.

Dr Lizel Hudson, Work-Integrated Learning and Language Coordinator in the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, who hosted Sara, said they went to the small towns of Gouda, Saron and Porterville in the Boland, and the trip included visits to centres in Saron. They also went to the West Coast towns of Vredenburg, Saldanha Bay and Langebaan. Hudson said it was a “rich personal and professional experience, setting the scene for the conference with a very apt theme of People, Place, Policy and Community”.

Hudson said Sara was selected to spend time learning about rural and community health in South African communities, cultural norms and traditions, in addition to their local health systems, beliefs and habits.

She met with community members and patients from three organisations: Community home-based care and a soup kitchen facilitated by the non-profit organisation NorSA and a visit to the elderly at the Badisa, Percy Bilton Centre.

“The West Coast leg of the visit was to Siyabonga Care Village – an emotional trip where tears rolled freely from our eyes. Under the guidance and leadership of Ms Chrisna Du Plessis, this facility gives a whole new meaning to care.

“Documenting these activities in a linear manner seams easy and straightforward, yet the observations and emotions were difficult, uneasy and shook me to the core personally. The people we met, having to operate and deliver services in mostly difficult situations ‘underscored’ by often difficult to understand policies, are true angels!”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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The Co-operative Education Unit of the Centre for Community Engagement and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) hosted a successful Student Work Preparedness Workshop focussing on resilience, one of CPUT’s Graduate Attributes.

The Centre promotes effective WIL and community engagement activities to set graduates apart regarding their employability. The series of workshops embarked on this year focused on industry essential skills students drawn from the 21st century skills set required. The Centre Director, Prof Lalini Reddy, stresses the importance of highly interactive workshops for students which promote 4IR technologies together with critical thinking, unity in diversity, cultural tolerance and human values, all essential for preparing students for the future world of work.

David Haarhoff, Project Lead said projects of this nature are imperative for enhancing essential skills once our students are released into the world of work. “As a Centre and Institution, we want our students to be well prepared for their work-integrated learning and employment purposes,” Haarhoff stated. He said the dedication and commitment of students who attended the workshop were commendable, demonstrating their commitment to do better and set themselves apart in the industry.

In this workshop, the Centre collaborated with the Student Counselling, and it was facilitated by Head of Department: Student Counselling, Leanie Brits and Phorogohlo Phala, a psychologist. The joyous and pleasant atmosphere among students is worth mentioning. Students engaged and participated in many activities aligned to the theme of resilience (stress tolerance, creativity, problem-solving) within the workplace and personal leadership development.

The outcomes of the workshop included students' understanding of the concept of resilience, emotional intelligence, managing stress, exploration of the left and right brain and understanding of the brain profile, further to this, Haarhoff stated the emphasis was also placed on self-awareness as a tool to manage stress, personal resilience and identification and applying resilience strategies.

“The voice of students is critical in respect of feedback for workshops like this and it is for this reason that the Centre constantly strives to improve on service offering. The methodology utilised for such feedback is a student post-event survey where students have an opportunity to provide honest feedback, he said.

Haarhoff said the impact is important when embarking on projects and events, “I often ask myself whether projects or events align with our graduate attributes of the institution. Most importantly we have to question whether students will benefit from initiatives of this nature. I undoubtedly can say from the feedback received that our impact is worth noting.”

Certificates of attendance were handed out and students could use this to enhance their CVs when applying for job opportunities.

Written by CPUT News

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