South Africa: Bursaries to boost leadership and management skills in Services Sector
Services SETA has teamed up with the UCT Graduate School of Business to enrol junior and middle managers working in the sector in key management development programmes at the school.
Applicants are invited to apply for either the Associate in Management (AIM) or Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Management Practice run by the Executive Education unit at the GSB.
The programmes are accredited by South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) at National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 5 and NQF Level 8 respectively (120 credits each) and will provide the most relevant and practical knowledge to the learners.
Kumeshnee West, Senior Manager in Executive Education at the GSB, says that the programmes are well placed to upskill people, especially those who aspire to leadership positions within the sector. “Previous delegates on the programmes have also found that the content of the programme has significantly boosted their business know-how and helped improve the profitability of their organisations,” she commented.
This was certainly the case for Lanice Steward, Co-owner and Managing Director of top real estate agency Knight Frank and a graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma (Programme for Business Improvement). She has said that implementing strategies learned on the programme helped to streamline the agency and helped it survive and thrive during the housing downturn.
“The skills you learn in each module, you put into place in your own business as you learn them,” said Steward. “In the profitability module for instance, I was able to deconstruct our processes. There are very few ways you can make a real estate company more profitable, if you are already running it mean and lean, but the programme forced me to really analyse every segment of our business. As a result I was able to devise and implement a whole new commission policy, which has resulted in significant value add for the company,” she said.
Steward said that this may be the best thing about the programme, the way it forces one to look at an organisation inside and out to develop new strategies for growth. And because it is modular, there are plenty of opportunities to apply what you are learning.
Bursaries are available for levy-paying members. To apply please contact for AIM: shireen.brown@gsb.uct.ac.za or Tel: +27 (0)21 406 1370; For PGDip: tracy.kimberley@gsb.uct.ac.za , +27 (0)21 406 1346.
