In the South African tertiary education landscape, Higher Certificate training plays an important role in providing bridging courses for school-leavers who are not yet ready for longer term studies, as well as stepping stones into entry-level positions for young job seekers. SACAP (The South African College of Applied Psychology) has announced a new direction for its Higher Certificate in Business Management and Higher Certificate in Human Resources Management programs to make these one-year training courses more accessible.
Lee-Ann Drummond, Head of SACAP’s Management & Leadership faculty says, “SACAP is committed to finding innovative ways to ensure that our high-quality education is within the reach of the many young people who are thirsty for knowledge, skills, and work opportunities in the business field. These two redesigned SACAP Higher Certificate programmes give students meaningful insights into the Business Management and Human Resource Managements fields. They are vocational qualifications that focus on the practical skills and theoretical knowledge required for taking up entry-level positions in different industries. Students have opportunities to develop essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and communications.”
Higher Certificate qualifications can serve as a bridge to a bachelor’s degree studies for students who did not pass Matric with a university exemption or for those who need to gain a better understanding of the world of work before they feel ready to choose a degree study path.
Students enrolled in SACAP’s Higher Certificates in Business Management and Human Resource Management can expect high levels of academic excellence and opportunities to develop applied skills, while being surrounded by community. Drummond says, “We’ve streamlined course costs by redesigning our delivery model to focus on providing a facilitator-led, structured learning path that is more self-directed. These smart adaptions to our business-focused Higher Certificate courses have meant that we can make them more accessible by offering them at a significantly lower cost.”
Every week a facilitator will guide students through the targets and requirements. There will be facilitated learning activities such as a forum discussion or a live presentation with a Q&A session. Students will engage with video and multi-media content as well as academic readings at their own direction, in their own time. Assessments such as quizzes are embedded in the learning process so that students get feedback and can gauge their mastery of a topic in real-time. Technology within the course structure includes built-in automatic triggers to activate personalized support from SACAP facilitators.
SACAP has also introduced several new subjects in the education programs. The Higher Certificate in Business Management now includes coursework on Professional Communication and the Digital Landscape, Principles of Economics, Marketing Management, Supply Chain Management and Project Management. New subjects in the Higher Certificate in Human Resource Management program are Occupational Health and Safety Management, Professional Communication and the Digital Landscape and Project Management.
Drummond concludes, “There’s facilitation, feedback and support, however, as with all online learning, these are courses that require students to be self-directed, self-motivated and able to engage independently with a variety of information sources and formats. SACAP Higher Certificate programs offer adaptive learning pathways that empower young people to develop their capacities for self-management and self-mastery. These are abilities that are highly valued in the modern world of work and so through studying, they have opportunities to hone the 21st century skills that employers are seeking.”
Applications for SACAP’s Higher Certificate programs are now open. Please visit sacap.edu.za to register.
