Statistically, unemployment among university graduates in South Africa has always been much lower than for non-graduates of similar age. However, given the moribund state of the economy, UWC took the initiative of hosting its first-ever Young Alumni Career Workshop on 24 February 2018.
Organised by the Alumni Relations Office and the Office for Student Development, the event aimed to help graduates with their job search strategies. Participants registered on the career services management platform, UWC Career Xplora, to access resources on the Xplora.
Alumni Relations Manager Samantha Castle says the workshop was a deliberate response to young alumni’s challenges in finding employment, and was a strategic initiative to add value to UWC’s services to graduates. “We are only as good as our graduates so it is important for the brand and reputation of UWC to ensure that we invest in our graduates.”
Winston Middleton, Manager of the Office for Student Development, told the participants, “I don’t know of another university that directly reaches out in this way to its alumni.”
The attending alumni welcomed the initiative. Brendon Williams, who obtained his BAdmin last year, says: “Looking for work and the entire job search process can be very discouraging if you’re having difficulty finding work. So I’m appreciative of the University taking the initiative to assist us.”
Michelle Maziwisa, a 2017 LLD graduate, says, “I worked very hard to obtain my qualifications. It is nice to have a university that gives me the support I need to transition from being a student to being an employee and eventually an employer.”
Organised by the Alumni Relations Office and the Office for Student Development, the event aimed to help graduates with their job search strategies. Participants registered on the career services management platform, UWC Career Xplora, to access resources on the Xplora.
Alumni Relations Manager Samantha Castle says the workshop was a deliberate response to young alumni’s challenges in finding employment, and was a strategic initiative to add value to UWC’s services to graduates. “We are only as good as our graduates so it is important for the brand and reputation of UWC to ensure that we invest in our graduates.”
Winston Middleton, Manager of the Office for Student Development, told the participants, “I don’t know of another university that directly reaches out in this way to its alumni.”
The attending alumni welcomed the initiative. Brendon Williams, who obtained his BAdmin last year, says: “Looking for work and the entire job search process can be very discouraging if you’re having difficulty finding work. So I’m appreciative of the University taking the initiative to assist us.”
Michelle Maziwisa, a 2017 LLD graduate, says, “I worked very hard to obtain my qualifications. It is nice to have a university that gives me the support I need to transition from being a student to being an employee and eventually an employer.”
