Plenty of Plan B tertiary options in Cape CBD

Cape Town-140217-Reporter, Chelsea Geach spoke with students and various role players at UCT regarding the cost of purchasing text books-Photographer-Tracey Adams

Cape Town-140217-Reporter, Chelsea Geach spoke with students and various role players at UCT regarding the cost of purchasing text books-Photographer-Tracey Adams

Published Aug 8, 2014

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Cape Town - As matrics prepare for their final exams later this year, many have already pinned their hopes on getting into Stellenbosch University, UCT or UWC.

But spots are heavily contested and as a rule most applicants don’t get in.

But this is not the end of the road and a “Plan B” can easily be found in the “downtown” of Cape Town’s CBD.

Tasso Evangelinos, chief operating officer of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District, said there were 46 educational institutions in the CBD – many being tertiary options.

“A 47th is about to open on the CCID boundary,” he added.

There are 15 176 students spread across these facilities, from the Damelin Correspondence College to the AAA School of Advertising.

These two, among the myriad of others, targets diplomas in further education and training.

“There are specialty schools for those looking specifically to get into business administration and management, beauty therapy, computer training, learn or teach a language, the hospitality industry, and even music,” said Evangelinos.

It’s these possibilities that life coach and professional speaker Godfrey Madanhire was talking about when he told the Cape Argus that “it’s important that people change the way they think about being accepted to university”.

“There is a huge demand for places, so if you don’t get in it doesn’t mean you have failed or are not good academically. You’re too young to have failed – this is where your journey begins.”

Madanhire has worked with tertiary institutions across the country. He lauded specialised places such as the Vega School of Brand Leadership which offers degrees in graphic design and advertising.

“University is not just somewhere to go so that you can gain knowledge in order to pass an exam. It can help you to look at things differently, and that’s what makes a university education so special.

“However, it is possible to get similar experiences without going to university,” concluded Madanhire.

Evangelinos said the CBD, which is connected through a grid of trains, buses and taxis was an ideal place to study.

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