Johannesburg - “Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing rapid growth with the demand for education outstripping supply.” This is according to Angela Bruwer, Executive Academic Head at the IMM Graduate School.
Bruwer says that public universities are no longer able to cope with the growing number of applicants each year. This has created a space for private providers to present relevant study programmes to prospective students.
“Private education institutions provide access to those students who qualify, but are not admitted to the public universities that are constrained by space.”
In addition, university degrees “won’t guarantee anything”. The illusion that a university qualification will automatically lead to employment is fading fast as reports of unemployed graduates continue to surface.
She attributes this trend to university qualifications that are “rooted in theoretical knowledge, removed from industry and pragmatism".
Instead Bruwer urges students to pursue their education through a private provider that offers relevant, work-ready, competency-based programmes in order to obtain employment.
“Smaller, private providers are known to be able to respond a lot quicker to the demands of business and society due to the lack of bureaucracy which hampers public institutions.
“Technology, and the trend towards online courses have also highlighted the inadequacy of universities to keep up with the evolution of education and the workplace.
“The burgeoning developments in the information technology sector have caused many to predict that the traditional university may soon be rendered obsolete.”
In South Africa, we have seen the increased competition in the Higher Education sector as traditional face-to-face institutions enter the distance/online education space.”
There is also a growing demand for online and distance learning programmes due to work obligations and travel limitations.
“The distance learning delivery method is addressing the lack of access to residential universities and institutions, faced by many southern African students. The inherently quicker responsiveness cycles of distance learning private institutions facilitate the Africanisation imperative.”
According to Bruwer, students want a “world class education and qualification” that exposes them to "bigger picture thinking". And they want the flexibility to pursue their education in their own time and at their own pace.
For this reason, alternative learning programmes are a necessity in South Africa and IMM Graduate School is one such option for prospective students.
"The qualifications offered by the IMM Graduate School are in line with global trends and present students with support centres that are vibrant with modern day interactions, including video engagements, face-to-face tutorials or smart technology systems," Bruwer says.
"These platforms speak directly to the heart of the youth, budding professionals or those working people who want to upskill their current knowledge through recognised programmes and want to interact and study digitally, as proven by many IMM Graduate School alumni holding prestigious positions in a myriad of global industries."
* IMM Graduate School 2019 registrations close 28 February. To find out more or to apply online, visit www.imm.ac.za, or call us on 0861 466 476 to speak to a consultant.