TETA EmpowaYouth Week took place at Orange Farm last week and featured a panel discussion on the skills and opportunities young South Africans need to enter the finance and banking industries.
The panel included Thomas Chimutunga – Head of the Business and Project Management Programme at CTU – who discussed how the job market in the financial sector is evolving.
Chimutunga said he is concerned that many young South Africans are not being equipped with the cutting-edge skills necessary to thrive in the workplace.
“One of the reasons we have unemployment in the country is that there is no synergy between what the industry wants and what young people are studying,” he said.
Chimutunga noted the core skills that will always be relevant – such as decision-making, leadership, data analysis, software development, and engineering – are not being taught effectively by many educational institutions.
CTU, however, is constantly assessing industry needs to ensure its students are given all the skills they require to succeed in the modern workplace.
In addition to obtaining the right skills, the panel said that graduates must also be proactive and take all opportunities given to them.
Chimutunga stated that a proactive attitude and constant effort are critical, as South African businesses will always prioritise diligent and reliable individuals who are willing to learn new things.
He added that CTU prides itself on helping students build these soft skills across its 11 nationwide campuses, which all boast robust support structures for students.
This ensures that CTU equips its graduates with the skills necessary to find jobs – including those in the in the banking and financial sectors – and provide immediate value to their employers.
The panel also touched on the concerns many have about AI in the workplace.
Many believe that AI poses a threat to their job security, but Ayn Brown, Chief People Officer at TymeBank, said that this is not the case.
“AI won’t take your jobs. People that know how to utilise AI will be the ones that take your jobs,” said Brown.
“It is therefore important that we all try to keep up with the latest technological advances.”
CTU awards R50,000 bursary
At the EmpowaYouth Week event, CTU also awarded one lucky attendee with a R50,000 bursary to study any course of their choosing at CTU.
The deserving winner was Samukelisiwe Xulu, who was delighted to receive this incredible opportunity.
“Welcome to the CTU family, Samukelisiwe!” said CTU Training Solutions.
“We can’t wait to witness your journey and how you will utilize this incredible opportunity to shape your future.”
CTU and EmpowaYouth Week
CTU had a large presence at EmpowaYouth Week, which included Chimutunga’s appearance on the panel, the awarding of the R50,000 bursary, and its exhibition stand at the event.
The organisation was excited to attend the EmpowaYouth Event, as it provides an excellent opportunity to reach passionate South Africans and show them the valuable courses CTU offers.
As a South African private tertiary education provider that has been developing skilled professionals since 1987, CTU understands the importance of offering industry-relevant skills.
It has witnessed the job market evolve at an incredible pace over the past 36 years, and knows that events like EmpowaYouth Week are key to young South Africans elevating themselves to meet these changes.
“Together, let’s continue to bridge the skills gap, encourage youth development, and pave the way for an inclusive future,” said CTU Training Solutions.