• Tweet

HOPELESS: France Malatjie, Karabo Manaka and Thabo Choenyana, who graduated from the University of Limpopo. PHOTO: ELIJAR MUSHIANA

RELATED ARTICLES

• DA march turns nasty
• Unemployment is a serious problem - Gordhan
• Zuma is the president, Vavi is not - Mazibuko
• Cosatu says DA had bricks
• Disgrace to the nation
• Economy sheds 75,000 jobs
• Bold plan to create thousands of jobs
• Telecoms skills shortage critical
• Firms 'struggle to find and keep right talent'
• A silent job boom
• Lack of skills 'frustrating'

FIFTY NINE University of Limpopo graduates are idling after the Limpopo government failed to employ them at the beginning of the year.

The students, who were sponsored by the provincial government, obtained their B.Admin in Local Government at the university's Turfloop campus last year.

The graduates were to be absorbed into the Department of Roads and Transport, which funded their studies.

The move was aimed at wooing an adequate workforce and to impart transport related skills to young graduates in the province.

Since the contract was signed in 2005, 170 graduates have been employed by the department.

The department said yesterday the programme was supposed to run for seven years from 2005 until December 2011.

Spokesman Joshua Kwapa said: "We have already spent about R16.4-million on student accommodation, meals and tuition fees for three years.

"We have also spent an additional R300,000 on the development of the curriculum, which was outsourced by the university and provided by the Council for Science and Industrial Research."

But the same treatment could not be extended to last year's students, who were supposed to be absorbed by the department at the beginning of this year. The students are now forced to sit at home doing nothing.

Karabo Manaka, one of the affected graduates, said: "Other institutions have refused to take us because the degree we studied for was province-based. We are even unable to work anywhere outside the province".

Another student, France Malatji, said even recruitment agencies could not recognise the degree, let alone other government departments.

Kwapa said the department was fully aware of the predicament faced by the graduates.

"We are currently waiting for approval from the provincial treasury and we are confident this matter is being attended to with the priority it deserves."

The department was one of the five in the province that had been placed under administration.

Other departments that suffered the same fate are education, health and social development, public works and treasury.

All their finances are currently being run by administrators.

- matlala@sowetan.co.za

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Sat May 18 22:57:37 SAST 2013 ::

May 17, 2012

TjoVtjo

@ MommaC

My point from yesterday, abundently clear. The levels of education need to be standardised before people decide to go to Universities like this one, Venda, NW etc. Recruiters and companies want the best of the best, and these unfortunatly are the Universities they deem to be academically excellent with auditable and verifyable levels of teaching, such as WITS, UJ (Main Campus), Stellenborsch, Rhodes, UCT, maybe even FS and Potch, to a lower extent. The rest can go fishing. Nobodys hiring. Those things are worthless pieces of paper, and wasted time.

This is the job of a parent, to assist the children in making correct decisions when it comes to chosing varsities. Unfortunatly our exposure levels aren't the same.
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

tpaz

@TjoVtjo....I now see your point.....you are right.
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

Sgodiphola

Excuse my ignorance but i believed that all university qualifications are suppose to be universally recognized. How then can it be that a reputable government entity such as the CSIR can approve something that is provincially based. I think this article is ill informed in terms of curricular contents and is complain based.
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

MommaC

TjoVtjo

True.
This is even worse. 16.4mil on a degree that isn't even a degree at all. What kind of complete lunacy is that? The very best that these poor souls can hope for is that some of their subjects are recognised and they can have the credits transferred to a REAL qualification at a REAL university
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

TDK

Juju and Mathale chowed their money
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

TheDictator

Comrades
Common sense tells me that you cannot do a province based qualification.these students were short-sighted and unstrategic.Now they are bound within the borders of Limpompo.What kind of a degree is that? Recognise only in Limpompo!
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

200803664

comrades i also studied this Degree; it is not Province Based; it instead oblige graduates to serve 3 years in the province equal to the number of years u studied for; frm there u can go outside! comrades on the pic are jst exaggerating coz they almost fed up with the delay; the reality is it is a B.Admin Degree like any other; this one has Courses like LOCAL GOVT courses and TRASNPORT ECONOMICS courses!
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

skhokho21

Any institution/gov dept can aproach a local university for a certain qualification/short course for their own intentions, the problem comes when you get a situation where the very same institution changes the strategy, then no one will employ those fong kong graduates. What happened to career guidance at schools? Most pupils just go to tertiary for the sake of having a ND/degree that is why you have so many so called graduates unemployed.
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

Danielrjvv1

For Effings Sake! Guys you got a B.Admin for fre_e, you have a degree. Yesterday I said to not rely on others to pave your way do it yourself. Go hunt for other employment. Cry me a river you did not get the job at government, but there are plenty administrative jobs for youth with your degrees. Youth stop being lazy and go look for employment it is not going to jump at you from home.
Report Abuse

May 17, 2012

tpaz

@Sgodiphola...it is perception and not the quality.....just like market perception that any car of German is good(think of Benz, Audi, BMW) even though VW is sh.it. And any car from china is "cheap".

The quality of the "degrees/ courses" are accredited by SAQA.....but it is where you get them from. I not would take anyone from Damelin, College campus seriously....
Report Abuse

Read all 78 comments