Two New Short Courses to Build Futures and Fight Unemployment

The North-West University has approved the Qhubekela Phambili Trainer Development short course, a timely and practical response to the devastating reality of youth unemployment in South Africa. Rather than simply adding another information-based career programme to the mix, this course equips career development practitioners, counsellors, and Life Orientation teachers with the deep facilitation skills needed to deliver the evidence-based Qhubekela Phambili Career Enhancement Programme with genuine impact. Because the programme’s effectiveness depends not only on what is taught but on how it is facilitated, this short course ensures that those on the front line of youth employability are truly prepared to create lasting change in how young South Africans see and shape their futures.

In a complementary development, the Optentia Research Unit has also received approval for Mentoring for Graduate Success — a structured short course designed exclusively for NWU alumni who volunteer as mentors to recent graduates. Alumni are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between university and professional life, carrying both the memory of the graduate experience and the wisdom of having navigated it successfully. Until now, no structured preparation existed in South Africa to equip alumni mentors specifically for this role. By involving alumni in the deliberate development of graduate attributes — such as critical thinking, communication, and adaptability — this course recognises that shaping a well-rounded graduate is not the task of the university alone, but a responsibility that extends to the broader community of those who have already walked the path.

Click here to read more about the two new short courses.