UKZN Convocation Launches Community Outreach Programme in Honour of Youth Month

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The UKZN Convocation has launched an initiative to help high school learners with career guidance and other services in a bid to ensure that they succeed in their academic life. 

To kick off the initiative, Convocation, in partnership with the Anton Lembede Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy, hosted an event which sought to equip pupils with the tools that they need to cope with their upcoming exams. Themed: Exam Shaker, the event was attended by 247 pupils from Grades 8, 9 and 10. 

Dr Qiniso Mlita, UKZN Convocation President, said the initiative was inspired by the gap between Basic and Higher Education in terms of the courses offered at universities and what is offered as career guidance in schools. Convocation wants to ensure that learners know what is offered at UKZN and understand which careers are in demand in the current economic climate well before they choose their degree courses. 

Mental health was a recurring topic throughout the programme, and one of many that the Convocation is planning to unpack through this new initiative. It was particularly relevant in this setting because learners are in exam season and need guidance on dealing with the stress that comes with exams. 

The programme of the day included a study tips segment, where Mr Zanokuhle Mbambo, a learner from the Anton Lembede MST Academy, shared a few of his study habits and tips with his peers. ‘What I want my fellow learners to take away from today is that everything we decide now will have an impact on our future, so we should motivate ourselves now, and push ourselves now so we can be successful in the future,’ he said. 

Moreover, the programme included a motivation segment by Ms Sikhona Phakathi, a UKZN alumna. In her motivation, Phakathi touched on the importance of job shadowing and finding a mentor in order to get a better understanding of one’s career. 

Convocation is currently running a mentorship programme, which aims at assisting learners with job shadowing and career guidance services. ‘To ensure the success of the programme, we identified top UKZN alumni who are thriving in different careers so that we can provide the best platform for students to access these services,’ said Mlita. 

Mr Dumisani Sibaya, Anton Lembede MST Academy Principal, thanked UKZN for coming to the school and highlighted the impact such an event will have on pupils. ‘We believe that UKZN coming here has made our learners focus on the importance of education and draw inspiration from people who have succeeded through education who also come from similar backgrounds as them,’ he said. 

‘Our next programme will involve Grade 12 learners. The reason we chose Anton Lembede MST Academy was the fact that it offers scarce skills in the province. We want them to advance in their grades well informed of the dynamics in academia,’ explained Mlita. 

Words and photograph: Sinenhlanhla Mkhwanazi