Cape Town, [06 April 2022]: MasterStart, a rising South African edtech business, has further expanded its partnership portfolio to offer industry-leading courses focused on sustainability and the ESG agenda alongside Wits Business School. The collaboration puts humanised online learning at the heart of its programmes and connects learners with industry champions to apply the course content to relevant, real-world business challenges. With phase one of the launch beginning in early March, students can embark on a Coaching and Mentoring course or learn the essential skills included in the Project Management programme.
Participants have the opportunity to gain knowledge and proficiency through contextualised course material, validated by Wits Business School. As the world has seen massive digital and business shifts over this pandemic period, employers are increasingly looking for employees who possess the human skills to thrive in fast-changing industries and also business operations with a greater consideration of sustainability and responsible governance. MasterStart and Wits Business School programmes will have these considerations at their heart.
MasterStart CEO, Ben Pike, says of the collaboration “Our partnership with Wits Business School gives us the opportunity to improve access to their world-class academics and combine it with the leading voices from the industry. It will ensure we connect our learners with key concepts of sustainable leadership from wherever they are in the world.”
With a recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey painting a bleak picture of current youth employment opportunities in South Africa, the partnership announcement is particularly timely as the two organisations aim to ensure students are industry-ready and can thrive and adapt in a fast-paced business environment. Maurice Radebe, the Head of Wits Business School, said: “This partnership with MasterStart speaks to our vision to develop conscientious business leaders with a solid grounding in sustainable leadership, responsible governance and committed to making a long-lasting difference on a local and global scale.”
Executive education caters to working people at various levels of an organisation; focussing on the key skills and competencies needed to manage oneself, others, and a successful business.
“Complacency is the biggest threat to professionals and their careers” according to Leoni Grobler, Director of Executive Education at Wits Business School. For this reason, she says lifelong learning is necessary for those wanting to succeed and remain relevant.
With the launch of the initial two programmes, Ben Pike concluded “We have a vision of humanised online learning that includes the best of industry and academia and this partnership will allow us to take a significant step forward towards that goal. The programmes that MasterStart and Wits Business School are bringing to market will go a long way towards unlocking leadership potential in Africa and developing a new generation of sustainability-minded leaders.”
