WSU AND BANKSETA EMPOWER LIFE ORIENTATION TEACHERS TO BROADEN LEARNERS’ CAREER HORISONS

A cohort of Life Orientation teachers from schools across the Buffalo City Municipality region gathered at BCC’s Potsdam Site recently for an empowerment workshop to deepen their understanding of career pathways in the banking and financial services sector.

Welcoming the educators, Senior Director for WSU’s Marketing and Communication Department, Yonela Tukwayo, contextualised the significance of the engagement within WSU's broader institutional footprint.

“WSU is a huge organisation that has a footprint covering the majority of the length and breadth of the Eastern Cape,” she noted, emphasising the university’s regional responsibility in shaping educational and professional trajectories.

She explained that the session sought to strengthen teachers as conduits of opportunity.

“Today is about helping to empower our teachers, who in turn will empower students, specifically Life Orientation teachers who play a significant role in creating awareness and helping learners gain insight into different professional industries,” Tukwayo said.

Central to the workshop was WSU’s longstanding partnership with BankSETA, an entity that has consistently supported WSU students within financial, accounting, and mathematical disciplines.

Tukwayo acknowledged the sector body as “an integral partner in WSU’s endeavours to finance and support students,” particularly those pursuing qualifications in high-demand financial fields.

Senior Manager at BankSETA, Nobuzwe Mangcu, underscored the organisation’s commitment to entrepreneurship and sector development.

“Entrepreneurship programmes are one of the cornerstones of what we do as a SETA,” she explained, adding that BankSETA funds WSU’s Mthatha Campus entrepreneurship programme “to the tune of R4 million.”

Mangcu expressed hope that the workshop would have a ripple effect beyond the classroom.

“The information you’re going to gain today will hopefully help not just your students, but your communities and immediate families as well,” she said.

Referring to the career booklet and guide distributed during the session, she added: “We hope to create interest and awareness about the possibilities that lie in wait in the banking sector.”

Challenging common perceptions, Mangcu stressed that banking extends far beyond frontline services. “The banking sector is not just about tellers,” she remarked, pointing to the vast “back-end” operations that sustain the industry.

She highlighted academic pathways such as BCom, Cost and Management Accounting, Accounting, and Information Technology as key programmes underpinning the sector’s complexity.

Facilitating the session was Sithembele James, Director of Institutional Advancement at WSU, whose own professional journey served as testimony to the transformative power of education.

A graduate of Nyameko High School in Mdantsane, James studied at a local university in the Eastern Cape, completed his training at Deloitte, and later lectured at Nelson Mandela University and the University of the Free State before joining WSU.

He also spent time at SAICA before returning to the institution in his current leadership role.

Reflecting on his vocation, James shared: “My love for students started as a lecturer, where I would encourage and support them in covering tuition and other living expenses by applying for funding from government levers.”

He acknowledged the financial constraints facing higher education institutions, noting that “as much as we receive funding from government, the needs of our students extend beyond what a grant can cover,” underscoring the importance of partnerships and institutional advancement initiatives.

Adopting an interactive approach, James told attendees: “During this session, I will engage with you as though you are the learners you teach, because engagement and understanding are critical in the teaching and learning process.”

He further elaborated on the intricacies of the banking ecosystem, noting that institutions encompass specialized domains such as Information Technology, Security, and Economics, and are governed by complex systems and protocols to ensure the safe circulation of money for economic benefit.

Through collaborative engagement between WSU and BankSETA, the workshop reaffirmed the pivotal role of Life Orientation teachers as architects of possibility, equipping them not only with knowledge but also with the capacity to illuminate pathways from classroom to career and from aspiration to achievement.

By Thando Cezula