Lending students a helping hand

AS THOUSANDs of new applicants look set to enter universities and colleges next year, higher education institutions are still struggling with the impact of fee free higher education.

With NSFAS announcing earlier this month that more than 50 000 prospective students who applied to study next year did not submit all their supporting documents, there is intense behind-the-scenes work going on to ensure these students are considered for university or TVET college places. For the country to succeed, these students hold the cards on future progress.

However, a high unemployment rate does not assist recent graduates and a turnaround in the economy – particularly job creation – will be of great assistance to them. In her budget vote speech, Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor said there was a growing need to produce skilled human resources, able to play a role in knowledge creation and to contribute to inclusive economic growth. “This means also creating opportunities for enterprise development that can intensify job creation, and produce innovative products and services for domestic and international markets.”

What is clear is that students have a desire to succeed. Government, working with universities and colleges, must make a radical contribution to development and help the students on this path to success.