PRIDE IN THEIR STRIDES
Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology (Pty) Ltd, previously known as PC Training and Business College, first commenced operations in 1998 in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal as a computer training centre. Today it boasts 33 higher education campuses and 40 Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) campuses countrywide.
The institute is one of South Africa’s most affordable higher education institutions and has seen over 280 000 skilled graduates, in a variety of sought-after qualifications, pass through its doors. Recently, there was cause for celebration when Richfield won not one, but two prestigious international awards through the Parisbased Otherways’ Association of Management and Consulting in the categories of Global Award for Perfection, Quality and Ideal Performance and the Green Era Award for Sustainability.
The awards were presented to Richfield’s CEO, Jay Ramnundlall, at a glittering awards ceremony in Rome, Italy in July 2017.
Otherways’ international award programme is a business-oriented association, which focuses on the micro-economic levels of multinational companies and serves to promote economic relations and establish new commercial and professional contacts around the world. The awards pay tribute to the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy that seeks to integrate all organisational functions in order to meet customer needs and organisational objectives. Richfield was accredited with the TQM aptitude seal for high-quality performance and best customer satisfaction at the awards ceremony.
Ramnundlall says, “Richfield has gone from strength to strength in recent years,” which he attributes to the company’s commitment to constantly improve the quality of teaching and education by integrating technology into the core curriculum. “In addition to which, we focus on providing students with integrated work experience, which ultimately improves their chances of success in their chosen careers.”
Another feather in Richfield’s cap was when the company became the first private educational institution to be certified against the globally recognised ISO 9001: 2015 quality standard by the IMS International.
The company has been the recipient of numerous international accolades, including the 2016 Europe Business Assembly (EBA) for “Best Regional College” (private university) in addition to Ramnundlall, being awarded the title of International Manager of the Year. The award was presented at The International Socrates Gala Ceremony in December 2016 at Oxford, UK. Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology has also won the 2015 Century International Quality ERA Award (Gold Category) for its commitment to quality leadership, technology and innovation at their awards ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland. Richfield provides a range of top-quality, fully accredited qualifications for contact and distance students. These include short learning courses and full-time programmes and, most notably qualifications, such as the bachelor’s degree, diploma and higher certificate in public management and local government management and various South African Council of Education study options.