MEA November 2017

MEAMARKETS / November 2017 9 A Steep Learning Curve g Company: Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology, Name: Yuven Naidoo Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.rgi.co.za Address: 292 Anton Lembede Street, Durban Telephone: +27 31 304 9340 institutional) curriculum development; • Supports a more structured collaboration between Seta’s, public institutions and other stakeholders such as professional bodies. • Embedding higher education into the skills infrastructure, particularly at local level through such initiatives as work based learning programmes and n service training. • Improving the institutions capacity to manage market intelligence on skills issues, and undertake regular evaluation of employer satisfaction of graduate skills and qualities in-line with our BBA and BSc. Library & e-library resources Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology possesses a substantial academic library collection of over 60 000 textbooks across its 30 libraries nationally. The library subscribes to an increasing number of electronic journals (e-journals) and electronic books (e-books) from leading publishers such as Elsevier, Swets and EdITLib. This vast collection of over 3000 e-books and e-journals are available to learners and staff online 24/7 via the internet, regardless of the user’s physical location. PC Training and Business College is registered to the African Digital Library. The ADL has a collection of 8714 e-Books consisting of: • The African digital library collection (3808 titles) • A publicly assessable collection (4906 titles) The collection includes a wide variety of subjects ranging from arts, astronomy, mathematics, technology and engineering, medicine and health. As from 2012, learners had access to the eLibrary collection directly from their tablet PC’s. At each site the library has qualified staff to assist learners with their research and general enquiries. The recent rapid growth has seen a heightened emphasis on creating specialised libraries at each new site as well as creating an atmosphere to foster and nurture creative thinking and innovation. The library also houses a resource centre which accommodates corporate training material, currently containing 225 DVD materials sourced from Harvard University, Stanford University and Knowledge Resources to enhance skills which will make the transition to employment effortless. Along with this collection, digital materials on 261 courses on computer and soft skills containing lesson plans, power point slides, tutorials and practice assessments have been purchased from Velsoft. One of the tasks of managing eLearning will be to take stock of the current approach, and develop a plan for improving the digital academic literacies of our learners. They are highly connected, and collaboration is second nature to them, whether collaboration within formal learning situations or outside of them. One of the key challenges in managing eLearning is to take stock of the current approach and to develop a plan for improving the digital academic literacies of our learners. The following schematic model illustrates digital academic literacies in relation to the academic programme and the type and frequency of interventions. The institution has arranged a bulk volume subscription for all its learners with ScienceDirect, which supplies eBooks and eJournals to various research institutions and universities throughout the world. Elsevier’s SciVerse integrates the familiar, trusted content from ScienceDirect, Scopus and scientific websites – with the forward-looking community developed applications that enrich and expand content value. By combining peer reviewed content with productivity enhancing applications, SciVerse serves as a vital scientific ecosystem that facilitates collaboration, rewards innovation and accelerates science. Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology envisages the gradual, sustained migration from hardcopy to electronic versions of all key library resource material, in keeping with our commitment to advanced technology as well as a greener future. Learners are encouraged to explore all available resources and are supported in all aspects of library usage. They are motivated to take their learning to the next level with Richfield as their partner. Recognition of prior learning Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is the process whereby skills and knowledge, gained by individuals outside formal learning processes, are assessed and granted formal recognition. It is seen as a catalyst for social transformation as it provides the tools whereby candidates of all ages, can gain access to jobs and places of higher education, previously unavailable to them because of their lack of formal education. RPL serves to develop South Africa’s existing human capital thereby strengthening the country’s economy. Why Should You Consider RPL? • To gain a formal qualification of the skills you acquired in the workplace, to secure that much deserved promotion; • To enable you to bridge the gap between informal, non-formal prior learning and formal learning; • To gain access to a higher course of study despite the entrance criteria. The RPL Process Prior learning is assessed against the requirements of formal training programmes, in accordance with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). This assessment is carried out by academic specialists in the relevant fields with assistance from trained RPL assessors. Once assessment has been carried out and RPL learners have been declared competent and ready to enter formal training at a certain level, support opportunities are made available to enable them to bridge the gap between non-formal and formal learning and thus to succeed at their chosen lifelong learning paths.