College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2020 93 worK inTegraTed learning version 2.0 A further significant highlight for the STH during 2020 was its innovative approach to Work Integrated Learning (WIL). The relationships built with industry partners and alumni over the years stood the STH in good stead during the pandemic. It enabled the implementation of a virtual mentoring system. Students were paired with professionals working in their field of interest who served as their virtual industry mentors. The students connected with their mentors through various online platforms and applications. The students were tasked to work on specific projects, tackle industry-based case studies and apply their theoretical knowledge to real-life scenarios. Parallel to the mentorship programme, WIL students also attended various online training programmes, coaching sessions and industry facilitated workshops to better prepare them for the world of work. ParTnershiPs and inTernaTional ProJeCTs The STH is one of the partners to the Erasmus+ funded Capacity Building in Higher Education Project – SUCSESS. The project is a collaboration with project co-ordinators, Haaga Helia University of Applied Sciences, the University of Oulu, the University of Pretoria, the University of Zululand and Sheffield Hallam University. The three-year project focuses on the employability of graduates with improved cooperation between higher education institutions and enterprises. In addition, the STH was successful in securing contracted research for the National Department of Tourism on the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism value chain. The School concluded a partnership agreement with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU1NDYx