Sunday, 23 January 2022 18:01

Principal's Message for 2022

Written by Dr MM Muswaba (FCIS)
Rate this item
(0 votes)

Principal2022Let me start by quoting the words of our icon who has just gone ahead of us, The late “Arch” Desmond Tutu. During his address at the Nelson Mandela Foundation on 23 November 2004, he said. Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.” On behalf of the College Council, the College Executive Management Team and on my own behalf as the Principal of the College of Cape Town, I would like to welcome all the College Community and our partners to this 2022 academic year. It is indeed a year in which the College of Cape Town is promising to improve its argument in all its endeavours and not raise its voice.

The office of the principal is quite aware of the objectives that the College sets up in its Annual Performance Plan for 2022. There is however no doubt that the various teams in the College are now invigorated and ready to pull the strings in all the directions despite the impediments that are being created by the pandemic. Being led by the able office of the Minister of Higher Education and Training, the Honourable Dr Nzimande, the College is ready to ensure that student success has been improved tremendously across the College Programme Qualification Mix. My office is also aware that both the lecturing staff and our students are ready to excel the College to new heights in this academic area.

With the unwavering support from our astute College Council, the College is ready and geared for the major projects that the Council has planned for 2022 going forward. This year would witness the much-awaited opening of the College of Cape Town Business Process Outsourcing Academy at Gardens Campus. The academy is expected to enrol its first Call Centre students in June 2022. This will open up a new chapter in the history of the College in which more than three thousand call centre specialists will be chained out in the next three years. Credit should be given to the current Innovation and Development Division led by Mr Gafieldien for building a relationship with the Cape Town Government in which through their DEDAT department an MoU was signed to make this project a success. This is exciting indeed to support the call by the DHET to promote access in the TVET sector.

The Council is also proud to announce to the College family the other two major projects that will be taking shape in 2022 having their groundwork been done in the past year 2021. The good news is that the Council took a bold decision to embrace technology and in that they are building a State of the Art Student Media Centre. This will be able to house all the required teaching and learning technology. This is also in line with the Minister’s call to ensure that blended teaching and learning is now embraced as one of the strategic outcome in the education sector.

The second objective which will be led by the new Business Development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship will be to establish support business units across the College campuses. We are so excited that the College Council in support of the Minister’s Post School Education and Training White Paper grand outcome, has decided to pursue this noble job creation compass which will see a number of student entrepreneurial centres being opened and run by students themselves. This will usher in a new era in which most of the College graduates will find themselves back at the College for not less than six months to learn the ropes of being an entrepreneur and a business owner or co-business owner.

The office of the principal also wants to wish you all well with your studies and assure you once again that your success is as important as the reason for us being employed at this College. We as the staff of CCT, will do everything we can to support you throughout the year 2022. We will also continue to observe the appropriate regulations while at the same time ensuring the health and well-being of our CCT community. The office of the principal also reiterates that social-psycho support will continue to be offered to all students and staff members. Therefore, those in distress are encouraged to reach out to the relevant support services that have been provided at numerous sites in our Colleges. Both students and staff are also advised to visit the CCT website for contact details as well as regular updates that are posted.

Remember the College is not there to “RAISE THE VOICE “but rather to “IMPROVE THE ARGUMENT” in contributing to both the Provincial and the National Economy through a multifaceted approach as a “SUM-TOTAL“ provider of Education and Training Skills for our youth. Yes, we are excited and proud as the College of Cape Town to journey with others in 2022 contributing to this cause. The final words of welcome from the Office of the College Chief Executive Officer to all CCT stakeholders are that, by working together as a community, being sensitive to each other’s concerns and needs, and following the rules that are there for our collective safety, I am confident we will make CCT the jewel not only of Cape Town but also of the country at large this year 2022. Remember our College Motto for 2022, Excellence Starts with Me’.

I would like to close by a quote from the late Arch” again in which he emphasised to us the importance of planning and avoiding ‘firefighting’ when he said “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” May God Bless the College of Cape Town and bless you all. Welcome aboard.

I thank you. 

 

Dr MM MUSWABA (FCIS)
Principal CEO

Last modified on Sunday, 23 January 2022 18:41