South Africa’s state-owned logistics company has issued an invitation to aspiring freight and trade career seekers to apply for bursaries offered by Transnet.
The message sent out via social media this morning specifically calls for matriculants and tertiary students “interested in studying towards a BA, BSc or National Diploma in Engineering and Commerce to apply for bursaries”.
However, bursary applicants could consider the Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management offered by the Da Vinci Institute.
With sub-field studies in freight forwarding and customs clearance, also known as “electives”, the BCom is the only degree of its kind in South Africa that offers students a solid grounding in cargo expertise without forgoing business essentials.
In a recent interview with Mario Landman, dean of design at Da Vinci, he explained that the degree, as with peer qualifications elsewhere, still had business management as a major.
“The core or fundamental component of the qualification includes studies in contract and financial management, risk management, project management, accounting, and a business research project – to name a few.”
However, as part of the degree’s integrated design, all students who entered the programme had an option to focus on a business management sub-field, Landman said.
In this regard, Da Vinci’s BCom is the only qualification in South Africa offering electives in freight forwarding and customs compliance, comprising 120 credits of the 360 required to obtain the three-year degree.
Incorporation of the electives was done in partnership with skills incubator Metro Minds and was only announced in June after the successful completion of a rigorous academic framework.
According to Landman, it meant that the trade and logistics incubator “had to go through an internal quality assurance process which included approval by our senate before the electives could be formally incorporated into our qualification”.
Prior to June’s announcement, a BCom with majors in business essentials and with crucial cargo career electives included, was simply not available, Landman said.
“Our partnership with Metro Minds has changed this. Their programme has sufficient input from a technical point of view but then marries it to general business components as well.”
Students have until September 19 to apply for Transnet’s bursary. Phone 086 582 7236 or email: bursaries@transnet.net
We would like to know from applicants about their experiences. Please email your comments and questions to Freight News staff member Christiaan Schultz: Christiaans@nowmedia.co.za
