Six University of Johannesburg (UJ) students have been chosen as part of a select group of 100 top students for the 2018 Gradstar Awards.
Undergraduate and postgraduate students from across various faculties at UJ were named amongst the Top 100 students in South Africa with potential as Future Leaders. The students selected include: Mfanafuthi Methula (Bachelor of Accounting), Harmony Nkambule (Bachelor of Accounting – Honours), Dineo Mogoru (Post Graduate Diploma in Finance), Sibongakonke Kheswa (Bachelor of Accounting – CA Stream), Tiisetso Mogadime (Bachelor of Accounting), and Nolwazi Mbambo (Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies)
The Top 100 students are selected from South Africa’s universities, based on leadership criteria and readiness for the workplace, in addition to their academic performance. They were selected among the thousands of entries from across the country who were put through a rigorous four-phase judging process.
The selection criteria also included skills such as self-motivation, problem solving, innovation, discipline, self-confidence, leadership, logical thinking, written communication skills, general knowledge as well as punctuality, social interaction and presentation.
Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) was full of praise for the six students who made it to the Top 100 Graduates.
“The selection of six of our students is yet another feat in the long list of achievements by UJ, which continues to make strides in academic excellence in the country, on the continent and globally. We are proud of the students, and we hope this will inspire other UJ students to emulate their achievements,” said Prof Marwala.
Following their selection, the Top 100 graduates will attend employer workshops. The programme will include the financial, accounting, IT, engineering and legal disciplines, amongst others. At these workshops the Top 100 graduates will compete for a spot in the “Ten of the Finest”. The award ceremony will take place on 26 September 2018 at a Gala Dinner at Indaba Hotel in Fourways, north of Johannesburg.
The GradStar programme, sponsored by DHL, IBM, Comair, Accenture, Fasken and Epiroc, is a uniquely developed programme that focuses on quality connections, and compliments existing employer programmes. It is designed to provide previously unrecognised students with opportunities for employment, and allow them to contribute positively to South Africa’s future growth.
The selected students show the best potential as the country’s future leaders, and their assessment throughout the process is conducted by key assessment providers Khonology, employers and universities.
Laura Barker, MD of BlackBark Productions, is proud of the GradStar programme for the way it develops our very young talent in South Africa. “The Top 100 will each be connected with a business mentor, who has been recognised through our Rising Star Programme, to further ready them for the workplace. “This is a unique and valuable opportunity for each graduate to draw upon the expertise and knowledge of those who have gone before them, and start their careers on a solid foundation,” she says.
Dr David Molapo, management consultant, educator and well-known motivational speaker, was full of praise of initiative, saying it deserving of the support of employers and educators across South Africa.
“This is a worthy programme,” he says. “It is designed to uplift the student youth at this time of unrest, and provide an aspirational platform to assist them in achieving their potential,” says Molapo, who is also the patron of the GradStar programme.”
