Career Services Project Coordinator - Department of Enrolment and Student Administration at University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria

JOB PURPOSE:

• The Career Services Project Coordinator supports the Career Services Office’s functions by focusing on work readiness training and opportunities. This position requires the development and expansion of student employability skills, and work exposure opportunities for students to support the aim of employability in the UP strategic plan, and ensure that graduates are prepared when entering the job market.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Ready for Work Programme:

Manage the Ready for Work programme to support the UP strategy for employability:

• Coordinate the Ready for Work activities across all divisions and campuses with the various stakeholders, to ensure a seamless and effective delivery of the initiative;
• Ensure a clear understanding of the Future of Work and needs in the employer market, and ensure that these are addressed in the Ready for Work programme;
• Manage TuksCareers and LinkedIn as resources to enhance employability;

Marketing and promotion of the Ready for Work programme:

• Conceptualise, drive and manage marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the Ready for Work programme;
• Promote the enrolment of the Ready for Work courses to students and alumni;
• Provide information on Ready for Work courses through print and electronic media, publications, presentations, outreach, and during the orientation programme;
• Manage the content of the Ready for Work website;
• Liaise with the Department of Institutional Advancement (DIA) to ensure that marketing is in line with the UP marketing strategy;

Student development:

• Do research and keep up to date with the latest development in the world of work and employer’s needs, to inform the skills training and student development programmes;
• Identify and implement innovative ways to prepare students for the world of work;
• Identify critical skills for students to ensure their employability and deliver training in these;
• Liaise with employers for presentations or workshops to enhance student development;
• Conduct training workshops for students to acquire the necessary work readiness skills;
• Assist students in developing their self-knowledge related to career choices and work performance by identifying, assessing, and understanding their competencies, interests, values and personal characteristics;
• Provide advice to students to take responsibility for career decisions, personal development, skills training, professional plans, employment plans, and job-search competencies;
• Prepare students to find employment by developing job-search skills, effective candidate presentation skills, interview preparation, and the understanding of the fit between their competencies and occupational and job requirements;
• Encourage students to gain experience through student activities, community service, student employment, research projects, cooperative education, internships, and other opportunities;
• Set targets and monitor progress to grow student involvement in work readiness;
• Obtain and provide students with information on employment opportunities and prospective employers and industries;

Online resources:

• Maximize online resources, social media, and other connections for career support to students;
• Ensure a thorough understanding of the functions of the student portal (TuksCareers) and that it is used to total capacity;
• Manage TuksCareers and LinkedIn as resources, and grow the number of students using these to enhance their employability;
• Guide students in building their CVs and digital profiles by using LinkedIn and TuksCareers;

Ready for Work skills training courses:

• Manage and further develop skills training in collaboration with Enterprises;
• Motivate students to enrol for the Ready for Work courses. Monitor student progress and devise actions to ensure that students finish the courses;
• Ensure growth in the number of students enrolled in collaboration with the Department of Institutional Advancement (DIA);
• Provide monthly reports on the uptake and completion of the Ready for Work courses;
• Follow-up on students who have completed the Ready for Work courses to find out the value added by the methods to student development;
• Identify and initiate new skills development as determined by the employer market;

Work exposure:

Manage a centralised work exposure function for UP students and graduates:

• Ensure a clear understanding of the Future of Work and needs in the employer market, and ensure that these are addressed in the work exposure programme;
• Establish and manage internships, learnerships and opportunities for work exposure for students;
• Coordinate Internships and work exposure opportunities across all divisions and campuses with the various stakeholders to ensure a seamless and effective delivery of the initiative;
• Grow internship or work exposure opportunities for UP students and graduates in collaboration with faculties, other stakeholders and employers;
• Ensure that work exposure opportunities, their application process and closing dates are communicated to qualifying students;
• Encourage students to gain experience through student activities, community service, student employment, research projects, cooperative education, internships, and other opportunities;
• Promote to students the importance of curricular modules that equip them with ready-for soft work skills that they will acquire through WIL, practical, community practised fieldwork;
• Maintain a database of the credit-bearing work-integrated learner experience within undergraduate academic programmes required by statutory bodies or experiential learning needed for the programme and the learning outcomes for each;
• Facilitate opportunities for students to link with alums, employers, professional organisations and others who will provide opportunities to develop professional interests and competencies, integrate academic learning with work, and explore future career possibilities;

Prepare students for internships and work exposure:

• Manage and further develop skills training in collaboration with Enterprises University of Pretoria;
• Prepare students by developing job-search skills, effective candidate presentation skills, and an understanding of the fit between their competencies and occupational and job requirements;
• Manage the agreement/contract with the employers;
• Establish criteria for student applications for internships and work exposure opportunities. Identify and screen students for specific opportunities;

Job opportunities:

• Connect students with employers through on-campus interviews, job and graduate recruitment advertisements, career events networking, job-search events, publications and information technology, including TuksCareers and LinkedIn;
• Provide notification and support to students and graduates regarding full and part-time employment information and jobs;
• Grow the number of job opportunities advertised on TuksCareers;

Career events where students and employers meet:

• Plan and ensure professional execution of career event days;
• Schedule, brief, and manage temporary staff during career days and ensure that their wage claims are prepared before the deadline;
• Ensure targeted companies are invited to the events and grow the number of companies participating;
• Manage the project budget and resource allocation;

Monitor students and employers participating in work exposure opportunities:

• Create standards for both employers and students for successful completion of work exposure opportunities;
• Monitor students placed in companies and ensure compliance with minimum standards;
• Ensure mentorship at the beginning of internship and work exposure opportunities;
• Regular monitoring and evaluation of employers (monthly);
• Ensure certificate issued by UP after completion;
• Ensure that work exposure is added to transcript addendum;
• Identify, screen and prepare candidates for work opportunities;
• Identify and use innovative ways to deliver skills training, especially by way of new market work exposure opportunities for students, and ensure visibility on campus and on social media;

Funding:

• Source funding for internship and work exposure opportunities from professional bodies, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAS), employers and other sources, and work closely with Advancement at UP;
• Ensure that funding targets are met annually;
• Negotiate employee rates for internships to ensure the best deal for students;

Stakeholder engagement:

Internal stakeholders:

• Identify and coordinate the different UP stakeholders and their activities as related to employability;
• Forge deeply rooted relations with the university faculties and support services and obtain their cooperation in the Ready for Work programme;
• Liaise with faculties to ensure that work–readiness skills in academic programmes are displayed on students’ academic records;
• Work closely with other campus stakeholders (e.g. Faculties and community engagement) to identify and coordinate work exposure opportunities;

External stakeholders:

• Establish contacts and build relationships with various business, public and private sector and governmental organisations for employment opportunities;
• Create opportunities for company exposure to students on campus, connect students with employers through on-campus interviews, job and graduate recruitment advertisements, career events networking, job-search events etc.;
• Promote UP graduates to employers and showcase the added value of employability skills;
• Alumni: Build relations with university alums to establish network opportunities to create collaborations, job opportunities and work exposure opportunities. Facilitate opportunities for students to link with alums, employee professional organisations, and others who will provide opportunities to develop professional interests and competencies, integrate academic learning with work, and explore future career possibilities. Establish and maintain a support service for alums after they have entered the job market;
• Grow the number of job opportunities offered to students by building stronger relations with employers and presenting them with added value;
• Work with external stakeholders who focus on work exposure, such as Boston College and the African Careers Network;
• Establish contacts with various businesses, public and private sector and governmental organisations for internship and work exposure opportunities;
• Build and maintain a database of employers;
• Identify and specify requirements for employers (profession specific);
• Manage TuksCareers and LinkedIn as resources to enhance internship opportunities;

Administration, HR and finance:

• Manage temporary workers and other staff as related to the Ready for Work programme;
• Source additional funding/sponsorship for the Ready for Work programme and internships;
• Assist in ad hoc activities for Career Services and Department of Enrolment and Student Administration (DESA) as required;
• Compliance with UP financial policies, monitor and control budget;
• Ensure that financial processes are in place;
• Ensure practical administrative functions for work readiness and work exposure opportunities;
• Grow and maintain a database of employers;
• Keep up to date on TuksCareers and ensure effective use of the functionalities available.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• A relevant Bachelor’s degree, WITH

A total of three years’ experience in:

• Project management;
• Stakeholder management;
• Student development or workplace training;

OR

• A relevant National Diploma, WITH

A total of five years’ experience in:

• Project management;
• Stakeholder management;
• Student development or workplace training.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES):

• Coordination and project management;
• Stakeholder management;
• Skilled in operating a computer and various supporting software packages;
• Must be able to work in a team;
• Professional behaviour at all times;
• Communicate on a professional level with employers and senior UP staff;
• Build relationships with stakeholders;

Ability to:

• Prioritise and manage multiple work tasks or projects;
• Communicate effectively in oral and written form, and make public presentations in small or large group settings;
• Work with an ethnically and culturally diverse population.

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES:

• Relevant Honours degree;
• Relevant short learning programmes;
• Student/graduate career development programmes;
• UP stakeholder environment (internally and externally);
• Report writing;
• Prevailing graduate recruitment practices;
• Public speaking/presentations;
• Experience in managing internships and work exposure opportunities;
• Working with SETAs and Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO);
• Setting up and managing a database;
• Programme development;
• Fundraising;
• A valid driver’s license.