Bridging the gap between academia and the ‘real world’

Bridging the gap between studying and working in the logistics and transport field is the thinking behind the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by Ciltsa and the University of Pretoria. The Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics: South Africa (Ciltsa) and the Department of Business Management at the University of Pretoria (UP) have signed an MoU aimed at closer co-operation between the two institutions for the benefit of the transport sector. “Our members have a wealth of expertise across the supply chain that enhances the academic component of learning, resulting in students receiving an all round education which makes them employable at the end of their studies,” says Ciltsa national president Barlow Manilal. Students are often not exposed to the working environment of their chosen career until after they graduate from university, says Manilal. “Thus, their expectations of the work environment and the reality are worlds apart and they are often not prepared for the adjustment. One of the initial projects is the launch of a mentorship programme that will see BCom option supply chain management students benefiting from an exchange of information from seasoned professionals within logistics and transport,” he said.