Why top student was left out in the cold A SPONSOR for the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry Export Management Course is an urgent need. It would enable JCCI to provide a prize to the top student in future, erase some of the red faces in its building - and ease the frustrations of Ecu Line.
One of Ecu Line's senior employees, Michelle Wright, came out tops in this year's course with 79% percentage attained.
She received a congratulatory letter from JCCI which told her that her certificate and prize Ôwill be presented at a cocktail function to be held at JCCI House.' The letter advised her to be there at 16h30 on July 15. But the day before the event Mrs Wright received a telephone call telling her that there was no prize for the Export Management Course and also that she was not invited to the cocktail party.
That didn't please either Mrs Wright, or her managing director, Peter Sands, who wrote to JCCI pointing out the vast demands made of any worker, manager or clerk, employed in the growing export industry. Export course needs a sponsor! I therefore admire the fact that she attempted to take this course in the first place, said Sands.
To advise Mrs Wright that she was a prize-winner and ask her to attend a cocktail party in writing, and then telephone her to call the whole thing off is, says Sands, Ôdownright rude'.
Here JCCI chief executive Marius de Jager takes up the reins in a reply letter.
This unfortunate mistake occurred when our staff member confused the results of the import and export management courses. While we have a sponsor for the import management course, who provides a prize for the top student, we do not as yet have a similar arrangement for the export course, as we have only been running this course since last year. Sands has accepted the apology regarding the prize - but feels Mrs Wright should still have been hosted at the cocktail party.
But what it all amounts to is that JCCI needs an export management course sponsor.
Last word goes to Joan Warburton-McBride, JCCI manager of Membership Development.
We have a company discussing the sponsorship of the export management course at present. They have told us it is being placed before their board and hopefully we will have a sponsor in future.
