VOLUNTARY COUNSELLING AND TESTING

During March New Start Voluntary Counselling and Testing teams visited all the Varsity College campuses, offering students access to the highest quality HIV counselling, testing and referral services.

This initiative, which was rolled out by Varsity College nationally last year, is well received and supported by students.

The Society for Family Health (SFH) developed the New Start HIV Counseling and Testing programme in partnership with the Government of South Africa (GOSA). New Start is funded by the Global Fund via the South African National Department of Health and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

REACH FOR A DREAM FOUNDATION BENEFITS FROM STUDENTS’ GREAT SENSE OF VOLUNTEERISM

Every Varsity College student is encouraged to become actively involved in the life of the Varsity College community. Under the banner of VC Cares, students are given the opportunity to give back to the community through social responsibility and community outreach programmes. The ANNUAL national Varsity College community outreach event was held for terminally ill boys or girls in the care of The Reach for a Dream Foundation (RFAD). The campuses either hosted a ‘Queen for a Day’ for the girls or a ‘Captain Courage’ for the boys. The events were a huge success!!

Warning

This is a courteous warning to all prospective Varsity College students not to divulge personal information or make payment of any kind to anyone posing as a Varsity College agent. The only agent used by Varsity College is Caro Van Der Merwe at Careers Abroad in Zimbabwe. If you are unsure, please contact your nearest Varsity College campus to confirm details.

GRADE 12’S!! MAKE THE MOST OF THE LONG MID-YEAR HOLIDAY

Attention all Grade 12 learners -- contact your nearest Varsity College campus during the long June holidays for some sound study advise. Make an appointment to see one of our Student Advisors to chat about your study options for 2011. All campuses will be open throughout the holiday period (despite the 2010 World CupTM) to assist you with all the information you need in order to make one of the most important decisions of your life – WHAT TO STUDY AFTER GRADE 12?

Attention UNISA students

To all UNISA students registering for subjects in the second semester - Varsity College is offering tuition on select modules. So if you are finding studying via correspondence just a little challenging, contact your nearest Varsity College campus to find out more about attending lectures in the second semester for select UNISA modules.

Community engagement events - the heart of VC

During July and August a variety of community engagement events, co-ordinated by the Student Relations Managers (SRMs), will take place on the Varsity College campuses nationally. These include Reach for a Dream events, CHOC “Pay it Forward” cake sales, SANCA awareness drives, Blood Clinics etc. Details of these events will be announced via the campus PA system and will also be available on the campus communications screens. Students are invited to participate in these events - the heart of Varsity College.

Youth vote a resounding "Yes!" to Varsity College

Varsity College has been ranked in the top ten tertiary education providers in South Africa for the second consecutive year in the 2010 Sunday Times Generation Next Survey. It was the only private tertiary education provider to feature in the survey brand. Notably Varsity College was ranked third in the young adults category (aged 18-22), with UCT appearing in top spot. The Sunday Times Generation Next Survey, which polled the opinions of over 5,800 young urbanites between the ages of 8 and 22 from six major provinces in South Africa, was conducted by HDI Youth Marketers in February/ March 2010.

VC Launches Career Centre For VC Students

An exciting new prospect awaits Varsity College students as they start their second semester. On-site Career Centres have just been launched at all seven the Varsity College campuses nationally. The Career Centres will, among other things, provide students with practical skills which will add value to the theoretical knowledge gained in the lecture room thereby increasing their employability.

Says Trish Trompeter, National Head of Department: “We are very excited about this initiative, which forms part of our commitment to deliver on our brand promise of developing students for their careers. Although students are not guaranteed placement in industry, the Centres are expected to make a marked contribution towards our students’ level of employability”.

The Career Centre will be launched in three phases over the next 18 months:

Phase 1: Part time work: the Career Centres offer the Job Café, a web based IT solution, which will enable the Career Centre Co-ordinator to match students with possible employers in part time work situations. As this is a support function only, it is important to note that part time work is not guaranteed.
Phase 2: World of Work (WoW): students to complete the WoW programme, run on campus, which will equip them with work readiness skills and expose them to appropriate industry knowledge.
Phase 3: Graduate Placement Programme (GO: graduate opportunities): Once students have completed the WoW programme and are working part time, will be able to register for this programme in their final year of study. This placement programme promotes successful and dedicated Varsity College students within the relevant industry for possible placement once they graduate.
Varsity College strongly encourages current students to make contact with the Career Centre Co-ordinator on campus

Hotel students show great hearts

Varsity College has identified the Starfish Greathearts Foundation as its national corporate social investment (CSI) initiative this year. The third year Hotel students will be brand ambassadors for Varsity College across the country by all working together to contribute towards this great cause. Each relevant campus will host a Starfish “Dinner of Hope”. The ‘Dinner of Hope’, a Starfish initiative that the hotel students are adopting as part of their fundraising efforts, will be hosted by the hotel students in any form or fashion with a theme and venue of their choice. Starfish Greathearts Foundation is an international development charity, aiming to bring life, hope and opportunity to children in South Africa, who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. They currently support approximately 36 000 children and would like to further their reach.