6 Marshmallow Challenge for Advanced Retailing students On 15 February 2023, Advanced Retailing students attended several academic workshops and orientation sessions, which included an introduction to the programme curriculum, a visit to the library, and an information session from the Writing Centre. One of the most exciting activities was the Marshmallow Challenge – a team-building exercise that involves building the tallest structure possible using only marshmallows, spaghetti, and tape. This challenge tests students’ creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Through this activity, the students learnt important skills that are essential for success in the retail industry. First, the Marshmallow Challenge encouraged the students to think ‘outside the box’ and to be innovative in their approach to problem-solving. With limited resources, they had to come up with creative solutions to build the tallest structure. This is an important skill for those working in the retail industry, as innovation is key to staying ahead of the competition. Second, the Marshmallow Challenge helped the students to develop their teamwork skills. They had to work together effectively, communicate their ideas clearly, and delegate tasks to one another to ensure that the structure was successfully built. Teamwork is a critical skill in the retail industry, as employees must work collaboratively to achieve common goals and objectives. Third, the Marshmallow Challenge taught the students about the importance of time management. With only 20 minutes to complete it, students had to work efficiently and manage their time effectively. This is a valuable skill in the retail industry, where employees often have to complete tasks quickly and accurately. The Marshmallow Challenge was an engaging and fun way to start the Advanced Diploma in Retailing programme. In addition to the academic workshops and the Marshmallow Challenge, the students received some products from Colgate-Palmolive as part of the community outreach programme led by Dr Isolde Ward, which sweetened the orientation day! Applied Information Systems and Marketing Management students’ team building event The Marketing Management Department has an award-winning work-integrated learning (WIL) programme in which marketing and retail students are required to sell products as part of their direct sales management project. The students are taught the theoretical knowledge about direct selling during the first semester, and are then required to put this knowledge into practice in the real world. The Marketing Department signed an agreement with the Direct Selling Association (DSA) as their industry partner. This year, they had three companies from which the students could choose: Avon, Justine, and Table Charm. These companies came to the campus every Friday to assist the students in reaching their sales targets. This project also runs live on an app that was developed by Prof. Marius Wait and Prof. Abejide Ade-Ibijola and that won the Vice Chancellor’s ‘Innovation of the Year’ award in 2019. The Head of the Department of Marketing Management, Prof. Marius Wait, is glad to report that this year’s turnover of the DSA-UJ Project was R 1.5 million, which meant that R 375 000 went back to the students in the form of sales commissions. This is indeed a success story!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU1NDYx