College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2023 88 WR SETA Provincial Skills Planning events held in Durban on 13 April, in Johannesburg on 19 April, and in Cape Town on 21 April. The proposal aimed to establish recognised professional designations in the retail sector. The Chair delivered compelling presentations, highlighting the importance of professional development and the positive impact it can have on the industry, and encouraged the industry to provide critical feedback and inputs. These engagements provided an invaluable opportunity to engage with key retail stakeholders, to understand the industry’s needs and perceptions of rolling out such an initiative and helped to garner support for this innovative initiative. It is important to highlight that we are currently at the stage of ‘testing the concept’ with a forwardlooking approach, aiming to gather even more industry feedback. We eagerly await the outcomes and the further progress of the retail professional designations proposal, as our goal is to implement it industry-wide. NATIONAL AND GLOBAL FOOTPRINT We are thrilled to announce the official launch of our highly anticipated exchange programme! Five outstanding students from the Advanced Diploma in Retailing and the Postgraduate Strategic Retailing programmes are participating in an exciting exchange opportunity at Nuremburg University in Germany. We are confident that this exchange programme will foster cultural exchange, enhance the students’ skills and knowledge in retail, and strengthen the bond between our institutions. This is an incredible chance for our students to for the invaluable connections made by Bradley Shodries (FNB). Together, we are making a positive impact on the youth of South Africa, equipping them with the tools for a brighter financial future. A sustainable future for African education The Chair was invited to do a talk at Kagiso Trust and the UJ’s webinar held on Africa Day (25 May 2023). The theme of the webinar was ‘A sustainable future for African education’. The Chair’s talk was entitled ‘The future world of work’. Dr StiehlerMulder spoke on Radio 702 about low-income consumers’ online shopping behaviour, describing the findings from her first research report, ‘Omnichannel retail: Low-income consumers’ experience’. The Chair was asked by News24 and Rapport to give her expert opinion on SA Tourism’s controversial sponsorship of the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. On 8 June 2023, the Chair in collaboration with Retailing Africa (see www.retailingafrica.com) hosted the 2023 ‘Everything AI in Retail Marketing’ online #RetailFit series. Carmen Murray (Carmen Murray Communications) spoke about ‘The promise and peril of regenerative AI in content marketing’ and Tshiamo Tladi (Accenture Song) spoke about ‘The impact of AI on brands and retail from a strategic perspective’. PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS We are excited to share that the Chair, in collaboration with the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA), recently presented a ground-breaking proposal for retail professional designations. The presentations took place at the Successful launch of the University of Johannesburg and W&RSETA Youth Employment Pilot Project
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