The Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) aims to build a better society through education and capacity development. It is registered as a Private Higher Education Institution in terms of Section 54(1)(c) of the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997) and Regulation 16(4)(a) of the Regulations for the Registration of Private Higher Education Institutions, 2002 (Registration Certificate Number: 2002/HE07/013). The FPD prides itself on being one of the few private higher educational institutions that fully engages in the three scholarships of higher education, namely: teaching and learning, innovation and community engagement.

Teaching and learning

The FPD’s educational programmes are designed to be cutting edge and customised to the specific needs of our students. Both formal qualifications and short learning programmes are developed within the regulatory requirements of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Our registration as a higher education institution is strategically important as the government is increasingly placing emphasis on addressing youth unemployment. At FDP, we are creating various opportunities for school-leavers around formal qualifications that could act as bridging programmes for entry to university for students who did not achieve “matric exemption”. Formal qualifications that are available and suitable for school-leavers include the Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education and the Higher Certificate in Management.

Innovation

FPD has also designed a number of learnership programmes that are designed to hone the skills of school-leavers, graduate students and postgraduate students, to enhance their employability through workplace experience opportunities by placing them with public and private sector institutions. The purpose of these programmes is to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and workplace experience. We have also introduced a new learnership for disabled learners in Business Administration. Various private sector partners fund this learnership that aims to alleviate poverty among our disabled youth, by improving their employability through learnership opportunities.

To date, we have successfully trained 2849 learners, and currently have more than 64 learners’ enrolled in the Business Administration learnership. FPD plays a major regional development role, as one of the premier private higher education institutions, which confers the Conference Department with a unique advantage providing access to a team of highly qualified strategic thinkers and entrepreneurs, the Conference Department is able to provide clients with strategic and business development advice. FPD is also in a position to underwrite new conferences through joint ventures and risk sharing models. We are also in the position to offer scholarships to a large number of youth representatives that would like to attend our skills building conferences.

Community engagement

At the FPD, we also created the #Zenzele (The Future Is Ours) brand which is an ARV adherence programme that focuses on the youth and promotes adherence to ARV treatment and encourages healthy living on ARVs as part of the HIV journey. The campaign utilises peer supporters and social media platforms to promote ARV adherence and ultimately viral load suppression. Our peer supporters are people from the community who are openly living with HIV and are on ARVs, this is because our peer supporters use their personal experience and HIV journey to encourage those they support to start or stay on treatment. Zenzele peer supporters can be found in 12 clinics across Ekurhuleni South and Steve Tshwete sub-districts.

To get into contact with us, visit https://www.foundation.co.za/ for more information.