Accounting Lecturer Mr Msizi Mkhize demonstrating
 an accounting principle for pupils in Umlazi.

The College of Law and Management Studies understands that the subject choices made at Grade nine level will have a life-long impact on the life of an individual with respect to opportunities at tertiary level. This becomes evident every year when a large number of undergraduate applications are turned away because of the failure to meet the required entrance requirements especially in mathematics.

To address this challenge the College embarked on a community outreach project aimed at empowering Grade nine learners and parents with relevant and useful information to guide them as they make subject choices that will impact on career choices in future.

The project covered various areas including Chatsworth, Harding, Phoenix, Pietermaritzburg, Port Shepstone, Tongaat, Umlazi and Umzinto and over 1 000 learners who are interested in pursuing careers in Law and Commerce were addressed by academics and support staff.

The success of the event was evident in Umlazi where more than 600 pupils from various high schools attended the presentation. UKZN Accounting Lecturer Mr Msizi Mkhize spoke on the vital role mathematics played in commerce degrees and how pupils needed to bear this in mind when making subject choices next year.

Mkhize said: ‘If you want to do a BCom degree at UKZN you have to have maths - so think about this when you are choosing your subject combinations in Grade 10.  There are so many opportunities waiting for you after high school that is why you need to think about your academic future before you reach Grade 12 and make the right choice for your future now.

In Pietermaritzburg Mr Barry Strydom, Senior Lecturer in the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, gave the pupils a broad overview of the benefit of qualifications offered by Schools. ‘Every facet of life involves negotiating as well as the ability to analyse factors that influence unemployment and job creation. If you embark on a future in economics you will get to experience the vital role that economics plays in people’s lives,’ said Strydom.

Supply Chain Management representative, Dr Micheline Naude, spoke on exciting careers within her industry and how UKZN was dedicated to shaping future leaders in every career field.

Grade 9 pupil Sizakele Mhlongo said that she is grateful that she got to attend the presentations as she is better informed about her future career aspects.

‘I want to become an accountant and I was not sure about the subjects that are required for me to be able to study for that degree. After listening to the presentation I have realised that core maths is very important and now I can make the right choices next year and hopefully get to study at UKZN in the future,’ she said.