ENTREPRENEURSHIPProfessor Maurice Radebe, left, and Acting Services SETA CEO, Andile Sipengane, sign the agreement.Wits Business School and theServices SETA are alignedThe Services Sector Education and Training Authority has committed to growing and sustaining theWits Centre for Entrepreneurship.Aspecial signing ceremony took place in 2024, marking anew chapter in public-private academic collaboration. TheServices SETA has pledged significant financial support forthe new Wits Centre for Entrepreneurship to be housedat 47 Main Street in the Johannesburg CBD. The announcementwas made at an historic handover ceremony, during which Witstook ownership of the eight-storey building in the former AngloAmerican campus in Marshalltown.The Wits Centre for Entrepreneurship, hosted by WBS, is the resultof a collaborative effort by stakeholders who share a vision for thetransformation of the Johannesburg inner-city from a site of decayand unemployment to a vibrant economic hub which provides ahealthy and supportive ecosystem for young entrepreneurs.Professor Jason Cohen, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce,Law and Management at Wits University, says: “This partnershipunderscores the transformative potential of collaboration betweeninstitutions of higher learning, skills development organisationsand the private sector. The establishment of the Wits Centre forEntrepreneurship is testament to the new strategic direction of WitsUniversity post our centenary in 2022 which prioritises research,innovation and fostering sustainable societal progress.”As South Africa’s largest Sector Education and TrainingAuthority, Services SETA facilitates and funds programmes thatbridge the gap between formal education and training, partneringwith public and private learning institutions to fulfil its mandate.Through the Services SETA’s Entrepreneurship and CooperativeDevelopment Institute (ECDi) the authority has committed to poolresources, expertise and networks to grow and sustain the WitsCentre for Entrepreneurship.“South Africa is not only grappling with high levels of youthunemployment but also with the sobering reality of graduateunemployment. This alarming trend threatens to undermine ourcollective future unless we act decisively and collaboratively. TheServices SETA is excited at the opportunity to support the WitsCentre for Entrepreneurship in its efforts to empower entrepreneurs,create opportunities and foster sustainable economic growththrough strategic partnerships and skills development tailored togrow the sector,” says Acting CEO, Andile Sipengane.For WBS, the new Centre represents a golden opportunityfor role-players to come together and pool their resources andexpertise towards meaningful change.“In the decade and a half that WBS has taught and researchedentrepreneurship as a core discipline, we have learned that whatmakes successful and productive entrepreneurship is a healthyecosystem where private, public and academic sectors play activeroles. We are enormously grateful to Services SETA for having thevision to come on board. Today’s signing represents a crucial step inthe right direction, where multiple sectors come together to createholistic solutions to the big issues this country faces,” says ProfessorMaurice Radebe, Head and Director of WBS.12 | www.opportunityonline.co.za
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