An encouraging trend in South African universities is the maturing collab- oration with industry, where com-panies are actively involved in preparing students for the workplace, says Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Department of Computer Sciences professor André Calitz.

Companies are employing master’s and doctoral graduates, sponsoring research projects and taking in students on internships so that they can gain first-hand experience.

“In the past, most master’s and doctoral graduates went into academia, but perceptions are changing, with more companies recruiting master’s and doctoral graduates to improve their businesses,” says Industrial Development Corporation Middle East, Africa and Turkey insights and vertical industries director Mark Walker.

Universities try to match their programmes to market demands, but approval of new tertiary courses can take up to three years. Subsequently, universities introduce new con-tent within the ambit of established courses, encourage training in industry and draw on international curricula to ensure students have the relevant skills for the job market, says Calitz.

“Universities are helping to address infor-mation and communication technology (ICT) skills shortages by exposing schoolchildren to the various disciplines and their requirements for admission,” he says.

However, closing the gap between education and industrial needs requires input and funding from industry and these must be combined with the materials and resources of universities to offer different training, says NMMU Department of Computer Sciences senior lecturer and enterprise resource planning (ERP) specialist Dr Brenda Scholtz.

The NMMU Department of Computer Sciences currently has five modules dedicated specifically to ERP and industrial ICT systems owing to collaboration with and input from industry.

The close working relationships between companies and universities since 2010 is a result of industry and universities acknowl-edging the important reinforcing roles they can play in the areas of research, development and practical experience, adds Calitz.

The main challenge with regard to university collaboration is that some companies remain sceptical of the benefits of collaborating with tertiary institutions, says Scholtz.

“However, close collaboration between African universities and international univer-sities, such as NMMU’s collaboration with the University of Oldenburg, in Germany, and the University of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, provides the educational fabric that underpins the broader movement of the indus-trial relevance of education and training,” highlights Calitz.

ERP and industrial control company Syspro is collaborating with NMMU and other local and international universities to produce the skills to operate its systems in Africa. It provides detailed insight into its systems for universities, advice on the skills universities must develop and also allows students to complete internships within the company to boost the ERP skills levels on the continent, says Syspro marketing director Meryl Malcomess.

ERP systems are broadly used in Africa where most companies understand the value of such management tools and can operate the systems, but generally outsource the deployment to experts, concludes Ugandan ERP professional and financial accountant James Mugeni, who deployed a Syspro indus-trial automation system for a water bottling company in South Sudan.