VTC to host annual SSCSA conference

VANDERBIJLPARK – This year the Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West University (NWU) will be hosting the 29th annual conference of the Society for Student Counselling in South Africa (SSCSA).

The Conference will take place during the week of 17 September to 21 September 2007, and delegates from all over Southern Africa as well as countries such as Britain, Sweden, Australia and America are expected to attend.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Student Counselling: A positive proactive view on the future”. Since its inception in 1978, the SSCSA - as a service organisation - contributed to set a platform for student counsellors, of whom many are professional psychologists from tertiary institutions, to ensure the highest level of professionalism and international benchmarking.

One of the important functions of Counselling Services on tertiary level is the area of career guidance and career preparation. In an effort to empower students, sound relationships with potential employers are built while placing job advertisements on student web pages, organising career fairs, preparing students for job hunting and liaising between potential employees and employers.

A further key area of concern is the important matter of throughput. Counselling Services must give the necessary extra-curricular support to ensure that students’ potential is optimised.

The highlight of the conference will be the Excellence Awards, scheduled to be announced at a gala event that will take place on 21 September. This event will be attended by Dr Theuns Eloff, the Vice-Chancellor of the NWU, the NWU Campus Rectors as well as representatives from other tertiary institutions.

For more information, please contact Mr Harm Stavast on (016) 910 3194 of 083 227 4592.