Graduate programmes crucial for students to bridge the gap

Luyanda Sibiya (23) from Pietermaritzburg is a 1st year trainee accountant at the Shoprite Group, which twenty two years ago became the first retailer in South Africa to receive accreditation as a training office from the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Q: What did you study?

A: I hold a Bachelor of Accounting Sciences (BAccSci) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy from Wits.

Q: Where do you work?

A: Normally a 1st year accounting clerk would be based at the Group's Home Office in Brackenfell, but with the Covid-19 crisis I am, like the rest of our office employees, working from home.

Q: What is the best part about working for the Group?

A: I get to work for a large, well-respected company, which provides lots of opportunities to learn and grow as a professional.

Q: What are the challenges you face in your job?

A: The transition from student to working professional is challenging, especially the adjustment to new systems and the business environment. These are things you are not taught in the academic setting. That’s why programmes like these are so important as it helps graduates to successfully bridge the gap.

Q: What advice do you have for current bursary holders?

A: Work hard, manage your time well and try to find a good balance between school work and leisure activities so that you don't burn out.