Bright Minds, Bright Future

For the economy to grow, businesses need graduates whose skills match their needs. Producing these graduates is the core focus of Stefan Ferreira, CEO of the Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology.

- Stefan Ferreira

Studying simply for the sake of studying can lead graduates down the blind alley of being jobless with a degree. Instead, Ferreira and his national team of academics and campus managers strive to mould graduates capable of entering the workplace and making a contribution from the outset.

Formerly PC Training and Business College, Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology turns 30 this year. With some 20 000 students receiving vocational education at campuses throughout South Africa, including Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Pretoria as well as smaller towns like Ladysmith and Richards Bay, the Institute maintains a strong focus on information technology education and training. The Institute is majority-owned by Ninety One (formerly Investec Private Equity), which also owns the AAA School of Advertising.

As Richfield moves into the future, it’s essential to remain agile and focused. For this reason, Richfield hosts curriculum design innovation forums where top academics gather to ensure the Institute’s study programmes remain on the cusp of the latest technological and educational advances.

“It is a very entrepreneurial culture so that means we can pivot and adapt a lot more quickly than others with the rate the world is changing and especially in the IT space,” says Ferreira.

“We have support from the best academics around the country. We get them together a few times every year to evaluate our courses and develop new courses. It’s kind of a superpower —the best in the industry are working with us to ensure we are at the top of our game and that we continue to provide the best quality education,” he adds.