The Mentorship Programme












NEED STATEMENT

"South African learners in the final years of high school need to be provided with the correct guidance and information about tertiary studies and opportunities beyond high school, in order to have a smooth and successful transition from high school into the world beyond secondary school."

EVIDENCE

In 2019, the South African Minister of Basic Education proudly announced that the pass rate for 2018 matric had risen to 78.2%. Although this result was received with much across the country, a deeper look reveals, according to Statistics South Africa, that only 33.6% of the 78.2% who graduated from high school in 2018 qualified for admission for a bachelor degree study at a university in South Africa. Even worse, it is estimated that about 50% of those admitted in university drop out within their first year of study. This is at best a 50% loss on yearly investment.

SOLUTION: MENTORSHIP TO BRIDGE THE GAP

  • One on one mentorship - of mentees by accountable university level mentors



  • Matched pairing - between mentees and mentors based on mentee's desired tertiary education field of study



  • Informative workshops - to bridge the knowledge gap



  • Content Focus - on the non-academic aspects of transition to tertiary education (applications, finances, and adaptation)



  • Supplemented Academics - to support the mentee's academic performance (New in 2021)

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE


The Tables below show the typical programme structure for a calendar year of the Phambili Initiative workshops (Table 1), and campus tours (table 2).


Table 1: Workshop Calendar
Table 2: Campus Tours Calendar

Project effectiveness

In 2019, 10 of the 15 learners who were part of the first cohort of mentees in 2017 studies, returned to the programme to comprise what would be the first Core Team of the Phambili Initiative. Seven of them are in the group of 11 people in the image at the top of this page.

To contribute to the Mentorship Programme in any way, monetary or not, get in touch with us at admin@phambilinpc.org or fill the contact form linked in the blue box below.