Career Discovery

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and rapid changes brought about by these compel students, graduates, and lecturing staff to continue to discover career interests and suitability. At the ACG, students, graduates, and lecturers are encouraged to discover, review, and determine levels of career or occupational suitability to existing and future careers.

The PXT assessment is a battery of tests readily available to 100 students, graduates, or lecturers from member colleges and universities at no cost. Quotes are available for assessments to more individuals or for interested professionals from non-members.

Click on the link provided from the website to get more information about the PXT assessment and other leadership development interventions available through the ACG stable.

Thought Leadership

Leadership and stewardship are centric to the advancement of world-class African scholarship. In the 21st century, a lot is expected from African universities to provide leadership in areas such as:

• Clean and renewable energy;
• Work of leaders and building cohesive teams;
• Shape your personality, habits, and ability to take instructions for your new job, internship, or vacation work;
• Organic means to purify or desalinate water and make it accessible to communities;
• Solutions for climate change and global warming;
• Organic farming, sustainable and responsible mining;
• Other innovations from the continent to save and serve the planet.

Member countries, colleges, universities, and individuals are encouraged to join the Thought Leadership Series to build a cadre of industrial and manufacturing prowess through sustainable practices. These are series where heads of state, vice chancellors, CEOs, and Managing Directors participate to bolster Africa’s innovative solutions to global problems and challenges.

There are two series held per year per category, and members are encouraged to take advantage of this membership benefit to interact with global champions in sustainable industrialization and green manufacturing practices.

Career Readiness

All students, graduates, and lecturers from member countries, colleges, and universities have the rare opportunity to partake in the monthly Career Readiness programmes. These are earmarked to prepare and position prospective interns and vacation work participants to build the necessary skills to transition to the world of work.

Sessions are offered by industry experts and professionals who have acquired experience in their fields. Many of these have distinguished careers working in related industries, occupations, and/or professions.

Join the ACG webinars to learn more on the following workplace entry essential skills:

• Build a winning bio or resume or portfolio of your personality, skills, and special qualities;
• Training to handle a job interview effectively and secure the desired appointment;
• Shape your personality, habits, and ability to take instructions for your new job, internship, or vacation work;
• Derive networking techniques, qualities, and secrets to receive your next promotion to a better you and better earnings;
• Understand induction, interpret workplace policies, decipher labour relations legislation, and fathom the dos and don’ts of the workplace;
• Scan your work environment, understand the work and supervision style of your mentor, and dress to fit your workplace’s corporate culture.

More topics will be added, and you can see video clips of our recent or previous sessions for your ease of reference. Do not miss out.

First Impression

Take the cue from your mentor, supervisor, and manager to put your best foot forward. The workplace is quite unforgiving when it comes to hiring expectations. You only have a single chance to make the right impression to secure that desired job.

First Impression sessions will prepare students and graduates from member countries, colleges, and universities on the following:

• Dress relevant to your advertised position;
• How to ace an interview with appropriate body language and eye contact;
• Give appropriate responses to interview questions;
• Deliver relevant presentations and leave a lasting impression.

These sessions are tailor-made for specific job interviews. Member countries, colleges, and universities can request them monthly for 1–10 participants. The sessions are coupled with a clothing library stocked with designer suits for female and male prospective employees.

You have a chance to get an appropriate outfit for your interview. Connect with ACG and submit proof of your interview confirmation by the employer to participate and receive the suitable outfit for that interview.

ACG is grateful to its sponsors and contributors to the clothing library. Special thanks to Dr. Wongiwe Ludidi who started the programme in 2020.

Lecturer Development

To change a nation or a continent, we need to invest in the retraining and continuous development of lecturing staff at colleges and universities. The ACG Lecturer Development Programme is an induction, orientation, and exposure series to help lecturers stay ahead of the changing world of work landscape.

The programme includes the following:

• Quarterly workplace visits to gain exposure to industry changes;
• Motivation and leadership series to transform mindsets and motivate lecturers;
• Exchange programmes to lecture abroad at other member colleges and universities;
• Lecturer and industry expert interviews to create formal networks;
• Sustainable and responsible mining;

To achieve a world-class lecturing capacity, the top 200 African universities in the UNIRANK global rankings need to make appropriate investments in lecturers and introduce them to entrepreneurship opportunities. Join the ACG to partake and secure this much-needed benefit.

Innovations

An annual student innovation challenge with prestigious prizes is open for prototypes from students and graduates from member countries, colleges, and universities. Students are encouraged to apply through the ACG website and submit the applicable forms signed by the head of department from their home college or university.

Prototypes can come from various categories, but preference will be given to the following areas:

• Clean and renewable energy
• Organic means to purify or desalinate water and make it accessible to communities
• Solutions to mitigate climate change and global warming
• Organic farming and next-generation farming with less land, less water, and greater yields
• Sustainable and responsible mining
• Green and sustainable building methods that can withstand tremors, fire, and floods
• Waste-to-energy solutions
• Other innovations from the continent to save and serve the planet

Awards

ACG manages and hosts annual awards to recognize member countries, colleges, and universities who excel in their fields. Thanks to our generous partners, sponsors, and funders for their contributions to make these awards possible.

Send an email to awards@africagraduatecouncil.org to get more information about various award categories. Click on the awards link to apply for the award relevant to your area of interest and specialization.

Prizes of up to $100,000 are available from the pool of partners, sponsors, and funders who support our work.

AU Agenda 2063

The African Council for Graduates has distinguished itself as an agency for the promotion and support of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 programme. All universities and colleges in the African continent are mobilized and challenged to implement the goals of the Agenda 2063 programme for a wealthier, peaceful, and sustainable Africa.

Countries, colleges, and universities are challenged to share best practices in fulfillment of the Agenda 2063 goals. Participate in our special webinars, regional forums, and annual continental conference to recognize champions in this programme.

To get more information on the programme, do not hesitate to email us at: agenda2063@africagraduatecouncil.org

Top 200 Universities

ACG’s baseline for the development of employable graduates and world-class entrepreneurs who earn through local and export markets is derived from the Top 200 Universities list published annually by the UniRank website.

Free membership is made available to the Top 200 universities in Africa for a month from May 1–31, 2022. This is a Presidential reward from Mr. Thamsanqa Maqubela in observance of Africa Day.

Work Abroad

ACG mobilise member countries, colleges and universities to work abroad to gain international skills and secure new markets for innovations from the African continent. Through the work abroad campaign, the ACG seek to promote the mobility of professionals and entrepreneurs from the African countries to have a special visa to travel across the continent in an effort to implement the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).

To this end, we seek partners, sponsors and funders to build a pipeline and database of investors, industrialists, philanthropists, manufacturers and professionals to boost intra-African trade and manufacturing capabilities.

For more information, email us at: acfta@africagraduatecouncil.org

All member countries, colleges and universities are encouraged to showcase a quarterly report on how they advance the implementation of the ACFTA.