The certificate ceremony took place at Tshwane Leadership and Management Academy, Premos in Pretoria West. It celebrated the achievements of the 49 managers who participated in the programme and showcased the 30 distinctions that were attained.

The Middle Management Programme was customised for the needs of the City of Tshwane by the University of Pretoria’s School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) and presented under the auspices of the Tshwane Leadership and Management Academy.

The Municipal Management Development Programme for Middle Managers was presented with the aim of equipping municipal officials with the necessary working knowledge to carry out their jobs effectively in pursuit of the vision and mission of the Municipal Council by means of the accelerated programme of interactive practical training. The course covered a range of topics, to name a few: Local Government Legislation; Strategic Management in Local Government; Integrated Development Planning and Management.

The programme was coordinated though Continuing Education at University of Pretoria Trust (CE at UP Trust), an established and well-known supplier of continuing education programmes across a diverse spectrum of study fields.

According to Deon Herbst, CEO of CE at UP Trust, critical skills shortages are being experienced both within the public and private sectors.

“A recent study showed that the critical skills crisis is compromising competitiveness and spurring poorer service, inhibiting South Africa from responding positively to changing market conditions, both locally and abroad. CE at UP’s focus is on the alleviation of skills shortages and the enhancement of sustainable economic growth,” he added.

CE at UP Trust offers more than 400 short courses within 21 fields of study in response to skills development needs in both the public and the private sectors.

According to Dr Namane Magau, Tshwane Leadership and Management Academy Executive, the Municipality’s leaders and senior Managers identified a need for leadership and management development programmes that are responsive to the strategic needs of the city.

“It is important to support the creation and extension of a pool of executives, senior managers and technical people to achieve the goals of Tshwane as a global competitive city,” she said.

The School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) is part of the distinguished Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences of the University of Pretoria and is a leader in Public Management and Administration training and research programmes. The School, under the Directorship of Professor J Kuye and Programme Manager Professor David J Fourie, offers a comprehensive portfolio of training courses to public officials.