The first workshop of the third annual Leadership Development Programme (LDP) for School Principals kicked off at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria on Monday, 23 May 2016.

Fifteen principals from the Tshwane South District who had been nominated by the Department of Basic Education (DBE), attended this exclusive leadership development and skills training programme. The programme comprises eight workshops held in the course of the year and is sponsored by Enterprises University of Pretoria (Pty) Ltd (Enterprises UP).

Aimed at equipping the principals with the tools and techniques they need to optimise the strengths of their school teams' unique capabilities while achieving the vision and mission of their schools, the programme ignites a catalytic experience that transforms the principals into drivers of technological and entrepreneurial change.

The delegation of principals was welcomed by Mr Deon Herbst, CEO of Enterprises UP, on the morning of the first workshop. Championing the process of change, his message was one of empowerment: 'If we can empower you as individuals, we empower thousands of other people – your pupils and the community that you actually serve and in which you operate,' he said.

The introductory workshop in leadership training for school principals took place in April 2013 and was attended by 14 nominated principals. It was hosted by Enterprises UP in cooperation with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). This eventually became Enterprises UP's flagship Corporate Social Investment initiative.

Ten of the principals who attended the pilot workshop went on to complete the full programme in September 2014, and a second group of 12 completed the programme successfully in October 2015.

With its significant impact on the quality and outcomes of professional skills development for school principals over the past three years, the third programme was again welcomed and commended by the DBE.

The experiential learning model used in the programme guides each principal through on-the-job action planning and problem-solving processes. This helps them to sharpen their awareness of and apply the knowledge they gain by tackling real-life leadership challenges.

Since the programme is funded by corporate-to-principal sponsorships, organisations and other corporate social investment sponsors can also invest in the sustainable development of the selected principals. They can spend their leadership development budgets on improving and developing individuals' professional skills and also have the opportunity to work in conjunction with these principals to effectively lead change in their schools and communities.

Mr Herbst left the principals with the challenge to adopt Enterprises UP's motto by 'shifting knowledge to insight', and applying that insight to change their schools and communities for the better.

The LDP for School Principals runs until the end of November 2016 when delegates who have completed the programme successfully, will be presented with certificates by the University of Pretoria in recognition of their professional skills development.

For more information on Enterprises UP or to get involved with the LDP for School Principals programme, visit www.enterprises.up.ac.za or contact Hermien Dorfling on 012 434 2616.