Page 11 - KZN Business Sense - 7.5 eBook

INSPIRING NEW GENERATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA

larissa Johnston and get her feedback. We also would
Laura Strugnell, 30 and dial Reem in on Zoom for two
C29 years old respectively, hours, two to three times a week,
have recently returned from the and continue training that way,”
Toyoko Olympic games where she explained.
they competed in the artistic Both Clarissa and Laura stopped
swimming event as a duet. working for July and August 2021
and moved to Johannesburg so
Both swimmers came out
of retirement to qualify and that they could have in person
coaching. Their coach had no
compete for the event while funding from the federation, so
holding down fulltime jobs has coached Clarissa and Laura
for most of the preparation for free while also juggling her
time. The Games was their first own job.
international senior competition
together. The pair were coached The duet’s Olympic goal was
by Vicky Drinkwater and two- Clarissa Johnston and Laura Strugnell (Photo by Lauge Sorensen) to reach scores in the 7s as a
time Egyptian Olympian would fly to Johannesburg to be minimum, which they proudly
Reem Abdalazem. Clarissa Johnston started during the 2010-2011 season with Vicky. The training there achieved. The pair scored 72.1667
synchro at age 12 when her and retired shortly thereafter. in their free routine preliminary
Laura Strugnell started synchro family moved to Durban and This decision meant that was closer to six or eight hours and followed that up with 70.9099
when she was five. She competed synchro was offered at Durban a day. “Honestly, even though I in the technical routine.
in every World Championships Girls College. She swam with they needed to take every didn’t take such a big break from “We got a 72, which is the
opportunity that they had to
between 2011 to 2019. “After Laura on the 13-15 national synchro, this is the hardest I’ve highest score South Africa’s
these last ones, it didn’t seem that team in 2005. In 2007, Clarissa train in order to qualify and ever trained in my whole career,” ever got at a major international
they won both duet events at the
South Africa was going to take was on the senior national said Clarissa. event. “It’s kind of been like a
the Olympic quota, so I retired. I team and competed against South African trials. Laura teaches swimming glass ceiling for South Africa.
found out in February of 2020 that Egypt for the qualifying spot “We both worked from 6am to professionally. “Not having our So whatever generation comes
they were taking the spot, and that at the CANA Africa Olympic about 1pm. Then, we would train coach full time was quite hard. It after us, we’ve set that for them,”
they were going to hold trials,” Trials. After that, she went to until 4pm, and go back home was a lot to juggle. Vicky would concluded Clarissa. 
she explained. As she needed a Lindenwood University in the to work some more. We would give us training programmes
partner, Laura contacted Clarissa United States until 2013. She do that for three weeks or so a that would last three weeks. We (Adapted from an article by Christina
who was also living in Cape Town. swam with Reem on the A team month. Then for one week, we would then send her videos and Marmet www.insidesynchro.org)

ADAPT OR DIE FOR EDUCATION

Dr Ahmed Shaikh, the fact that the transmission major transition, education in The advent of and necessity for participants for a rapidly changing
Managing Director, of knowledge does not have to general, and higher education continual re-skilling will impact job market that requires 21st
REGENT Business be tethered to a fixed location in particular, becomes critical most on the graduate professional century skills and competencies.
School or campus. The technical in this seismic shift because the education segment, which has The trend in economies is to turn
traditionally been structured
affordability of cloud-based
transitions being experienced
H igher computing, Artificial Intelligence- are centred on two essential around one- and two-year from manufacturing to service,
in which most new jobs do not
masters’ degree programmes.
based learning platforms, massive
elements – knowledge and skills.
require advanced education.
graduates will consume this
education open online courses, high-quality In addition, the pace of the decay A widely held view is that such Rather, human skill in creativity,
streaming video, and ‘just-in-
of knowledge has increased
institutions time’ information gathering significantly. In the past, a lifelong learning in short spurts imagination and problem-solving
will become key differentiators in
have long have pushed vast amounts of university student would enrol when they need it, rather than in a hybrid workforce that involves
been knowledge to the ‘placeless’ World for a degree, graduate, and live relatively lengthier blocks of time
considered Wide Web. This has sparked a off the knowledge obtained for as is the case presently. collaboration between human
to be the repositories of knowledge re-examination of the role of at least 10 years. Today, by the Equally, there appear to be many talent and technology in the form
of smart machines and robots.
and learning and the structures contemporary higher education time a qualification is achieved, trends, pressures, and concerns
through which knowledge is institutions within society. the knowledge and competencies Finally, in conceding that
produced and disseminated. that society through its political education in general and higher
Developments including the need to be refreshed. and economic leadership is education in particular are on
They have survived sweeping globalisation of services work, Without world-class expertise imposing on higher education
societal changes created by the increasing value of domain in our domain, we are reduced institutions. the brink of huge disruptions,
two questions have become
technology – the moveable-type expertise, rapid developments to being commodities. As In today’s job market there is an paramount. What should young
printing press, previous industrial in educational technology and these pools of deep knowledge increasing need for training and people be learning? And what
revolutions, information and the rise of online open courses around the world are connected,
communication technologies, are creating both challenges and the phenomenon of collective retraining of individuals. credentials will indicate that they
would be ready for the workforce?
electronic media and computers. opportunities for incumbents intelligence is beginning to Thus, a focus on job-oriented We believe that in order to remain
as well as new entrants. The education and on economic
Today, however, higher unbundling of research, emerge. While this idea is not participation is driving an relevant, higher education will
education institutions appear educational delivery, content and new, it is only in the last decade emphasis on relevance or on what have to fundamentally reorganise
to be susceptible to technology that we have become so richly its current (post-industrial) model
disruption as much as other block chain certification means connected through technology can be called vocationalism – and engage in deep curriculum
that new business models and
and thus changing the demand
information-centric industries ways of engaging students will that collective intelligence is structure for higher education reform in order to match the skills
such as the news media, be at the heart of future higher moving from a dream to reality. with profound effects on the revolution required for a complex
magazines and journals, This is a major shift in who we and uncertain future. 
encyclopaedias, music, movies education landscape. are, our human identity, and in support of, demand for, and
appropriate preparation of
and TV. This can be reflected in With the world in a state of how we learn. www.regent.ac.za

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