Bursaries have the potential to assist South Africa in growing its economy and tackling unemployment by opening doors to a credible qualification and a promising career.A partnership between Red & Yellow Creative Business School and Publicis Groupe Africa will see students being awarded bursaries which will equip them with top skills for the creative industry.
The economic challenges of COVID-19, continued lockdown restrictions and a record high unemployment rate of 34.4% in the second quarter of this year, as reported by Statistics South Africa, have impacted the lives of students across the country.
Red & Yellow’s reputation as a Creative School of Business is strongly underpinned by its social promise to ensure that at least 10% of all students have bursaries for full-time studies at its Cape Town campus. In 2019, 15% of students were supported by bursaries and this number was even higher in 2020. Bursaries totalling R7.5m bursaries have been awarded in 2021, 50% of which have been sponsored by corporate brand partnerships with leading corporate companies for better work opportunities and a decent future.
Red & Yellow will roll out the student bursary programme offering full-time Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication and BCom Marketing in association with Unilever degrees for the next three years. Apart from covering tuition fees, Publicis Groupe Africa will also provide students with a monthly stipend for three years as additional financial support together with new laptops, in an effort to remove as many barriers as possible and pave the way to success.
Publicis Groupe Africa will provide mentorship to the bursary recipients. The bursary recipients will need to spend 50% of their vacation time on-site at Publicis, where they will engage in hands-on experiences and reflection.
Cherie Adendorff, Business Relationship Manager at Red &Yellow, said: “We are immensely proud to be part of this amazing partnership and to provide a platform for students to obtain an education.“I feel honoured to be involved in education on a creative level and want to thank Publicis Groupe Africa for being part of this partnership and creating this opportunity for these students.”
Jonty Fisher, Senior Vice President, Publicis Groupe Africa, said: “Thank you to Red & Yellow for assisting us in getting these young stars into your school.“We are thrilled that the students have come a long way and we would like them to grab all the opportunities that present themselves with open arms. Red & Yellow is an incredible school and it is the benchmark of the advertising and marketing industry and produces top new talent.”
Bukho Mkhabe said: “I am very excited to start studying towards my BCom Marketing degree at Red & Yellow and to use my qualification to learn many skills at Publicis Groupe Africa.”
“I’m so excited to learn from people who have been in the industry for years. I am so appreciative to Publicis, I’m over the moon to work with them and so thankful that they chose me”, said Shaylin Herring, a bursary recipient for Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
Bursary recipient, Amy Gajjar, said: “My advice to current and future students is that anything is possible in life with hard work and dedication. This bursary is a clear example, and if students can trust the process, they can achieve their dreams.Thank you to Red & Yellow and Publicis Groupe Africa for this fantastic opportunity. I look forward to working with and being mentored by some of the best people in the creative industry.”
