Candice Eaton Gaul responds to a few questions from a Masters student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. This student is conducting research on determining the success of the Thuthuka project through an assessment of its project financing and management of funds. See the questions and Candy’s responses on behalf of RSM Betty & Dickson (Jhb) below.

1. What are your expectations on the program?

When we initially decided to get involved with Thuthuka, the project was only a concept. We believed in the underlying philosophy of the program and decided to get involved as we felt that it would be an effective initiative in regard to the transformation objectives for the profession. We also believed that to be able to offer the Thuthuka students an opportunity to become Trainee Accountants with our firm would be mutually beneficial to both parties. We have certainly found that our expectations of the program have been met in that we have received quality students who have made the transition to young working professionals with ease and confidence.

2. Are you satisfied with how the Thuthuka Program is managed?

We are very satisfied with how the program is managed. Chantyl and her very competent team have succeeded in taking this project from a rough conceptual framework through to the 10 year milestone, and achieving real success in the process. Being the first of its kind, the project has required dynamic leadership and ingenuity in order to be able to address the various obstacles and challenges as they have arisen. The Thuthuka program has always been managed with skill and professionalism.

3. Are you getting a ROI from funding the program?

The return on investment in regard to Thuthuka is a difficult thing to measure as it is not simply monetary. The investment of the donors is a monetary investment, but the return is more complex. The return is how many students you get as Trainee Accountants, it's how those Trainee Accountants can benefit your firm, it's how those Trainee Accountants progress through their careers and in doing so benefit their communities and the greater society, and hopefully our country as a whole.

This program has the ability to change the lives of students who wanted to study towards becoming Chartered Accountants and couldn’t afford to do so. The return on this investment can only be positive to all of the stakeholders. As Thuthuka is so successfully run, we certainly believe we are getting a return on our investment through building our profession in this manner and as the students progress through their careers, other businesses will benefit too. We hope that this kind of initiative will be replicated in other professions. 

4. What determines the success of a project?

There are a number of factors that determine the success of the project which include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. The hands-on involvement of the Thuthuka mentors and the people on the ground at the universities makes a huge difference to the students and in turn the pass rates.
  2. The support that the universities get from SAICA also contributes to the success of the project. Of course a willing pool of stable donors has ensured that the objectives of the project, from a donor perspective, have also remained stable.
  3. On top of the tertiary education that the students receive, they also receive a lot of soft skills training which ensures an easier transition to the workplace once they have finished studying.
  4. Allowing the students to focus on their studies full time by removing financial pressure is imperative.
  5. The students themselves, in each university, form a cohesive group and very much support and encourage each other. This certainly has an impact on the success of the project.

 

Candice Eaton Gaul

Head of HR and Labour Consulting