Innovation and entrepreneurship education has become a movement amongst Universities of Technology (UoTs) with the intention of turning more graduates from job seekers into wealth creators of cities and regions. In 2016, CUT and partners from government, business and industry launched the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy, five years after the adoption of its Vision 2020.

On 31 March 2017, the University officially launched the idea generator, aimed at introducing a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among its community. The idea generator is envisaged to serve as a developmental hub where students and staff will work in small groups in support of experts and lecturers to unlock their creative minds and develop their ideas into commercial products. On 30 June 2017, CUT Idea Generator in partnership with the CUT Community Engagement Unit (CE), Schools Advancement Academy (SAA) and Youth Managers Foundation (YMF) hosted 30 learners from Dr Blok Secondary and Bainsvlei Combined Schools in Mangaung to participate in the CUT Entrepreneurial Game- the Valu-E Game. The Valu-E Game was developed and facilitated by CUT staff members in the Faculties of Management Sciences. The main objective of the game is to stimulate the learners’ creativity and teach them basic skills associated with entrepreneurship such as problem-solving, management and negotiation skills. 

 

The initiative also serves as part of school and learner development initiatives. The activities consisted of group games where learners learned the management skills and accounting systems. In one game, learners had to complete a puzzle game as fast as possible while on the other they learnt about the accounting system of a virtual factory and shop, producing and selling vetkoeks. Other sponsors are Interstate Bus Lines and Nedbank. 

Images 

1: CUT Staff representing the CUT Idea Generator Unit, Community Engagement Unit (CE), Schools Advancement Academy (SAA)) and YMF (Youth Managers Foundation (YMF)) engaging in the VALU-E Game learning experience. 

2: Learners from Dr Blok and Bainsvlei Schools taking part in the VALU-E game to learn management skills at a workshop presented at the CUT IDEA GYMNASIUM. Uploaded: 02 August 2017