Three CUT students, Deliverance Kgonyane, BTech: Information Technology, Gareth Gericke, BTech: Electrical Engineering and Portia Naledi Thothela, BTech: Information Technology were announced among the top 100 South African tertiary students at the GradStar programme.

The GradStar programme is a uniquely developed programme that focuses on quality connections, and compliments existing employer programmes. It is designed to provide previously unrecognised students with opportunities for employment and allows them to contribute positively to South Africa’s future growth. These university students show the best potential as the country’s future leaders, and their assessment throughout the process is conducted by key assessment providers Khonology, employers and universities.

Apart from their excellent academic performances, the top 100 students are selected based on their leadership skills and readiness for the workplace, and the programme culminates in employer workshops with students in different career fields.

The competition process is designed to match the process that top employers use to find their future candidates and uses behavioural testing and personal interviews to select the cream of the crop where students will ultimately be connected with business mentors who will further ensure that their careers start on a solid foundation.

Winners were judged on self-motivation, problem-solving, responsiveness, Innovation, discipline, altruism, self-confidence, leadership, attitude, logical thinking, written communication skills, general knowledge, punctuality, appearance, social interaction skills, presentations skills.

The GradStar programme was sponsored by DHL, IBM, Comair, Accenture, Fasken and Epiroc, and set up by BlackBark Productions (creators of the Rising Star Awards)

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Gareth Gericke, BTech: Electrical Engineering and Deliverance Kgonyane; BTech: Information Technology (Portia Naledi Thothela, BTech: Information Technology could not join the GradStar photoshoot, she was travelling).