Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof. Pamela Dube congratulating the Department of Education as well as the class of 2024 top achievers at the well-done function.

On 17 January 2025, the Free State Department of Education celebrated the class of 2024 top achievers at the well-done ceremony held at the CUT’s famous Boet Troskie Hall. The top 100 learners are from Thabo Mofutsanya, Motheo, and Lejweleputswa districts. The 91% pass rate saw the province securing position one (1) with four of its districts in the top ten positions among the 77 districts nationally.

In her address, Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof. Pamela Dube congratulated the Department of Education for consistently producing outstanding results that exceeded national targets and commended top matriculants for their hard work. “Congratulations on your exceptional achievements.  We have set aside university funds for student bursaries and scholarships to support ‘A’ students and other excellently performing students.   The university is offering 10 scholarships to the top matriculants to study at CUT in the 2025 academic year.

All you must do is approach the Office of the Registrar with your excellent results and leave your details,” she said.

She applauded governing bodies, parent associations, and the tireless efforts of competent and hardworking school principals, educators, and department officials. She also expressed the University's gratitude to Premier Macqueen Letsoha-Mathae and MEC Mamiki Maboya for their sterling leadership and support for the future of young people in the province. She also shared the University’s ambitious goals of achieving 50 percent enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programmes. 

“The university believes that a strong partnership with schools, supported by the Provincial Government, could help the university align its core business with national priorities to produce graduates with the critical skills needed to tackle the challenges of unemployment and skill shortages among youth.”

Prof. Dube further spoke about CUT’s partnership with Samsung Campus Initiative, which aims to train CUT students in coding, programming, and artificial intelligence. This partnership has had a significant impact on CUT students, equipping them with in-demand knowledge and skills relevant to technologies that contribute to the development of South Africa’s digital economy.

“Through NEMISA CoLab, thousands of youths, including learners, are being trained in various IT skills, which has a profound impact on communities. This partnership is about preparing schoolchildren for the future. In 2024, about 1,369 participants completed training through the Microsoft Digital Literacy and Data Science 101 programmes. The essential knowledge in digital literacy and specialised technology courses they gain equip them for the rapidly evolving technological landscape,” she concluded.

Uploaded: 17 January 2025