Our training advisors and consultants are the backbone of support for our students.
What makes them tick? And what makes them love what they do? We sat down to chat with Alvino Arrison of Bellville, to find out why the Boston TA’s are so passionate about what they do.
Tell us a bit about Boston and the institutions values?
Boston City Campus is a student-centered institution of Higher Education. Our primary goal is to improve the lives of students and graduates by making them marketable as work-ready employees. We do this through operating a tech-based platform that enables anytime anywhere online applications, registrations, learning, and assessment. We also do this through achieving both local as well as international accreditation for our qualifications; by having a large national footprint enabling students to remain at home and/or work while they study, saving costs of time, travel and accommodation as well as allowing them to continue to contribute in the home; by using AI (artificial intelligence) to monitor their progress continuously, and by using human interaction when the AI alerts us that a student needs enhanced supervision and assistance.
- What does a Training Advisor do at the college?
As a leading provider of tertiary education in South Africa, Boston believes that just offering qualifications is only half of its job – the other half is ensuring that its students have the knowledge and support to make the right career choice. Boston is very focussed on ensuring a match between interests and skills, to a career or industry. As training advisors, we believe firmly that when a student is guided towards the correct qualification that is appropriate to his or her interests, as well as ability, time constraints and financial commitment, the chance of success in the qualification and subsequent career and/or employment increases significantly.
My job is to assist with this guidance and supervise the student until they successfully graduate. I am involved with the student from before decision making until graduation, it is a very rewarding and fulfilling job for me. We also make use of a career guidance tool called “Career Compass”; through which Boston provides prospective students with the opportunity to discover more about themselves, their talents, and what kind of careers they would be best suited to.
- Boston has international accreditation -tell us some more?
Boston is recognised and awarded accreditation as an Independent Higher Education Institution with the British Accreditation Council (BAC). The BAC currently accredits more than 230 institutions in 19 countries. Boston is also a candidate for the accreditation of specific programmes by the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programmes (ACBSP), Unites States, America. South Africa is part of a global online economy and work-force, international accreditation levels the playing fields when our grads interact with international workforces. And should graduates relocate, their qualifications travel with them!
- Being online, especially now in the pandemic, how does Boston make sure students receive your celebrated ‘ personal attention’?
Our job is getting the students through to graduation. We also understand that students have a background with different experiences of learning, and are therefore starting at different points in their journey. To this end, we have many ways that a student can ask for assistance including phone calls, emails, skype calls, and WhatsApp groups. Help is always available thanks to Boston’s continued use of technology-based training with academic staff at the other end of the click of a button.
To enhance students’ rate of success we have developed a specially designed pro-active monitoring and mentoring educational system, designed to support online learning.
What does this mean for a student? It means that you have access to assistance with your coursework. It means you can get your queries answered by your assigned tutor, either in person, via email, telephonically, or via skype. It means you only progress in your coursework as you master the work that has been completed. It means you can get topics explained and re-explained until you are satisfied. It is a proactive system, which will actively monitor every learner. Training Advisors are always available to students and will refer them to the correct department when necessary.
I always welcome students to chat with me, and they are also welcome to make an appointment (Covid19 regulations) and see me in the college should they feel that they wish to do an in-person application or query.
In essence, my job excites me and seeing students register and watching them through to graduation excites me!
