In addition to this SAPOA is launching a brand new Property Management Programme which consists of 28 modules that will run over a 12 month period.

“SAPOA has always placed an emphasis on education, not only as part of the transformation process but as a pivotal contribution to enriching the commercial and industrial property industry,” says SAPOA Education Committee Chair, Professor Francois Viruly.

This year, he adds, a key thrust will be on updating and enhancing SAPOA’s respected introductory and intermediate level courses.

The first step will be to standardize courses nationally to ensure consistent content and teaching irrespective of which city delegates take the program.

“Our intention is to use the same standard of training material in our courses from Polokwane to Cape Town,” explains SAPOA human resources development manager Margie Chessman.

The second step will be to assess and refine course material to reflect industry changes.

“New trends and developments in the wider industry need to be included in the curriculum to keep the material current fresh and relevant,” says Chessman.

“Topics we’ve already identified for inclusion include the Property Charter, green building principles and energy efficiencies.
Another innovation will be the move to outcomes-based learning based on a more interactive teaching style with a strong emphasis on case studies and other real life situations.

“Teaching has traditionally used a ‘chalk and talk’ approach, or a lecturing style,” says Chessman.

“We believe students will respond positively to a more engaging, discursive style that uses real situations and real material to speak debate and discuss.”

At the same time, SAPOA intends to beef up the assessment process to ensure that employers can quantify a return on investment and to produce competent, knowledgeable candidates for the industry.

“Students will do a competency test at the end of the each module, as well as a final test at the end of the course,” she adds.

The switch to an outcomes-based methodology means that SAPOA will be better placed to align its courses with the new Commercial Property unit standards and support the objectives of the national skills development strategy.
 
No changes are planned, though, for SAPOA’s flagship and often oversubscribed Property Development Programme (PDP) held at the University of Cape Town annually.