Quirk Education has donated more than R50 000 worth of courses to the Southern Africa Sustainable Development Initiative (SASDI), an organisation that focuses on fundraising, project management and leadership development within impoverished communities.

Eight University of Cape Town students working with SASDI have enrolled in Quirk Education’s Quirk Certificate Course in eMarketing - the most relevant form of digital accreditation in and outside the marketing industry.

Founded with the production of the first edition of Quirk Education’s textbook in 2008, the institution expanded in 2009 to the provision of courses, offering an eMarketing accreditation in 2009 and running as a distance learning provider in early 2010.

The purely online course – endorsed by University of Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development - is completed over a period of 10 weeks and covers every facet of eMarketing, giving both professionals and students the opportunity to learn how to practically apply holistic Internet marketing tactics to their business.

SASDI founder and Chairman Dr Ian Corbett says the organisation aims to give the eight students first-hand experience of working on live projects to garner skills not readily available at tertiary education institutions.

“Our objective is to equip young adults with process skills they normally do not get from a university course which they can use in developing their own projects, businesses and careers going forward.”

Corbett says: “This year we are focusing on developing the SASDI brand as well as our capability to communicate about our projects with a wider audience. Through this we hope to be able to attract more support for our projects.”

Lyndi Lawson, Managing Director of Quirk Education says: “Social responsibility has always been the driving factor behind our work ethos at Quirk. Rob Stokes, founder of Quirk, has always maintained that education is the foundation of success. Of course, much of the Quirk Education team heralds from UCT and we are thrilled to be aiding students from our alma mater, while possibly making a difference to the people who benefit from SASDI’s work.

“We hope that each UCT student will take the knowledge gained from our course and put it into practice in a very real sense for the benefit of SASDI, taking our philosophy of ‘each one, teach one’ back to the communities in which they work.”

Corbett says: “Our students are looking for a dynamic, practical experience with tangible benefits delivered at the end of the course both to themselves and the communities they work in. The students taking the eMarketing course are mainly from overseas, but every one of our students has one thing in common – their focus is not on themselves, they are looking at the bigger picture and exploring ways to make a positive contribution.”
 
Each student enrolled in the course will share their capabilities with children and communities around Cape Town, says Corbett.

“I am sure that the skills they learn through the Quirk eMarketing course will be shared widely. We need to be able to continue the great work that the students are going to be doing once they return to their home universities. Together we are developing capabilities SASDI hopes will make a lasting difference in lives all over the world.”

Why Choose Quirk?

Who better to learn from than the experts? We compile our knowledge of the industry, ongoing research and our experience with our clients into part-time courses that teach you the eMarketing theory and how you can apply it to your own business. Whether you’re a professional looking to learn how to integrate eMarketing tactics into your business, or a student wanting to further your education and gain an edge in the competitive job market, Quirk Education has a course to take your career in Marketing to the next level.

The Quirk Learning Centre

The course students, lecturers and convenors interact via the Quirk Education Learning centre – an online platform designed to facilitate easy communication. Academic support will be provided to the students via the discussion forum and the course convenors can be contacted via email or telephone.

Materials, released in modules, usually comprise of:

•    Course notes in PDF format
•    Practice quizzes
•    Case studies
•    Online discussion forum
•    Video tutorials
•    Weekly assignments
•    Recommended reading lists

So if there was ever anything you wanted to know about eMarketing, then you will be sure to find a course which suits your current level of understanding, interests and needs. Visit our course page for more information on the courses currently on offer. Alternatively you can contact the Quirk Education team at 021 462 7353 or education@quirk.biz.