BCA addresses BA graduate gap at SACLA 2022

At the 51st Annual Conference of the Southern African Computer Lecturers' Association, Joe Newbert, CTO at Business Change Academy, addressed the critical divide facing business analyst graduates between business analysis theory and business analysis practice.

In his plenary keynote address at SACLA 2022, Newbert outlined the expectations of modern business analysis and detailed the disconnect between university programmes and business realities when educating students for a successful business analyst career.

"There is a tangible gap between what students learn in university and that which organisations require, with newly graduated business analysts needing to learn, unlearn and relearn many pivotal aspects of business analysis," says Newbert.

The talk also included BCA's industry research, highlighting problem-solving, communication, proactivity and pragmatism as the key competencies graduates lack yet must possess to transition into the business analyst role.

Asked about the session, Dr Douglas A Parry, Department of Information Science at Stellenbosch University, said: "The session was both engaging and insightful, with attendees continually referring to the points made throughout the conference."

Given this competency gap, organisations must invest in a solid bridging programme to help transition their graduates into the business analyst role and ensure their early professional development results in foundational workplace-ready skills.

Business Change Academy's business analysis training programme bridges the gap between theory and practice by teaching graduate business analysts the fundamental knowledge, skills and abilities to make an impact inside South African organisations.

To learn more about Business Change Academy's business analysis training programme, please e-mail team@bcmg.co.za or view its International Diploma in Business Analysis.