The University of the Western Cape (UWC), in partnership with the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA) invites interested and suitably qualified candidates to apply for an Administrative Internship opportunity within the Office of the Wholesale & Retail Leadership Chair in the Western Cape. This Work-Integrated Learning internship is designed to provide practical workplace exposure to students completing qualifications in fields related to wholesale and retail management, business administration, management, marketing, logistics or supply chain management.

The internship supports operational, administrative and research coordination activities linked to sector development initiatives focusing on entrepreneurship, transformation and sustainability within the wholesale and retail environment. Responsibilities include assisting with meeting coordination, stakeholder engagement activities, data collection support, documentation management, report preparation and general office administration while gaining valuable experience within a higher education and skills development environment.

Position Title: Administrative Intern (TVET / CET)
Programme Type: Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Internship
Department: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
Host Office: Wholesale & Retail Leadership Chair – Western Cape
Duration: Fixed-term internship
Stipend: R9,000 per month
Closing Date: 15 May 2026 at 17:00

Overview of the Administrative Internship Opportunity

The Administrative Internship opportunity within the Office of the Wholesale & Retail Leadership Chair provides structured workplace exposure designed to support development of administrative coordination, stakeholder engagement facilitation and research support competencies within a higher education and sector skills development environment. The internship contributes to strengthening professional readiness of students completing qualifications aligned with wholesale and retail sector development priorities through participation in project coordination activities supporting entrepreneurship, transformation and sustainability initiatives within the Western Cape region.

The internship forms part of a collaborative initiative between the University of the Western Cape and the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority aimed at strengthening sector research capacity, improving industry partnerships and supporting knowledge generation within the wholesale and retail environment. Participation provides exposure to institutional coordination systems supporting sector-focused research projects, stakeholder engagement activities and programme implementation frameworks aligned with national skills development priorities within retail and commerce sectors.

Purpose of the Internship Programme

Primary objectives associated with the Administrative Internship include:

• Supporting operational coordination activities within the Leadership Chair
• Assisting administrative workflow management processes
• Supporting stakeholder engagement coordination activities
• Supporting organisation of sector workshops and learning sessions
• Supporting research-related coordination activities
• Assisting maintenance of documentation systems
• Supporting compilation of knowledge outputs
• Supporting communication processes with stakeholders
• Strengthening administrative readiness within higher education environments
• Supporting development of workplace organisational competencies

The internship programme supports integration of theoretical learning with applied administrative practice within research-focused institutional environments.

Role of the Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair

The Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair supports sector development initiatives through:

• Strengthening research capacity within wholesale and retail industries
• Supporting skills development coordination frameworks
• Facilitating collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners
• Supporting entrepreneurship development initiatives
• Promoting transformation objectives within sector participation frameworks
• Supporting sustainability initiatives aligned with industry priorities
• Strengthening sector knowledge dissemination activities
• Supporting development of innovation within wholesale and retail value chains

Participation within the Leadership Chair environment provides exposure to strategic coordination activities supporting sector transformation initiatives.

Administrative Coordination Responsibilities

Administrative coordination duties include:

• Providing administrative support to Leadership Chair programme activities
• Supporting coordination of project-related documentation
• Assisting scheduling of meetings across project teams
• Supporting diary management for programme coordination activities
• Maintaining structured filing systems for operational documentation
• Supporting coordination of stakeholder communication processes
• Supporting preparation of correspondence documentation
• Assisting tracking of programme implementation activities

Administrative coordination responsibilities strengthen operational efficiency within research programme environments.

Meeting Coordination Responsibilities

Meeting-related duties include:

• Scheduling stakeholder engagement sessions
• Coordinating meeting logistics arrangements
• Supporting preparation of meeting documentation
• Recording meeting minutes during sessions
• Supporting tracking of follow-up actions arising from meetings
• Supporting distribution of meeting documentation to stakeholders

Meeting coordination responsibilities support structured communication across programme participants.

Stakeholder Engagement Support Responsibilities

Stakeholder coordination duties include:

• Supporting organisation of stakeholder workshops
• Assisting preparation of learning session materials
• Supporting logistics coordination for engagement events
• Supporting communication with sector stakeholders
• Maintaining stakeholder contact databases
• Supporting participation tracking for engagement sessions

Stakeholder engagement support strengthens collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners.

Filing System Management Responsibilities

Documentation management duties include:

• Maintaining electronic filing systems
• Maintaining physical documentation archives
• Supporting retrieval of programme documentation
• Supporting organisation of stakeholder records
• Supporting maintenance of project-related databases
• Supporting document classification procedures

Documentation management responsibilities support accuracy and accessibility of institutional records.

Data Collection Support Responsibilities

Research coordination duties include:

• Supporting survey coordination activities
• Assisting preparation of data collection tools
• Supporting participation tracking for research activities
• Supporting interview coordination processes
• Assisting organisation of research datasets
• Supporting documentation of research findings

Data collection support strengthens research coordination within sector development initiatives.

Procurement Support Responsibilities

Procurement-related duties include:

• Supporting preparation of procurement documentation
• Assisting coordination of purchasing requests
• Supporting tracking of procurement processes
• Supporting documentation submission procedures
• Assisting monitoring of procurement compliance requirements

Procurement coordination responsibilities support operational readiness within project implementation environments.

Reporting and Documentation Responsibilities

Reporting-related duties include:

• Assisting compilation of project reports
• Supporting preparation of presentations
• Supporting preparation of knowledge dissemination outputs
• Supporting documentation of programme activities
• Assisting formatting of institutional reports
• Supporting submission of reporting documentation

Reporting responsibilities support monitoring of programme implementation progress.

Communication and Office Support Responsibilities

Communication-related duties include:

• Responding to stakeholder queries
• Supporting coordination of communication with project teams
• Supporting preparation of official correspondence
• Supporting organisation of office documentation
• Supporting workflow coordination within programme offices

Communication support strengthens administrative responsiveness within Leadership Chair operations.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must possess a qualification in one of the following fields:

• Wholesale and Retail Management
• Business Administration
• Management
• Marketing
• Logistics
• Supply Chain Management
• Related qualification field aligned with programme objectives

Qualification alignment supports readiness for participation in administrative coordination environments supporting sector development initiatives.

Computer Literacy Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Basic MS Word proficiency
• Basic MS Excel proficiency
• Basic MS PowerPoint proficiency
• Basic MS Outlook proficiency

Computer literacy supports participation in documentation preparation and communication coordination activities.

Communication Skills Requirements

Communication competencies include:

• Good written communication ability
• Good verbal communication ability
• Ability to prepare professional documentation
• Ability to support stakeholder engagement communication
• Ability to respond to administrative queries effectively

Communication skills support coordination across multidisciplinary programme teams.

Organisational Skills Requirements

Organisational competencies include:

• Ability to manage multiple administrative tasks
• Ability to maintain documentation accuracy
• Ability to coordinate stakeholder engagement schedules
• Ability to manage deadlines effectively
• Ability to maintain structured filing systems

Organisational readiness supports performance within structured research programme environments.

Teamwork and Time Management Responsibilities

Coordination-related competencies include:

• Ability to collaborate with project teams
• Ability to support multidisciplinary coordination activities
• Ability to prioritise administrative tasks effectively
• Ability to manage time across multiple programme activities
• Ability to support workflow continuity within project environments

Teamwork competencies strengthen coordination within academic and sector research initiatives.

Added Advantage Requirements

Additional background strengthening application competitiveness includes:

• Exposure to wholesale and retail sector environments
• Understanding of higher education institutional coordination systems
• Familiarity with skills development sector frameworks
• Basic knowledge of research methodologies
• Exposure to data collection coordination processes

Additional competencies support readiness for participation in sector research environments.

Professional Competencies Required

Professional attributes supporting internship success include:

• Attention to detail within documentation preparation
• Accuracy in administrative coordination tasks
• Willingness to learn within research coordination environments
• Initiative in supporting programme implementation activities
• Professional conduct within academic institutional settings
• Reliability in meeting reporting deadlines
• Adaptability within multidisciplinary project environments
• Strong interpersonal interaction capability

Professional competencies support effective participation within Leadership Chair programme coordination environments.

Workplace Learning Outcomes

Participation in the internship programme supports development of:

• Administrative coordination capability within academic research environments
• Stakeholder engagement facilitation skills
• Documentation management competencies
• Research coordination exposure
• Knowledge dissemination support skills
• Programme reporting experience
• Sector collaboration awareness within wholesale and retail environments
• Institutional workflow coordination understanding

Workplace learning outcomes strengthen employability within education, research and sector development environments.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit the following documentation:

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae
• Proof of registration for the current academic year
• Certified copies of qualifications
• Certified academic records
• Names and contact details of at least two referees

Applications must be submitted via email for attention:

• Itebogeng Masibigiri
• Email: imasibigiri@wrseta.org.za
• Applications must be submitted before: 15 May 2026 at 17:00

Only applications meeting minimum requirements and submission guidelines will be considered during the selection process for participation in the Administrative Internship within the Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair programme.