STADIO Higher Education and the Department of Military Veterans

STADIO Higher Education concluded a five-year agreement with the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) to support the DMV’s mandate of empowerment and upskilling of the South African military veteran community. Central to this collaboration is the prioritisation of skills development, ensuring that our military veterans are equipped with the necessary competencies to make an effective transition to civilian life and become independent, self-supporting citizens.

The collaboration with the DMV is a strategic partnership for STADIO, as we recognise the past and current contributions of the military veteran community in the realisation of the democratic state and their continued contribution to nation-building and reconciliation. This training and development cooperation is wholly aligned with STADIO’s mission of widening access (with success) to higher education.  STADIO currently has a student cohort of 36 000 students, more than 80% of whom are adult learners pursuing various distance learning qualifications from policing and law enforcement to business, management, commerce, law, education, and IT. The STADIO qualifications range from Higher Certificates to Doctoral degrees.  The training engagement with the DMV is a bespoke management development bridging programme (short learning programme) that provides skills and learning towards employment and entrepreneurship. Uniquely, the programme leverages the veterans’ knowledge, expertise, and experiences gained during their military service to facilitate their integration into leadership and management positions in the public and private sector workplace, specifically, and their communities generally.  Critically, it also serves as a stepping stone for students completing the programme.  Recognising their prior experience and learning, the programme serves as a bridge for them to access formal qualifications, in the spirit of continuous learning.  Developing an effective conduit for learners to transition to formal academic qualifications was a significant outcome of this cooperation, addressing a long-standing challenge faced by the DMV in its efforts to ensure the reintegration of military veterans.  STADIO salutes the students on the programme for their commitment to lifelong learning and dedication to self-development and improvement.    

The Programme

194 applications were received for the programme, nationwide, 140 military veterans were selected, and there are currently 136 confirmed registrations across three groups of students. The programme follows a hybrid model of both distance learning with block contact sessions hosted in Gauteng (STADIO Waterfall Campus), East London, and KwaZulu-Natal (STADIO Musgrave Campus). This decentralised approach promoted accessibility and ensured regional representivity, supporting the inclusivity and diversity of the project.

Acknowledging the heterogeneity of the students in respect of both formal qualifications and workplace experience, the programme is delivered at three levels:

1. The Management Development Programme (MDP), which focuses on foundational management and entrepreneurial theories, emphasising project and financial functions at the local community and regional levels, with a particular focus on security management.
2. The Senior Management Development Program (SMDP) builds on the MDP, equipping veterans with skills in project management, leadership, and strategic communication at the national level, with a particular focus on the South African context.
3. The Executive Development Program (EDP) expands the scope of learning to specifically include security and African politics, strategic leadership, including geopolitical contexts and developing an understanding of the concepts of strategic extended neighbourhood.  It underscores the strategic importance of Continental and regional frameworks and engagement, as well as the value of harnessing synergies through the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Conclusion

The partnership between STADIO and the DMV epitomises a much-needed transformative model of education for skills development and upliftment in South Africa. Combining tailored professional programmes suited to the new world of work aligned with recognised academic pathways, the initiative acknowledges the national contribution of the students and supports their onward and upward progression. The project's contextually relevant and innovative approach underscores the role of higher education as both a catalyst for personal empowerment and a driver of national development and change.

DATE: October 2025  |  DISCLAIMER: The content of this blog is accurate at the time of publication. STADIO reserves the right to change the content due to changes in legislation, as well as for market requirements and other reasons