Cathy Sims
Head: Employer engagement at UCT
Speaker topic: Preparing for the world of work

Cathy has extensive Talent Management experience having started off in 1991 as a Graduate Recruiter and later HR Manager for leading international management consulting firm, Andersen Consulting, now Accenture.  From 1997 to 2003, Cathy led the South African Talent Management team with responsibility of attraction, selection and development approximately 500 graduates per annum.

In 2004, Cathy joined the University of Cape Town, Career Development Programme as Deputy Director and Head of Employer Engagement.  Since 2005, the Careers Service has increased employer participation in its Graduate Recruitment Programme on campus by 300%, implemented a very successful web based portal which showcases opportunities to students and alumni and raised significant employer sponsorship to support a range of interventions to support UCT's goal of enhancing the quality and profile of UCT graduates.  The Career Development Programme was recently voted by over 80 employers as the best Career Service in South Africa.

In her spare time, Cathy is the founding member and coordinator of the South African Graduate Recruiters Association - www.sagra.org.za - a not for profit organisation that is dedicated to connecting and advancing the graduate recruitment industry.  SAGRA has over 250 talent managers that are members across 135 corporates.  SAGRA is a member of the International Network of Graduate Recruitment and Development Associations (www.ingrada.org), together with Employer and Career Services associations located in Asia, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.