Yonder

"In leading our College's market research survey, Chris navigated the nuances of our school community with sensitivity and care, always mindful of the context and stakeholders involved. His research generated meaningful insights that were valuable in the development of our next strategy.Added to this, the future scenarios workshop he conducted with our senior leadership, has also proven constructive in our strategic planning. The project was a clear success."

Rector, St Stithians College

Celeste Gilardi

“Chris understands the rapidly evolving nature of today’s job market. His insightful analysis on professional education and workforce development isn’t just “interesting” – it’s actionable. Chris’ research has become the foundation for our new program development efforts.”

Marketing Director, University of California, Davis (Continuing and Professional Education)

John O’Neill

"Chris has a great instinct for spotting things that matter, and thinking through what they could mean. His research on the future of careers, skills and education combines genuine intellectual curiosity with deep domain knowledge. The work he produces for our institute is consistently sharp, substantive and worth reading."

Director, Institute for Futures Research

Doris Viljoen

"Chris has a rare ability to make complex, ambiguous work feel collaborative and grounded. When we brought him in to assess new market opportunities and risks, he embedded himself across our teams and departments, taking the time to understand how different people saw the landscape. That integrative approach is what made the project successful."

COO, Valenture Institute, powering UCT Online High School

Amy Johnson

"We used Chris to conduct research on a new market position. He went over and above our expectations on the deliverable, not only giving us great information, but a roadmap for how to capitalise on his insights. He is smart, curious and a great guy to work with."

Managing Director, SANTS Private Higher Education Institution

Ryan O'Mahoney

The story behind Yonder

Yonder is a familiar term in folk music. It means over there, beyond, further. Rooted in narrative craft, the folk genre is well known as a catalyst for change and reflection. Folk holds a mirror to the world to reveal stories of ordinary people, told with vision. It acknowledges struggle and complexity without surrendering to cynicism. Folk songs can be sobering, but ultimately they fuel hope.

That's folk. And that's Yonder. Helping clients to make sense amidst uncertainty. To look beyond and prepare for the future in ways that are both grounded in reality, and ringing with imagination.

Check out these short reads on the changing world of education and careers.

Chris van der Westhuyzen

Consultant at Yonder

After studying journalism, Chris built a career in edtech, designing professional education programmes with top-ranked university faculty. From there, his journalistic instinct led him to market research, where he probes big-picture questions: What skills do people need? Which programmes have the best market fit? How is technology changing the world of learning and work? His later training in Futures Studies opened a whole new toolkit for supporting organisations and individuals across the education and careers space.

Talk With Chris

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Chris van der Westhuyzen Consultant at Yonder

Who is Yonder for?

1.

Educational Organizations

2.

Any Team or Group

3.

Career Development Professionals

4.

High Schoolers & Young Professionals

What Yonder offers

1.

Market Research

2.

Futures & Foresight

3.

Career Development

What clients say