South Africa: ICT Skills development must be intensified say experts

Statistics pertaining to a recent ICT skill survey are accurate and have also been highlighted by the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA). So claims Richard Rayne, Managing Director, On-Site Training, who suggests that the research is indicative of the sizeable investment of time and resources required if South Africa is to overcome the current skills crisis.

According to a recent media report posted on ITWeb (2008-09-17) research into the country’s existing ICT skills base indicated that the Department of Labour had underestimated how many ICT skills is required by the country.

In the article Adrian Schofield, manager of the Applied Research Unit, Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE), at Wits University, said the results of the survey suggested that the skills shortage heading into 2009 could be as high as 70 000 practitioners.

Rayne believes one of the first points of departure for all stakeholders in education is to realign tuition and theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on opportunities and thereby give impetus to skills transfer, development and application.

“The market is looking more closely at the feasibility and logistics of apprenticeships and on-the-job training. In addition there is talk of eLearning and distance education via technology coming to the fore. The reality is that education systems in schools and at tertiary level, to a great extent, have not succeeded in producing work-ready candidates. At the same time, I am aware of instances where the curriculum is being changed to include more practical exposure to students in order to prepare them for the realities of the marketplace,” says Rayne.

Service providers within the ICT training and education space continue to make a concerted effort to empower job-seekers with the necessary skills to at least present a worthy portfolio to prospective employers says Rayne.

“Some providers simply cover the very basics of information and communication technology literacy. Others take literacy and specialized training to another level and integrate specialized business skills development to the offering. I believe credible training companies certainly have a vested interest in ensuring higher levels of applied knowledge in the industry and also support initiatives to encourage professionalism. Ultimately, however, we are facing the prospect of an imbalance in supply and demand of necessary skills to reinforce the country’s competitive levels in ICT capability,” adds Rayne.

In addition to the somewhat worrying picture depicted by statistics, Rayne also points to the ripple affect in companies and businesses. He echoes the sentiment expressed by Schofield.

“There is a danger of job-hopping and an exodus of skills. These are real threats that will also exacerbate the management of skills shortage, and have to be taken into consideration. All parties with a vested interest in boosting the country’s ICT skills base need to work closer with education and training institutions, must support non-profit organizations and other established initiatives organized to address skills development,” adds Rayne.