S skills Knowledge is
S skills Knowledge is power. Experience is required The publishing of the much-awaited draft of the Critical Skills List has been welcomed by industries across the country. The list forms part of a drive to attract critically deemed skills to underpin efforts to regenerate the economy. “We will continue to work relentlessly and without pause to create a more modern, efficient and competitive economy that is more open to all South Africans.” PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SONA, 2021 Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, published the 2021 Critical Skills List that was developed through an extensive scientific methodology led by the Department of Higher Education and Training, through its Labour Market Intelligence Research Programme. The primary aim of the list is to identify occupations that are in shortage and unlikely to be developed domestically in time to prevent the obstruction of economic growth potential in the short to medium term. According to the Critical Skills List Report there are 107 skilled occupations which are in “acute shortage”. “It is important to note that the list presented as preliminary in this report covers more occupations than those that will eventually be included in the final Critical Skills List (CSL) to be officially gazetted by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). The DHA will narrow this list down further to ensure that all occupations for which immigration preference is offered to foreign nationals are those that are ‘most critical’ for the development of the country,” the report said. WHAT IS THE CRITICAL SKILLS LIST? After consultations with the Department of Higher Education and Training, the Department of Labour, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and input from businesses in all industries across South Africa, the Department of Home Affairs issued a list of skills it deems to be critically needed in South Africa. The previous list (issued in 2014) was reviewed and government has now released a new draft list containing a list of skills South Africa needs to attract, to grow the economy and in turn create more job opportunities for all South Africans. SUPPLY VS DEMAND The list addresses the shortage in the quantity of qualified resources available currently or expected in future (based on the National Development Plan) to fulfil the positions in relation to the current industry demand for the skills. “The fact that our economy’s demand for skills outweighs the quantity we have available is encouraging and means that our economy is growing,” explains Jo-lene Da Silva-Vergottini, immigration specialist at Xpatweb. “It is important to note that South Africa is not the only country with a CSL or shortage in terms of the quantity of skills needed for their growing economy. Many countries around the world possess a list of skills they deem critical and use the list to attract the skills they need to supplement their local resources. These countries include the USA, Canada, Australia and Britain, to name a few.” Britain, for example, recently announced favourable visa conditions for much-needed healthcare workers. This does not mean that Britain does not have any qualified healthcare workers, but rather that their demand for these resources currently outweighs supply. South Africa has a similar looming crisis with more than 48% of qualified nurses currently in employment reaching retirement age in the next 15 years, according to the South African Nursing Council. Looking at the annual intake of nurses and the growing trend of nurses and care workers leaving South Africa to work abroad, South Africa is not developing and retaining enough nurses to ensure we meet the demands of the industry. It is vitally important for all South Africans to understand what skills our country needs and how we as South Africans can contribute in a productive way. 28 | Service magazine
skills S VACANCY BULLETIN Actuary Advertising specialist Aeronautical engineer Agricultural farm manager Application development manager Architect Chef Chief information officer Civil engineer Data scientist Digital artist Dockmaster Draughtsperson FET college principal Fraud examiner General accountant General medical practitioner Geologist Geophysicist Hydrologist ICT project manager ICT security specialist ICT systems analyst Industrial engineer Internal auditor Investment advisor Manufacturer Mechanical engineer Multimedia designer Network analyst Quantity surveyor Registered nurse Web developer THE FOREIGN DESK In today’s sophisticated and highly competitive economies, countries are competing for skills to help them stay abreast of fast-moving technologies and rapidly changing business models. A growing number of countries are using their immigration policies to attract these skills to their shores. Multinationals operating in various geographical areas need to be able to expedite the transfer of skilled individuals to their subsidiaries as needed. Accordingly, the implementation of skills transfer plans has become vital due to Covid-19 greatly inhibiting the mobility of foreign skilled workers, thus ensuring locals receive necessary training on these skills. This year, research shows that occupations in the engineering and ICT sectors remain most in demand, followed by occupations such as foreign language speakers, a range of artisans and c-suite executive-level management. EMPOWERING PARTNERSHIPS The CSL shows South Africa’s failure to close the gaps in artisan and engineering training in the country. Among the skills listed are metal machinist, industrial machinery mechanic, electrical equipment mechanic, lift mechanic, fitter and turner and quality controller (manufacturing), industrial engineers and technologists, as well as civil and mechanical engineers – all artisanal trades and engineering qualifications that are in shortage in South Africa. Sumaya Hoosen, human capital and skills development executive at the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), says the shortage of artisans, technicians and engineers has been well-documented, with government revealing, in 2017, that the country had a shortfall of 40 000 artisans. This was despite the government’s efforts to promote artisanal careers among school leavers through its Decade of the Artisan campaign launched in 2014. “More needs to be done to promote engineering and technical vocational training as a career option, especially among female students,” says Hoosen. She calls on businesses in the Metals and Engineering (M&E) sector and the wider manufacturing industry to ramp up their training efforts by deepening their partnerships with government and funding entities such as the Sector Education and Training Authorities to train artisans, technicians and engineers. These endeavours, together with entrepreneurial and SME development, will help address township and rural development challenges and stimulate job creation. At present the country produces about 12 000 artisans per year, but this figure could be higher much sooner if more businesses in the M&E sector support government. “SEIFSA believes in the power of partnerships to overcome the obstacles facing the economy. In the context of training and development, we need to work together to create a pipeline of skilled artisans, technicians and engineers,” concludes Hoosen. The National Development Plan aims to create 30 000 artisans per year by 2030. Service magazine | 29
