THERE is a critical shortage of technical skills to support the fast pace of telecommunications growth across South Africa, a survey by recruitment company Landelahni revealed yesterday.
The 2012 Telecommunications Survey carried out by Landelahni Business Leaders was conducted using data from public institutions such as Stats SA, the Department of Labour and the World Economic Forum. It further included a sample of 18 South African companies.
It revealed that a number of computer science and engineering enrolments at universities had increased significantly over the past 10 years. However, the graduation rate had dropped to 12.5% over the past few years, compared to the international average of 25%.
From 2005 until 2010, the number of university degrees conferred in computer science and electrical and electronic engineering averaged 1700 per year. During the same period, an average of 3130 technikon diplomas was conferred annually.
Landelahni Amrop CEO Sandra Burmeister said a shortage of key skills was a huge constraint on socio-economic development as the telecommunications sector played a pivotal role indevelopment.
"These low numbers mean there is a weak pipeline of ICT skills for the future.
"This is a concern particularly since South Africa stands to lose scarce skilled resources to other African countries as telecommunications projects get under way on the continent," she said.
In 2002, the number of black ICT graduates overtook the number of white graduates, and this trend has accelerated over time, with two-and-a-half times more black than white graduates. Male graduates tend to outnumber females by about two-to-one.
"Taken over 10 years, growth in female graduates has been negligible," says Burmeister. "This may partly account for the low number of women in the telecoms sector. Overall, the rate of graduates does not reflect the significant growth of the ICT sector."
She said to compensate for the lack of graduates with the right qualifications entering the workforce, companies had been active in developing company training programmes.
But Burmeister described this as a "short-term solution".
"To secure a sustainable base of skills, long-term investment in formal graduate programmes and the implementation of formal career pathing is needed.
"Given the economic importance of IT and telecoms, it is hard to believe that, as a country, we are unable to determine employment numbers in the sector," said Burmeister.
"How are we to determine the skills and education requirements that will allow us to be competitive as a nation, if we are unable to measure the growth in skilled and professional employment in these key areas?
"Companies need to invest in formal graduate programmes and bursaries."
Telecoms skills shortage critical
THERE is a critical shortage of technical skills to support the fast pace of telecommunications growth across South Africa, a survey by recruitment company Landelahni revealed yesterday.
The 2012 Telecommunications Survey carried out by Landelahni Business Leaders was conducted using data from public institutions such as Stats SA, the Department of Labour and the World Economic Forum. It further included a sample of 18 South African companies.
It revealed that a number of computer science and engineering enrolments at universities had increased significantly over the past 10 years. However, the graduation rate had dropped to 12.5% over the past few years, compared to the international average of 25%.
From 2005 until 2010, the number of university degrees conferred in computer science and electrical and electronic engineering averaged 1700 per year. During the same period, an average of 3130 technikon diplomas was conferred annually.
Landelahni Amrop CEO Sandra Burmeister said a shortage of key skills was a huge constraint on socio-economic development as the telecommunications sector played a pivotal role indevelopment.
"These low numbers mean there is a weak pipeline of ICT skills for the future.
"This is a concern particularly since South Africa stands to lose scarce skilled resources to other African countries as telecommunications projects get under way on the continent," she said.
In 2002, the number of black ICT graduates overtook the number of white graduates, and this trend has accelerated over time, with two-and-a-half times more black than white graduates. Male graduates tend to outnumber females by about two-to-one.
"Taken over 10 years, growth in female graduates has been negligible," says Burmeister. "This may partly account for the low number of women in the telecoms sector. Overall, the rate of graduates does not reflect the significant growth of the ICT sector."
She said to compensate for the lack of graduates with the right qualifications entering the workforce, companies had been active in developing company training programmes.
But Burmeister described this as a "short-term solution".
"To secure a sustainable base of skills, long-term investment in formal graduate programmes and the implementation of formal career pathing is needed.
"Given the economic importance of IT and telecoms, it is hard to believe that, as a country, we are unable to determine employment numbers in the sector," said Burmeister.
"How are we to determine the skills and education requirements that will allow us to be competitive as a nation, if we are unable to measure the growth in skilled and professional employment in these key areas?
"Companies need to invest in formal graduate programmes and bursaries."
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