Who wants your skills?
The number of people employed in an economy comes down to the balance between supply and demand within the labour market. How many people do businesses want to employ? How many people are actually able to service that business’ needs? In a changing economic environment and a move towards the fourth industrial revolution, the skills demand from businesses across the globe is changing rapidly. As a jobseeker in South Africa, should you be following the trends of the world or targeting the skills that are in demand domestically?
The skills you need
Traditional educational journeys encourage a transition into the corporate world. Matric values the power of maths, science and language. These subjects form the foundations of any profession and should therefore not be taken lightly. However, tertiary education has come under some criticism in recent times for its lack of relevance in preparing graduates for the labour market. Our country currently finds itself with many unemployed graduates and matriculates. This begs the question as to how relevant these skills are, and should we be changing our philosophy when it comes to the nature in which we qualify our next generation?
Skills of today
According to Tammy Chetty (Harambee), there are two types of skills currently in high demand in South Africa. Firstly, our transition towards the digital economy has created significant demand for software developers and coders. If you are interested in learning to code, click here.
Secondly, artisan trades remain in high demand within our country. We may perceive that we are transitioning into an era of robotics resulting in the death of human based services, but in reality, this is still an extremely long way away. Welders, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers and the like continue to be of colossal value in 2019.
The benefits of learning a specialist skill like this are two-fold. Not only do you now have something tangible and unique to showcase, but the opportunities for running your own business are immense. If you already have a skill like this and are thinking about taking the entrepreneurial leap, then click here to learn more.
Conclusion
You might be a young entrant into the labour market, or a seasoned professional contemplating a change of career. However, this article aimed to demonstrate some of the currently demanded skills within our nation. Business and finance related skills are no doubt extremely valuable, yet the truth is they are becoming saturated and there’s not enough jobs to go around. Why not broaden your horizons, differentiate your skills set, and make yourself more employable in today’s South Africa? The journey starts here.
