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South Africa is living in interesting times. Along with the rest of the world, we are currently riding the shockwaves of the economic crash and the labour market is volatile, with retrenchments and downsizing the order of the day. However, at the same time, we are still experiencing massive skills shortages in almost every industry. In fact, according to Grant Thornton's 2009 International Business Report, forty-one percent of private businesses in South Africa's view lack of skills in the workforce as the biggest inhibitor to business growth and a shortage of skills has been recognised as a key blockage to the government's desired 6% per annum economic growth rate, envisaged to reduce unemployment and contribute to a better quality of life for all South Africans.

This paradox is exacerbated by the fact that we are finding scores of graduates unable to find any kind of work, with those in arts and humanities seemingly being the hardest hit. It seems that the days of simply taking a general degree with no specialisation are over - basically, everyone needs to be become an ‘expert' in their particular field in order to become and remain employable. In light of all these factors, it's more important than ever to ensure that you really research the true value - as opposed to cost - of your education. You need to weigh up your career aspirations against market shortages, look for a niche and educate or upskill your way into a specific area. According to Manpower Inc's 2008 Talent Shortage Survey, 38% of participating SA employers surveyed listed their top skilled shortages as: skilled manual trades (especially electricians, carpenters/joiners and welders); engineers; accounting and finance staff; technicians; management/executives; teachers; drivers; sales representatives; IT staff; secretaries (including PA's, administrative assistants and office support staff). When planning or changing your career trajectory you should take these career areas into account, along with the government's National Scarce Skills List: http://www.labour.gov.za/documents/useful-documents/skills-development/national-scarce-skills-list-2008/ so that you know the future outlook for any career choice.

Due to these skills-gaps, the government is still actively seeking skilled overseas workers and this can further add to the brain-drain South Africa is experiencing. What is ironic is that while there often are graduates who qualify - on paper - for a skilled position, the ‘chicken-and-egg' situation of them having no experience is a big issue. When importing overseas skills, candidates in most professions or trades have to meet a minimum provision of five years' experience, so obviously if you're newly qualified and possess no experience it's going to be hard to get your foot in the door.

However, the good news is that businesses are becoming far wiser to internal skills-development as a long-term solution, seeing the value of investing in their staff's education and upskilling. In so doing, they not only ensure optimal workforce performance, they also ensure staff loyalty and are able to retain these skills. According to Department of Labour Director-General, Jimmy Manyi, who addressed a Human Sciences Research Council conference in September, continuing skills-development, helping to convert informal employment into ‘decent work' opportunities and a focus on labour-intensive job creation programmes are concrete ways in which to address the economic crisis. A lot of companies are now investing in their staff by either paying for their studies or incentivizing them to study - for example by paying only for courses they pass. Even companies not directly paying for their staff's upskilling are making the process easier for them in various ways - one way is by arranging their funding, such as via Eduloan's administration arrangements whereby we deduct the loan repayments directly from the staff's salary and pay it over to the institution - and also by being more understanding of a working student's need for study leave and other arrangements to ensure the work/study balance is fair. Eduloan also assists students to evaluate, plan for and manage the total cost of their education - aside from tuition fees, costs could also include items like textbooks and study-aids, laptops/computers, transport, food and accommodation.

What this means is that whilst you may not start your career with the perfect position, you can work your way towards it whilst still supporting yourself, with the benefit of obtaining experience as you go along. Another way of gaining experience is via internships and volunteering whilst you are studying - while you will only get minimal financial rewards, if any, if you can hang in there and notch up some experiential learning while you study, you will graduate with the best chances of obtaining employment.

About the author: Johan Wasserfall is the CEO of Eduloan, a dedicated education finance provider committed to contributing meaningfully to the social and economic upliftment of South Africa through education.

Editorial Contact:
Keri-Ann Clark
Kezi Communications (Pty) Ltd
Tel: 011 616 1860
keri-ann@kezi.co.za
www.kezi.co.za

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