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Skills Shortage and Xenophobia how to get
opposites to attract By Tracey
Lander, Director - Workinfo Recruitment
On 20 October 1998, the Republic of South
Africa assented to Act no 97 of 1998 known as the Skills Development
Act. The introduction was aimed at:
"Providing an institutional framework to
devise and implement national, sector and workplace strategies to
develop and improve the skills of the South African workforce, to
integrate those strategies within the National Qualifications
Framework contemplated in the South African Qualifications Authority
Act, 1995, to provide for learnerships that lead to recognised
occupational qualifications, to provide for the financing of skills
development by means of a levy-grant scheme and a National Skills
Fund, to provide for and regulate employment services; and to
provide for matters connected therewith."
We are ten years after the introduction and in
my experience we find companies adhering to the legislation but
adherence is different from understanding the impact of development
(and in some cases lack of development). Compliance in the form of
completing a workplace skills plan does not mean that South African
rands are being invested in the right people and the right skills.
How do we know that the skills we are giving our people are the
skills required in the future? What are the skills shortages that we
face?
We hear about skills shortages worldwide and
South Africa seems to be the place that foreign countries can have
pick of the crop.
“ Emigration data from 1970 to 2002 show three
major peaks: in 1977, 1986 and 1994. While reasons for emigration
are varied, and unique to individuals, many choose to settle in more
developed countries in Europe or North America, where the earning
potential for skilled labour tends to be higher.
The exodus of
skills from the country – described as a 'brain drain' - has caused
concern for some. Emigrants include IT professionals, doctors and
dentists, scientists, nurses and teachers. For example, almost 17
000 science and technology professions (about 1% of the total
science and technology workforce), left the country between 1994 and
2001.
Many poorly paid
teachers and nurses, as well as emergency staff, such as firemen,
have sought more lucrative positions in their professions overseas.
The downfall of
the 'brain drain' is a shortage of skilled labour at home. A recent
report suggests that the country does not have enough engineers to
fulfil its infrastructure development ambitions over the coming
years.” (SouthAfrica.info reporter)
Reading article
and information from those who have left makes for sad reading 10%
of the people in Auckland were born in South Africa” (ENZ Piet and
Alison).
To further complicate matters we have xenophobic attacks that
prevent the attraction of skilled labour from other countries. The
immigration act of 2002 allows for the employment of foreigners only
if the employer can demonstrate that a South African Citizen or
permanent resident is not available for the position when
considering issuing out of work permits. However current legislation
offers no reward for the attraction of this foreign skill. This
translates into a number of highly skilled people unable to obtain
employment in South Africa.
We seem to have no answers and a lot of
questions to ask of South Africa and our new country leaders:
1) Has the skills development act worked?
(10 years after first being implemented)
2) Are we providing learnerships that lead
to recognised occupational qualifications?
3) Are we providing for and regulating
employment services?
4) What has happened to apprenticeships?
5) How do we attract skills to South
Africa?
6) Do the employers workplace skills plans
talk to the countries needs?
-
Population*......................................................................43,786,115
(July 2008 est.)
-
Population growth rate
.............................................................-0.501%
(2008 est.)
-
Birth
rate.....................................................17.71
births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
-
Death
rate................................................22.7
deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
-
Net migration rate**...............................-0.02
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
-
Ethnic groups.......................black African 79%, white
9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)
* Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account
the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in
lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates,
lower population and growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise
be expected (July 2008 est.).
**Note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South
Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities.
Source: CIA World Factbook 2008
Human Resource management is faced with some
major people challenges. This is the chance for all Human Resource
professionals to step up to plate to become the most valuable
business partner with futuristic ideas and innovative minds. We are
approaching the millennium challenge that the IT industry faced in
Human resources. My greatest fear is that we are not ready to guide
business with best practice principles and philosophies.
Information thanks to Department of Labour,
Labournet ,SouthAfrica.info reporter, ENZ
Article by Tracey Lander – Director Workinfo Recruitment
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