Calls to get young South Africans involved in careers such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have increasingly become a mission of government as well as the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
To drive this mission, the DST has set up various facilities that aim to raise awareness of the role of science in everyday life. One such facility is the career centre, opened by DST minister Naledi Pandor in Giyani, Limpopo, at the weekend.
According to Pandor, the centre will assist learners in choosing careers properly. She says for young people to pursue careers in STEM, they must be made aware of the excitement, importance and potential of such careers.
"The centre should be used as a source of knowledge for young people who intend studying at higher education institutions towards their chosen careers, and by everyone who is interested in how our world works."
However, some analysts believe the career centre is a good start to get young South Africans interested in STEM careers, but is not enough.
Consistent message
"We can't expect the centre to act as magic and get young people to be excited about STEM subjects," says Moira De Roche, MD of e-learning company Aligned4Learning.
According to De Roche, the problem with these facilities is that often times there is no follow through from government departments and that is where the failure usually comes from.
There has to be a consistent message that encourages young South Africans to think about science, mathematics, technology and engineering in an exciting way, says De Roche.
"Opening a centre is not enough," she says.
"These career centres are opened and kids get excited but the excitement doesn't really last. There must be ways to ensure the excitement of pursuing a career in these fields burns bright."
Support systems
De Roche says there must be a good education grounding for kids and SA's education system needs to be part of the bigger ecosystem.
"There is no real evidence that shows more kids taking technology at high school level and there are few schools that offer IT subjects," she says.
The education system does not provide enough support for these fields. What you find is that young kids show interest in a specific STEM subject, such as programming for example, but that is because they either taught themselves or someone in the family does programming, she explains.
ICT veteran Adrian Schofield believes more teachers need to be trained to teach STEM subjects.
"Equip schools with laboratories and equipment; bring in mentors and coaches from industry to support extra-curricular activities," he says.
Schofield adds: "I don't believe that the careers are unattractive but the youngsters are just not exposed to the possibilities by parents and teachers who are themselves ignorant of the interest and value of these careers. There are plenty of role models, such as Mark Shuttleworth and Siya Xusa, who can be included in the course material."
De Roche says the projects the DST is involved with are also another way to get young kids excited about science and technology. "If there are real projects that they can get involved in, that is one way to keep the excitement going.
"The centre should just be an invitation to get teachers and family members involved to help young kids focus on STEM careers," she says.
Graeme Bloch, education analyst at Wits University's Public and Development Management School, agrees that hosting career exhibits is one way of attracting the youth.
Bloch notes that increasing young South Africans' participation in subjects such as maths, science and technology needs influence and encouragement. "Yes, kids are very technologically oriented but they still need maths to really understand."
Bloch states maths needs matric encouragement and should be emphasised early on.
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