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ICT industry needs mindset change

Jacob Nthoiwa
By Jacob Nthoiwa, ITWeb journalist.
Johannesburg, 06 May 2010

There are approximately 200 000 unemployed graduates in SA and this can only be addressed when the HR practitioners, managers, and employers change their mindset, according to Oupa Mopaki, CEO of the Isett Seta.

Mopaki was speaking at the 2010 graduation ceremony for the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (Isett Seta) at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto, early this week.

He said the ICT sector should not expect to get graduates from university armed with the specialised skills needed by the industry, and make an effort to take part in the skills development of these graduates. Mopaki added that specific funds to bankroll skills programmes for graduates should be made available.

“ICT, just like medicine and law, should know that university graduates are not skilled enough to join the workforce upon graduating,” he said. “They should take in these graduates and give them internships and groom them, so they can have the skills required for the ICT sector.”

Major challenge

According to Mopaki, the key challenge confronting Isett Seta is that most of the skills required in the ICT sector can only be addressed through vendor-specific training programmes, most of which are not offered at university. These include, for example, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Cisco Networking Engineer, Oracle Database Administrator, SAP and Sun Microsystems-based programmes.

“These programmes are very expensive and as a result employers prefer to train current employees who have extensive work experience in their respective fields, instead of giving these opportunities to new recruits.”

Mopaki said the Isett Seta's task is to continue persuading employers to reconsider their approach towards the training of unemployed graduates.

He noted that recent research indicates there is a huge demand for high-end business analysis, research, and development skills. “In responding to this need, young people should be encouraged and incentivised to study beyond a first degree into masters and doctoral studies, so the country is able to develop the critical mass of ICT practitioners and professionals,” he suggested.

According to Mopaki, the local manufacturing and production of ICT products and services can become a reality. “That is only if a concerted effort is made to educate, skill, and develop young learners up to the highest possible level. We have no doubt that the minister will lead us through this path.”

In order to address skills shortages and unemployment in SA, Mopaki said: “To date, Isett Seta has sponsored the training of more that 16 000 unemployed youth through learnerships and graduate internship programmes.” He added that 78% of the learners have secured permanent employment on completion of their learning programmes.

Mopaki pointed out that Isett Seta wishes to embrace this challenge, yet acknowledged that partners such as employers, labour organisations, academia, and government need to be actively involved in the process of creating a seamless education, training, and skills development regime.

Strategic partnerships

Higher education and training minister Blade Nzimande said the Isett Seta was one of the best performing Setas in terms of the Department of Labour's performance criteria in the previous financial year. “The Seta has also contributed positively to the implementation of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) II,” he added.

Nzimande said this was achieved through the growing participation and involvement of the ICT companies in rolling out more training programmes to address the changing needs for IT skilled personnel.

He added that it's important to continue building partnerships with all sectors, including employers, to galvanise skills development in SA. “These strategic partnerships are underlined in the over-arching Human Resource Development Strategy which will be released later this year.”

The minister challenged Isett Seta not to be satisfied with merely meeting training targets, but to push the boundaries to create 'centres of excellence' in ICT, including in the public sector. “These centres of excellence, as we have seen burgeoning in India, should also promote innovation and seek to set SA ahead of the pack in the information age.”

Government framework

“Last week, we released the draft framework of the NSDS III 2011/12 - 2015/16, as well as the proposed new Seta landscape for public comment,” said Nzimande. He noted the new NSDS framework seeks to strengthen partnerships between the Setas, employers and institutions of learning. “We wish to strengthen public learning institutions and the world of work in particular,” he explained.

“The proposed new Seta landscape will reduce the total number of Setas from 23 to 21 and provides for the creation of six new Setas.” He said it also proposes the amalgamation of some of the existing Setas and minor changes to others.

Once adopted later this year, the new Setas landscape and NSDS III will have far-reaching consequences for the skills development sector, said Nzimande. “It is therefore important that all interested people and organisations participate in the public hearing process which is being managed by the National Skills Authority.”

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