A report by trade union Solidarity's research arm shows that there is a growing number of IT graduates. However, the Black IT Forum (BITF) has questioned whether these graduates are finding jobs in the sector.
Yesterday, Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) head Johan Kruger said the number of black graduates in the IT sector rose by 507.6% between 1996 and 2005. In total, says the institute, graduates in the IT industry increased 727.4% between 1996 and 2005. White graduates in this industry increased by 34.4%.
The findings form part of the SRI's fifth report of the SA Transformation Monitor, which is designed to determine the extent to which black South Africans have benefited from black economic empowerment since the start of democracy in SA.
“The number of employees in the professional sector rose considerably between 1994 and 2008, with the representation of black South Africans and, especially, Africans showing the biggest increase,” says Kruger.
“By contrast, the representation of whites in accounting professions, legal professions and engineering decreased sharply, which could probably be attributed to the constant migration of white professionals to other countries,” according to Kruger.
No shortage
“The problem is that this pool is not being employed at all levels of employment,” says Mfuleni. He says, although there is a graduating African pool of skills, “companies remain largely white, male and pale with dismal participation of female professionals.
“This suggests that there is no mass replacement of white professionals by African professionals in the workplace in SA,” argues Mfuleni. He says it is likely that fewer white South Africans in the industry could be the result of people emigrating.
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