While recent audits have found that there is still a skills shortage in SA`s information and communications technology (ICT) sector, local recruitment agencies beg to differ.
A skills audit conducted by the Information Systems Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies` (ISETT) Sector Education and Training Authority, in partnership with SAITIS and the Department of Labour, found that there were around 5 720 vacancies in the ISETT sector alone. The audit also concluded that up to 165 000 students will be needed each year to address the ICT skills shortage.
In contrast, local IT recruitment agencies say some areas of the ICT market are oversupplied, with shortages of only highly specialised skills.
Org Geldenhuys, MD of Pretoria-based IT recruitment company Abacus Recruitment, says most of the mainstream vacancies can be easily filled, including computer language skills such as Java and Oracle.
Geldenhuys highlights a report conducted in the UK by E-Skills, which reveals that IT skills shortages halved from 16% in 2001 to 8% in 2002. He believes there are even fewer job vacancies in SA.
"In certain skills categories, IT workers are not able to find employment at all. The one area where we are battling to fill posts is when it comes to highly specialist skills, such as technical architects, .Net and certain specialist SAP areas."
Geldenhuys says in many instances, including with networking and systems support personnel, there is an oversupply of applicants.
"During the second quarter of this year we placed 100% more candidates than we did in the third and fourth quarters of last year, when there was a bit of a slump. At present we are seeing a consistent oversupply of skills, and we also have a larger pool of applicants to choose from."
Anita Watridge, GM of personnel recruiter The Personnel Concept, echoes this view: "At the highly specialised level there does appear to be a shortage of skills. However, there is a large over-supply of junior and mid-level job-seekers, whereas the requirements that we receive tend to be at a senior or highly specialised level. Job-seekers could make themselves more marketable if they cross-trained into new technologies where the demand is required."
Heidi Cadman, HR manager at Paracon, says the company`s labour broking division has found that most IT vacancies are filled quickly. "The only shortages appear to be Java architects and candidates with IT skills and business intelligence."
Phillip Moolman, senior account manager at Prodyn Resource Consultants, describes the IT market as being "fairly quiet", with no significant shortage of skills. "However, high-end Java architects are hard to find at the moment. Candidates with these high-end skills are being offered up to twice what they can earn locally, and are more interested in taking up offers with international companies."
Geldenhuys points out: "One of the major problems is that when a certain skill becomes popular, more and more people gear up to acquire this particular skill. Within two or three years, there is suddenly an over-supply - and people cannot find posts."
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