CA IT Management Symposium Africa 2012
The IT Management Symposium Africa - presented by CA Southern Africa and its partners, in collaboration with ITWeb - provides an update on global IT trends, strategies and technologies.
Click here for more information.
With around five million unemployed in SA, and the situation getting worse, it's up to business to step in and take action.
This is according to EOH group business development director Brian Gubbins, who warns that SA will see serious social issues in future if urgent steps are not taken to create job opportunities for its youth.
Gubbins says: “Our view is if we don't do something about job creation as business, we are going to be in big trouble. Around 75% of those unemployed in SA are the youth. For every year they remain unemployed, their chances of ever getting a job in the formal sector drop. But if they get a job in their first year after leaving school or tertiary education, they have a very good chance of staying employed,” he says.
Gubbins highlights the skills shortages in the ICT sector, and says that, with scores of bright and technically skilled school leavers and graduates currently unemployed, it is important both for the ICT sector and society as a whole that the industry takes responsibility for creating job opportunities for these candidates.
“It's not the government's business to create jobs,” says Gubbins. “It's up to the private sector. One thing companies can do to stimulate job creation is to stop offshoring and employ local skills. They should also use the money set aside by government for training and learnerships,” he says. “Not doing so is pure apathy and laziness.”
Gubbins says the fresh skills have been absorbed well into the company, and became productive within days of coming aboard. Interns are taken into various departments and mentored, while learners undergo formal training.
“They aren't a cost centre - they contribute to operations very quickly and deliver huge value to the company,” he says. On whether EOH fears losing skills it has invested in, Gubbins says some losses are to be expected. However, since these skills will be in the ecosystem, the entire IT industry will still benefit, he says.
“We are challenging our partners to take similar action as part of a formal programme to alleviate the skills and employment problem.”
Gubbins will address the second CA IT Management Africa Symposium, at the Sandton Convention Centre, on 4 September. For more information about this event, click here.
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