Johannesburg, 04 May 2018
The world around us is technology-driven. Virtually everything we touch has some element of technology associated with it. It seems pretty clearcut that some familiarity with IT will be required for most jobs in the future. But, how do you decide which skills to acquire and balance that with the requirement for workplace experience? Also, how do you expand your skillset if you're already employed?
South Africa in general suffers from a lack of IT skills. The question is, how do we develop a wider ICT skills base and how do people access this critical skillset? The other question to ask is whether theoretical learning can replace workplace experience. The answer, according to Emmarentia Booysen, Learnership Manager of CTU Training Solutions, lies somewhere in the middle.
"There's certainly an ICT skills gap in South Africa and, indeed, Africa as a whole," says Booysen. "And we're seeing an upsurge in interest in courses relevant to specific sectors of IT."
In a single week, more than 600 of CTU Training's site visitors expressed an interest in AWS training. Both AWS and Azure are setting up data centres in South Africa this year, creating greater demand for ICT skills than ever before. Booysen points out it's also vital for people already employed in the ICT sector to continue updating and improving their skills and knowledge in order to stay relevant. "The need for skills is there, the will to upskill is there. The biggest barrier is time and money."
Booysen is an advocate of a combination of formal certification and workplace experience. She says: "Workplace experience is invaluable for learners. It gives them hands-on practical learning under the guidance of a mentor or coach. It's important for learners to obtain real world workplace experience as it will make them more employable when they're ready to enter the job market. It also means the learner is acquiring both theoretical and practical skills in the workplace, while having an opportunity to implement the theory in a real world environment."
So, what is the solution? Booysen lists five ways in which technology has impacted further education to make it more accessible:
* Self-paced: the learner moves at a pace that suits him or her and can fit in studying around other commitments, like a job, for example. All you need is an Internet connection and you're good to go.
* On-demand: learners can access course content anytime, anywhere. A connected device is all that's required.
* Gamification: incorporating gaming elements in the learning process increases engagement and material retention.
* Combining instructor-led and self-paced learning to shorten the course from, say, five to three days, is a successful learning recipe enabled by technology.
* MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses): these are free online training courses with no entry requirements.
In a learner's own words
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the CTU Sandton Campus. The facilities were great and I never felt awkward or out of place during my five days of training. From the food, the staff and, most importantly, the instructor, the overall experience was superb and I will surely return for more courses. The course itself was excellent and the instructor was exceptionally great. The course content delivered was relevant and easy to work through. The lab and classroom facilities were top notch and I was able to do all that I needed to without complication. Thank you CTU Sandton for the wonderful experience and I shall return for more."
Terrence Chowles from Netology completed the Microsoft 70-533 Azure course at CTU Sandton.