To address some of SA’s technological and skillset shortcomings, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) has introduced a post-graduate fourth industrial revolution (4IR) upskilling and reskilling programme.
It has been established in partnership with the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA).
According to DUT, the post-graduate training programme is structured into independent partnerships with five centres of excellence across South African tertiary institutions.
It adds the centres are at the cusp of innovations that critically interrogate and address the technological skills shortage and in so doing, are developing systems and labour ready for the modern economy.
In the case of the KwaZulu-Natal-based higher education institute, the DUT Ritson Campus in Durban will spearhead the post-graduate upskilling programme.
MICT SETA will provide the funding required to establish and sustain a centre of excellence for 4IR post-graduate student training at the university, says DUT.
The programme will resume with a cohort of 20 post-graduate students receiving bursaries to the value of R90 000 each. It is envisaged these students would go on to make a positive impact on society by shaping skills, pioneering industries and empowering industries with their research findings, it states.
The chair of the programme has been awarded to professor Oludayo Olugbara, executive dean of the faculty of accounting and informatics at DUT.
Professor Sibusiso Moyo, DUT’s deputy vice-chancellor for research, innovation and engagement, notes this marks the third MICT SETA chair hosted by the KZN institution.
“It [the programme] is aligned to the systems, processes and society perspectives of DUT’s ENVISION2030, and will ensure we can contribute to having an innovative curriculum, as well as contribute to DUT having appropriate 4IR infrastructure to support our innovation and ensure we have state-of-the-art infrastructure. Congratulations to Prof Olugbara for leveraging additional resources through the chair.”
The centre’s equipment adorns high-tech laboratories for the internet of things (IOT) and robotics. In addition, there are fully-equipped computer laboratories to support post-graduate research in IOT, drone-based computing systems, robotics programming and computing networks.
MICT SETA board chairperson Simphiwe Thobela states: “As a global leader in the development and delivery of revolutionary ICT skills, it was imperative for us as the MICT SETA to heed the challenge of Africa being left behind as the world races to closely embrace 4IR.
“Moulding a new generation of African ICT post-graduate students well-equipped to apply new thinking and knowledge through ultra-modern technologies will bring much-needed novel solutions for persistent challenges in critical sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, finance and education.”
Despite government’s inflated focus on the fourth industrial revolution, research shows that a significant digital skills gap still persists in South Africa’s ICT sector.
For example, the 2021 ICT Skills Survey found there remains a chronic shortage of all types of ICT skills required to help local organisations succeed in the digital economy.
In September, MICT SETA revealedit had developed 11 fourth industrial revolution future skills qualifications. This development followed the gazetting of South Africa’s 4IR blueprint.
The newly-developed qualifications include: artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cyber security, data science, design thinking lead, design thinking practitioner, IOT, robotic process automation, quality engineering automation, systems development and e-waste.
According to MICT SETA, these qualifications will equip young professionals and the current workforce to deal with the disruptive effects of new technologies. It adds that the qualifications will enable the young professionals to innovate and create new products and services across industries.
At the time, MICT SETA acting CEO Matome Madibana explained that the launch of the qualifications will spearhead formal training for 4IR in SA, in partnership with the higher learning institutions.
“We are hopeful that with these 11 qualifications, we are going to bridge the current shortage of skilled labour within the ICT and digital industries and, ultimately, increase the employment rate and entrepreneurship in South Africa,” said Madibana.
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