A functioning economy must have a sufficient number of artisans if it is to fulfil its economic potential. From energy and water to transport and logistics, all key sectors of the economy are dependent on a ready supply of artisans. Unfortunately, South Africa remains woefully short of artisan skills.
In November 2022, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande warned that South Africa needs at least 60% of school leavers to pursue training in a trade to meet the country’s demand for scarce skills. He went on to state that there is a continuous need for suitably qualified artisans to sustain industries and support economic growth in South Africa.
The Department of Home Affairs has also made a concerted effort to attract critical skills to the country by adding seven trades to the latest critical skills list, released in August 2022. This highlights the shortage of these skills and gives foreign nationals with these skills an opportunity to apply for critical skills work visas.
The President in the State of the Nation Address in February 2023 acknowledged the need to attract skills that the economy needs. He went on to state that the government will move quickly to implement the recommendations put forward after completing a comprehensive review of the work visa system.
According to the requirements of the government’s National Development Plan (NDP) and White Paper for Post-School Education and Training, South Africa should be producing 30,000 qualified artisans per year by 2030. This will remain a pipe dream if there is no synergy, strategy and agreed action plan between the main role players to see the Decade of the Artisan campaign being achieved.
The two main problems South Africa faces with the shortage of artisans are the retirement of experienced artisans who are over the age of 55 and the 36.5% decline in the total number of learners who entered artisanal learning programmes during the 2020/21 financial year. In addition, younger newly qualified artisans lack the experience to substitute for the leavers, as the appalling formal education system produces matriculants who lack the maths and science literacy required to get to grips with the demands of many trade programmes.
For the country to produce what the National Artisan and Apprenticeship Development Strategy 2030 dubbed as the 21st Century Artisan (A21), a functional system is needed that ensures exposure for learners in artisanal programmes to the theoretical aspect of their trade, simulation (practical) and experiential learning (on-the-job training).
For this process to succeed, a strong ongoing partnership between three crucial role players must be mapped, implemented and monitored on an ongoing basis: industry/workplaces; Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs); and Skills Development Providers and reputable Training Centres. The Government also needs to provide the necessary regulatory and enabling framework.
It is clear that for South Africa to achieve economic growth, the country needs to invest in producing qualified artisans. This can only be achieved through a concerted effort from all the major stakeholders, as well as the government, to ensure that the necessary steps are taken to make this a reality.
As reported by Zizile Lushaba, Human Capital & Skills Development Executive at the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA)
This article was written by Jurno.