Without human involvement and interaction when it comes to the next phase of industrial development – the fifth industrial revolution (5IR) – companies will lose out on the ability to increase productivity and become more profitable, while also uplifting staff.
For firms to take full advantage of this shift in technology means they will have to implement a step change to upskill their staff. The 5IR should be seen as an opportunity to develop employees, and not a threat.
However, upskilling should start way before the youth enter the workforce. The process must be systematically infused into the curriculum for all learners from the time they start school, to when they matriculate. Learners should be encouraged to study the so-called STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
At the same time, teachers should ensure learners do not think that such subjects require a higher, university, level understanding of each topic.
Those who will go into trades such as steel work, construction and plumbing will also need to be able to work with machines. In its simplest form, the 5IR improves how people work with machines and does not replace them.
5IR incorporates technology such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, machine learning and business intelligence into everyday jobs.
Imagine, for example, a sensor on a water pipe that provides a plumber with the exact details of where it has burst. That doesn’t negate the need for a plumber, but rather means that his or her job will be streamlined, which is more productive and leads to better profitability.
5IR should be seen as an opportunity to develop employees, and not a threat.
In steel and woodwork, we already have CNC machines that cut the material based on what is programmed into a computer. Marketers make use of big data to determine where to advertise once that information has been crunched via business intelligence applications.
But, as they say, garbage in, garbage out. That’s why we need to ensure humans are supervising the machines, software, and working with data to ensure accuracy. This does create more jobs for software engineers and developers, but it also means learners, when they select their subjects with their future career in mind, need to be able to use these tools. To make that possible, there’s need for STEM skills to be taught from a very early age.
And South Africa is not making the cut when it comes to that. There simply aren’t enough learners studying the key topics of mathematics and science. In addition, students are not performing to the expected standards.
The research by Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), published in 2019, show that 37% of South African Grade Five learners had acquired basic mathematical knowledge. Only 41% of Grade Nine mathematics learners had acquired basic mathematical expertise.
When it comes to science, 36% of those studying the subject had a basic understanding of the topic in Grade Five. The results of this study, which covered learners of typically between 10 and 11 years of age, shows there is a dire need for additional intervention from the start of a young person’s schooling.
The good news is that last year’s matriculants did well when it came to these two subjects, with the 2023 National Senior Certificate Exam Results Technical Report showing 63.5% of learners taking mathematics passed last year, compared with 55% the year prior. In science, there was a marginal increase from 74.6% in 2022, to 76.2% in 2023.
Government is clearly working on improving vital STEM knowledge and skills. The Department of Basic Education is developing a Mathematics Catch Up Programme, with a vision to have one technical school in every district.
The department has also recognised the importance of introducing skills to enable students to apply new technologies, boosting current 4IR-focused subjects even though the world is rapidly moving on. The department stated the introduction of skills must align with STEM subjects, which include ocean and marine engineering, aerospace engineering, coding and robotics, and entrepreneurship.
In collaboration with the five teacher unions, more than 20 000 South African teachers have been trained in coding and robotics as well as digital skills as of this year.
Yet, at a higher education level, the National Advisory Council on Innovation’s 2023 South African science, technology and innovation indicators report shows there has been no change in universities enhancing their academic capacity in terms of staff for STEM subjects, which has been on the decline from 55.5% in 2010, to 51.9% in 2021.
When it comes to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (generally known by the TVET acronym) colleges, a 2024 report by the TVET Research Programme established there were increases in the number of students enrolled in the National Accredited Technical Education Diploma Engineering programme, which was becoming the course with the highest number of students enrolled. This increase could be positive for the economy in terms of it being part and parcel of the STEM skills set.
Amid this at learner level, we must not lose sight of those already in the workforce, with 5IR considered to have globally come into effect at the same time as COVID-19 forced the world to speed up technological developments.
Here, it is not only vital to mentor those who will be working with the new technologies, but it’s especially important to ensure all staff are educated through a hands-on approach that will enable them to directly work with the new tools they need to do their jobs better.
It is fundamental to underscore that the 5IR is not a threat. It is an opportunity to enable companies to develop skills that will allow staff to better enjoy their jobs, take on new challenges, and – as a result – improve productivity and profitability.
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