The 2014 JCSE ICT Skills Survey has presented a mixed bag of results, leaving the industry confused.
According to Adrian Schofield, manager of the Applied Research Unit at the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering and author of the study, the industry is stagnant and "unwilling to invest in new technology". He bases this on the fact that "the global IT market will reach almost $4 trillion in 2015 - a four-fold increase in the last 15 years. On the other hand, Microsoft is reducing its workforce by 20% - about 18 000 fewer employees."
In addition, says Schofield, there is a disconnect between employment numbers provided by the industry year-on-year, and the figures provided by the industry sector education training authority, none of which add up.
Schofield cites as an example the fact that there were about 15 000 companies in the sector this year, an increase from last year, yet the number of employees continued to dwindle, from almost 170 000 in 2012 to 133 000 in the electronics, IT and telecoms sectors last year. "It doesn't make sense," says Schofield, adding the only explanation he can provide is that there are fewer companies reporting on their numbers.
The skills demand
The incongruent figures from employers falling under the Media ICT Sector Education Training Authority has made it "more difficult to define the trends in skills demand", says Schofield. He has identified certain trends in the industry when it comes to skills development and the priorities that industry places on development and retention.
According to the study, the two most sought-after candidates in the industry are those with graduate degrees and diplomas. This follows a pattern set in 2011. "It is interesting that vendor certificates are least-rated in the recruitment process but are more highly valued as indicators of ability to support specific products or technologies during the course of employment," Schofield says.
However, when it comes to training methodologies preferred by employers, "knowledge sharing with peers" and "e-learning and podcasts" come in ahead of academic institutions and formal courses.
As far as management development goes, "formal management courses" outrank "mentoring" as an approach to skills development. This is a continuation from a trend shown in 2012 when "this approach moved from fourth to second place," he says.
Recruitment practices have also changed from a Web/Internet-focused approach to recruitment agencies once again coming into favour. While recruiting is active, staff retention strategies are reliant on performance bonuses (more than 20%) and professional development programmes (20%), with 5% having no particular policy.
Schofield looks to government for support. "Government's approach has failed South Africa quite considerably. We still have an enormous failure in our education system." All in all, "it's not a happy picture; we definitely need more ICT skills in South Africa."
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