Preparing the next generation for a mindset of lifelong learning is crucial to drive South Africa's competitiveness in the face of the fourth industrial revolution, which is upending the nature of work across the world, says PwC.
In a study titled: Emerging technology an opportunity and threat for SA youth, which comes as South Africa commemorates youth month, PwC says that an estimated 57% of South Africans aged 15 to 24 years were unemployed in 2017.
According to fourth quarter 2017 Quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics SA, of the 10.3 million young South Africans aged 15 to 24 years, approximately 3.1 million were not in employment, education or training.
South Africa's youth unemployment is one of the most significant socio-economic challenges facing the country today, says Maura Feddersen, PwC strategy and economist. An income and the independence that goes with it are crucial for building a sustainable and thriving society, she adds.
The key to fighting high unemployment among the youth is to forge an alliance among businesses, educators and the youth to build the skills that lead to entry-level jobs in future growth sectors, says PwC.
However, while fighting current levels of youth unemployment is a matter of urgency, South Africa must also build a pipeline of future talent that can partake actively in the age of emerging technology such as automation and artificial intelligence, it adds.
A relentless focus on ushering young South Africans into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in schools and further education and training will be crucial to allow South Africa to take advantage of the wave of emerging technology that is shifting the nature of work globally, notes PwC.
Educators and businesses must form an alliance to ensure that education programmes produce young workers with market-relevant skills, says Feddersen.
Also, training strategies need to be constantly updated to reflect evolving business needs in an ever more digital and automated workplace, she adds. This means businesses must play an active role in helping educators tailor their curricula to meet future requirements, notes Feddersen.
The basic education sector in South Africa needs to increase the number of institutions that focus on critical STEM subjects, says Richard Firth, CEO of MIP Holdings. It is crucial for SA to change its education strategy from one where pupils get a diploma after grade 12, to one where pupils get a job, he adds.
"Investing in our youth is the way forward, and to do that, we need to invest in STEM skills. To do that, we need to deliver high quality education: education that will see learners walking into jobs and building up our tech sector. This is what will guarantee that our youth will grow up to be valuable, contributing members of society."
As young South Africans push for higher levels of education, especially in STEM subjects, they become better able to adapt to the technological changes caused by emerging technology, says PwC. For example, instead of competing with the new technology, they will be ready to take on managerial roles to create or supervise AI-based systems, it notes.
The 2017 JCSE ICT skills survey revealed that despite a number of initiatives to bring technology into education, the education system continues to fail to generate a cohort of work-ready youth within the field of ICT.
Speaking at the time, Adrian Schofield, JCSE manager of applied research, said: "The South African economy continues to be plagued by political issues and a high level of corruption that is diverting vital resources away from building a healthy and growing GDP."
During last year's Youth Day celebrations, the-then public enterprises minister Lynne Brown encouraged the youth to pursue studies in maths and science to attain the necessary skills required by some of the country's state-owned companies, which are in need of pilots, engineers, accountants and lawyers, among others.
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