In line with the latest amended regulations gazetted by the Department of Basic Regulations, all grades will return to school before the end of August. Grade 7 and 12 learners will be heading back to the classroom earlier, under a phased approach to resume an academic year that was derailed by the global pandemic.
This move will put educational facilities under huge pressure to ensure that their environments are adequately sanitised and new procedures and measures are put in place to ensure the safety of learners and teachers.
This calls for additional resources to be deployed, such as temporary teachers, to replace permanent staff that are either ill or over the age of 60 and, as such, cannot return to work as yet. Resources will also be required to fill brand new roles responsible for taking temperatures, providing information, dispensing sanitiser and checking that teachers and learners are indeed sanitising, among others.
This need has given rise to opportunities for South Africa’s unemployed youth to gain work experience, learn new skills and generate an income. In addition, with technology playing an increasingly central role in the “new normal” of teaching methodologies, technical resources are also required to assist teachers with the transition from old teaching methods to technology-driven ones.
Overwhelming numbers
While the Department of Basic Education has set up a portal for the youth to apply for these new positions, the sheer number of applicants is likely to be overwhelming. Government already has a lot on its plate in terms of dealing with the pandemic, so the additional task of screening and interviewing thousands of candidates will prove to be a massive undertaking.
This is where Temporary Employment Services (TES), also known as Experts on Demand, can step in and help with the sourcing of candidates and screening of applicants for positions at educational institutions across South Africa. Following a process of interviewing, screening and vetting, Experts on Demand can submit a shortlist of applicants to the department, which can then make appointments with the knowledge that all the necessary checks have been done.
The department is placing specific emphasis on youth who do not necessarily have any prior work experience, such as those who matriculated last year, or are currently studying at a tertiary education institution.
While this creates an opportunity for employment, it also facilitates skills training, as some candidates will have to be trained in areas such as health and safety, and for other roles that have never existed before.
Transition to technology
Among the new roles that are being created are those of technology experts or specialists, who will assist teachers with the transition to technology-based education methods. Many schools have invested in collaboration tools, but do not necessarily know how to set them up, or have the knowledge to train teachers and learners to use these technologies. Experts on Demand can also play a key role in sourcing and providing these technical skills.
The changing nature of the pandemic makes it necessary to rely on temporary employment to fill these new positions, which are needed during the current phase. While the pandemic might be around for longer than expected, it will not be around forever, so while technology resources might be needed today to facilitate teaching, this could change in the near future.
There is a narrow window of opportunity for Experts on Demand to assist and address a specific need, but the opportunity will eventually fade. Based on how the pandemic changes and the decisions we make as a country, different needs and opportunities could arise in future. That is why leveraging Experts on Demand is the ideal way to cater for current needs. It will ensure that educational facilities do not end up with employees on their payroll that were only needed for a certain period of time, or to carry out specific piece of work.
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