Jessica Hawkey | Managing Director| redAcademy | mail me |
Young people are struggling to find jobs. At the same time, businesses can’t get the skills they need to grow. That’s why technology education is being pushed out of academic siloes to support young talent and help them access world-class, practical and hands-on training.
South Africa desperately lacks Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)-trained professionals. Without them, we are shortchanging our own economy’s potential for innovation and productivity.
Simply importing foreign workers with IT skills or outsourcing IT jobs abroad won’t solve this situation. Instead, it’s time to take a hard look at our tech education capability. We must pull back from what’s not working and double down on what is.
The solution to the skills gap starts with business commitment
Meanwhile, the industry itself is struggling to keep up with the pace of change. Mega trends such as generative AI, blockchain, data science and remote work are reshaping the sector from the ground up. In this environment, expecting the usual training courses to remain relevant is a tough ask.
Perhaps that’s why only half of IT graduates are considered fully prepared for immediate employment. Moreover, up to 65% of businesses are affected by the technology skills gap. As we know, 4.8 million young people between 18 and 34 are unemployed, a statistic that is clearly unsustainable.
In the face of such an immense crisis, businesses have not been idle. Corporates routinely offer employee development programmes to their own staff. These programmes empower existing teams to meet new demands. In addition, businesses are investing in industry-specific training, often in partnership with training providers, to develop their talent pipelines and secure skills in emerging technologies.
But we need to do more. By scaling up training initiatives with built-in flexibility and responsiveness to market needs, we can start to bridge the gap.
The solution to the skills gap – experience-based learning
Here’s where the Skills Integration-as-a-Service (SIaaS) model can offer a potential solution. This model integrates training with real-world work experience. As a result, graduates are work-ready and familiar with their future employers’ systems and processes.
Students can benefit from learning in live work environments with real projects for clients. They gain practical experience that bridges the gap between theory and application. They also graduate faster- our courses are completed in a year rather than three years or more at a traditional institution.
For example, our curriculum focuses on in-demand tech skills, with programs accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). These include areas such as software development, software testing, data science and test automation.
The human side of the solution to the skills gap
We plan to expand our offerings soon by adding courses in AI development and cybersecurity. This approach tailors training to the specific needs of future employers. Students can be trained on employers’ technology stacks and operational processes. Consequently, graduates can hit the ground running and be productive from day one. This model may explain our impressive 96% graduate placement rate.
It taught me how to present myself professionally in the workplace, use appropriate language in a corporate setting, and understand the value of building meaningful networks. When I started working, I didn’t feel like I was beginning from scratch. I had a solid foundation, which allowed me to adapt to my professional environment more quickly.
– Phophi Muravha, Graduate at redAcademy
Women remain underrepresented in the tech sector. For example, they make up only 22 percent of AI professionals. Yet, they likely represent the majority of technology end users. This makes training programmes that reduce barriers to entry even more important, not just for economic growth but for inclusivity too.
While our policy is generally to hire the best candidate for the job, we clearly have a responsibility to encourage women to enter the tech industry and capacitate them to apply for positions. This applies not only to the City of Cape Town, but across all our relationships. And it starts early, from school level. I would like to see far more young women being encouraged to take subjects that will lead to studies in the tech industry.
– Alderman Theresa Uys, Mayco Member for Corporate Services at the City of Cape Town
In conclusion
Our efforts are driven by the need to solve youth unemployment, remove barriers to tech education, and provide future-ready workplace skills.
With almost all students quickly finding jobs after graduating, it’s evident that this is a winning recipe. This is where South Africa needs to double down. Providers need support and investment to scale up even further.
By doing so, we can reap multiple benefits – facilitating emerging digital sectors, fostering innovation and enhancing productivity and global competitiveness. Those are the business benefits. But the human value of providing good jobs in a growing sector is priceless. Entire families become more resilient as a result.
