Education & Training

If a business wants to become truly data-driven, then its employees need to be equipped to understand and work with data as well as have meaningful conversations around that data. In short, they need to be data literate.

The government’s latest critical skills list includes the occupations of 'Tax Professional', 'External Auditor' and 'Forensic Accountant'. The full list comprises 101 occupation codes and these critical skills are open to South Africans and foreign nationals that meet the skills requirements.

Ever since the shift from stone to metal tools, the world has steadily been moving towards an increasingly digital age. However, the rate at which technological developments take place today is expanding exponentially and over the last two years digital adoption and transformation has been accelerated at a rapid pace.

The Statistics SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q2 2021 paints a grim picture of the employment landscape in South Africa – the official unemployment rate is 34.4%. Most significant of all, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 years stood at 64.4% and the unemployment rate for those aged 25-34 years was 42.9%.

The first part of the State Capture Commission’s report, released earlier this month, documents an account of events where many sectors and individuals colluded to create an environment in which billions could be pilfered. This was achieved by deliberately sidestepping constitutional and regulatory checks and balances.

The Genius Starter Kit from Osmo is designed to stimulate interest and improve skills in maths, spelling, creativity and other educational and learning games. Aimed at children aged ages 6 to 10 and older, the games move from beginner to expert levels as kids become more adept with them, meaning they allow for continuing learning.

It’s no secret that South Africa’s education system suffers from inequality and inefficiency. However, in such a young democracy, a certain degree of stumbling is to be expected. Unfortunately, even as we address past-era issues, the gap between privileged private-school education and that provided in peri-urban and rural areas is becoming undeniable and ever-widening, in no small part as a result of the complex COVID-19 environment.

The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a digital revolution that has massive transformative potential. Technology is rapidly evolving, and if used correctly, it can improve both the spend and quality of business operations. However, without the right skills within the business, technology is either used ineffectively or not used at all, which can be detrimental.

Skills development is one of the cornerstones of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) and makes up a significant percentage of the scorecard. South African businesses need to shift their mindset to see it as more than just a compliance exercise. The goal of B-BBEE is not to stifle businesses but to provide a fair environment for all and uplift previously disadvantaged people to enable them to earn an income and contribute to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Literacy, the ability to read and to write, enables prosperity. Yet at least 773 million young people and adults lack basic literacy skills. As technology evolves, users who lack the foundation of learning and education will not reap the benefits of the ongoing digital transformation.