Education & Training

Despite the country moving to level two of the national lockdown, most industries are still reeling from the upset caused by the pandemic and reduced economic activity. This is exacerbated by the loss of quality talent that most companies are facing due to the restructuring they had to undertake to remain afloat during the economic downturn.

Digital transformation is changing the ways businesses operate throughout the world. New technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and predictive analytics, already have had a profound impact on the world’s economies and continue to disrupt industries.

An interview with Dave Crawford, Proprietor, Planning Retirement, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing how important it is for employers to provide education and training to inform employees about the issues that will face them when they retire.

Your valuable skills development training partnerships assist us with changing the lives of thousands of young South Africans. South Africa’s increasing unemployment levels are a huge threat to future economic growth and the overall prosperity of its citizens. Statistics South Africa’s most recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows the country’s unemployment rate climbed to 30.1% in the first quarter of 2020.

Employers spend a lot of money providing retirement and other benefits to employees, and yes, it is a cost of doing business. Medical schemes are well known and well appreciated, yet retirement funds are valued less by employees due to a lack of understanding.

Our world has changed. The aspects that we have accepted as daily occurrences, and those that we have taken for granted, are no longer possible.

The task of re-skilling millions of workers may feel overwhelming. By 2022 alone, 75 million jobs will probably be displaced across 20 major economies, while 133 million new ones will spring up in industries that are only just gaining traction. At the same time, it’s estimated that nearly two-thirds of children who started school in 2016 will go on to have jobs that don’t yet exist.

Growth of the entrepreneurial sector is key to addressing South Africa’s unemployment crisis, especially amongst the youth. Young people, however, face many barriers to success. Amongst these is a dire lack of digital literacy and access to internet and data.

The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) is underway and it is shaping up some of the most significant opportunities and challenges of our lifetime. The surging high-tech, sharing economy is transforming jobs, policies, industries and entire economies as we witness our digital and physical worlds continue to merge.

It’s amazing how quickly the world around us is changing. The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) is upon us and how we continue to adapt to this era of rapid technological and societal change is crucial. Why we need to adapt and how fast we are able to adapt to these changes remain a core question of our time, and education is a key factor in how we navigate these changes.