Tag: skills shortage

Much has been written about the digital skills shortage. This is not a problem that will be solved overnight. As technology evolves, the demand for specific skills outpaces their availability. And as more people gain these sought-after competencies, there may be a temporary oversaturation of the market. Once parity is reached, new advancements shift the landscape again, and so the cycle continues.

The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) presents a promising foundation for building a skilled workforce in South Africa. However, a vital question remains: how can employers ensure a steady pipeline of talent with the necessary skills, and what responsibility do they hold in achieving this?

The 2024 Cybersecurity Readiness Index reveals a decline in South African businesses’ preparedness for cyberattacks. According to the released index, just 5% of companies in South Africa have ranked at the "mature" level of readiness which is needed to be resilient against modern cybersecurity risks, down by 19% year-on-year.

A recent roundtable discussion we co-hosted with Microsoft sparked a debate whether SA’s unemployment challenges are truly about job availability rather than a mismatch in skills demand and supply.

Navigating the various work visa applications is quite tricky. Individuals and HR professionals assisting employees in applying for their work visas often face lengthy qualifying criteria and a complex application process that can be difficult to get right the first time around. 

It’s fair to say that in human resources (HR) circles there is something of a panic around talent. Between “quiet quitting”, the great resignation, and the general disruption to the workplace caused by COVID-19, HR practitioners find themselves grappling with how to attract, develop and retain talent, and there is much handwringing about the so-called talent shortage.

The contentious issue of quiet quitting in the workplace or putting in minimal effort to avoid termination is considered by some to be a logical repercussion of COVID-19. But businesses are under extraordinary pressure of the Great Resignation trend, local talent moving abroad for better opportunities and a general shortage of skills.

Have you ever heard of the expression: “Different strokes for different folks?”. It is believed that this expression originated in the USA during the 1960’s and that the first person to use it was Muhammed Ali. He used the phrase to explain how he obtained his knockout punches as he went on to defeat his opponents.

Nearly three quarters (73%) of CEOs believe global economic growth will decline over the next 12 months, according to our 26th Annual Global CEO Survey, which polled 4,410 CEOs in 105 countries and territories in October and November 2022.

The massive surge in cybercrime, the ever-increasing number of threat vectors, and a critical skills shortage has left organisations feeling more vulnerable to cyberattacks than ever before. With exponentially more ransomware incidents being reported than there are skilled cybersecurity professionals available, progressive businesses are looking to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to close the gap.