South Africa needs to produce ten times the number of engineers it currently has to compete with developed countries, says skills development company The Office Coach participating member Deirdre Elphick-Moore, quoting statistics released by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
ECSA states the country currently has one engineer for every 3 100 citizens, compared with Germany, which has one engineer for every 200 people, while Japan, the UK and US have a ratio of 1:310.
“These statistics indicate a great need for more qualified engineers in our country. One could reasonably reach the conclusion that education and training initiatives are not meeting demand at the most basic level,” states Elphick-Moore.
The standard of mathematics, science, technology and English being taught in schools needs to be improved through continued efforts, she stresses.
Elphick-Moore predicts that tertiary education in the engineering industry will remain problematic for the foreseeable future.
She suggests that further initiatives to engage the youth in the engineering field need to be identified and implemented.
“Government’s mandate to meet skills development needs and associated incentives, such as tax concessions and skills levies, has resulted in many companies focusing on low-level learnerships like the National Qualifications Framework levels.
“The benefit of this approach is that individuals have unprecedented access to learning opportunities,” says Elphick-Moore.
Nonetheless, she notes that many employers and training providers do not understand or take advantage of the incentives offered by government. She advises that awareness about these advantages be raised among employers, employees and the industry at large.
She warns, however, that dealing with the skills shortage in South Africa is compounded by an emphasis on the number of qualified people being produced rather than the quality of the contributions they might bring to the workplace.
“There is not enough focus on subjects like emotional intelligence, leadership and entrepreneurship, which will help produce driven, accountable individuals,” states Elphick-Moore.
Further, there is a weak link between acquiring a qualification and the available job prospects for those entering the workplace, or hoping to advance in their careers.
According to figures provided by Statistics South Africa, the number of discouraged workers has increased by almost 270 000 in the last year to 2.2-million. Many of these are graduates who are unable to find employment.
Elphick-Moore says many graduates suffer from a lack of job readiness, such as communication and technology skills, as they have not had sufficient exposure to the professional and business environment in which they have to function.
“The curriculums for engineering qualifications should be extended to include job readiness skills. “Also, employers must under- stand the need to develop these skills in the workplace and employer-led education and training should address these skills deficits,” she suggests.
She also believes that greater collaboration is needed between training providers and employers to provide graduates with relevant work experience.
To improve performance in the workplace, manager or leader development needs to be implemented, as effective leadership positively impacts on the company’s bottom line, which, in turn, increases staff morale and performance. It also has a positive effect on retention rates and staff turnover.
Elphick-Moore says the majority of South African employers lag behind the rest of the world in talent management.
“Talent management practices have a long way to go in the technical field of engineering. The most technically astute engineers are often the ones who are promoted to management positions. “But just because they are technically skilled does not mean they are good at managing people. Talent management should be a higher priority for employers,” she states.
She suggests that companies focus on developing, sourcing, attracting and recruiting qualified candidates who have the necessary backgrounds to manage their employees effectively.
Companies should also understand and manage employees, so that the objectives which motivate them, such as salaries, career prospects and continued learning, and training and devel- opment opportunities, complement organisational goals.
There should also be a focus on creative retention programmes, including employee mobility, promotion and transitioning, as well as performance management processes that stimulate growth and development.