By Belgium Campus iTVersity chief marketing and sales officer Dr Elaine van Wyk

South Africa faces a daunting challenge when it comes to unemployment, with extended rates reaching beyond a staggering 50% (officially 30%). Computer literacy remains a pressing concern, limiting economic expansion and stunting workers’ personal growth.

A study conducted by Korn Ferry underscores a global skills gap in the information technology (IT) sector. The study argues there will be a global human talent shortage of more than 85 million people by 2030. Unchecked, this talent shortage could result in about USD8.5 trillion in unrealised annual revenue due to the vast number of unfilled IT jobs worldwide.

South Africa is no exception and will experience substantial revenue loss due to the inability to fill IT positions. South Africa currently has a skills shortage of between 20 000 and 70 000 high-end IT professionals – a situation which ironically increases the unemployment rate.

Furthermore, the global skills shortage puts South Africa at further risk of losing skilled professionals to developed countries trying to compensate for their own shortfalls, meaning that even more professionals will be required to bridge the gap in this country.

With the above in mind, closing the skills gap is the difference between having a recession or a growing economy. We cannot expect to be able to close the skills gap if we are not producing high-school graduates who are meeting the standard necessary to pursue IT at a higher education level.

One significant initiative aimed at addressing this gap is the introduction of IT education from primary school level. While laudable, this initiative faces numerous challenges, notably resource constraints, inadequate teacher training, and infrastructure deficiencies. Without effective solutions to these challenges, the goal of nurturing a new generation proficient in IT may remain elusive.

The skills gap includes high school teachers who lack formal training in IT. Many educators are barely proficient in basic computer skills, posing a challenge in adequately preparing their students for an IT-driven future.

It is of central importance  to expose children to IT at an early age and foster among them a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. However, many students lack any exposure to IT concepts, with some encountering computers only when they enrol in tertiary education.

Belgium Campus is entrusted by many corporates to disburse their education bursaries to fitting previously disadvantaged individuals, but finds that even at this tertiary level students lack awareness of IT opportunities being unfamiliar with the field before their enrolment.

The challenge is compounded by limited access to technology during their childhood development phase, with many schools lacking computer resources and with parents never having used a computer.

In comparison, more advanced countries IT literacy is ingrained from an early age, and South Africa lags behind significantly. South Africa must urgently address this disparity in order to remain competitive in an environment where artificial intelligence is going to be the norm.

Access to affordable data and technology is a key driver in narrowing the IT skills gap and fostering inclusivity in the digital age. For instance, there are initiatives in other countries such as Thailand where free Wi-Fi is being made available to the entire population, recognising that access to data is crucial for participation in the digital economy. While data costs in South Africa have improved in recent years, they remain prohibitive for many individuals, excluding them from the benefits of technology.

There are further challenges. Reducing the pass rate means that many students will receive a Bachelor endorsement on paper but still not have the necessary marks to pursue a Bachelors degree. This is not only a disservice to the country’s youth and what they strive for but also the future of our country.

The focus of Belgium Campus iTVersity in its distribution of bursaries totalling around R30 million annually, is to enable students to pursue IT education in the form of vocational certificates and diplomas as pathways to ultimately enter the technology workforce successfully with hands-on experience, as well as Bachelor degrees for both academic and professional tertiary education.

To prepare learners for that future, it has adopted an initiative among high schools to provide extra lessons in IT, CAT and Math during winter breaks, donate computers to schools and it plans to conduct training courses for IT educators to bridge the skills gap at the grassroots level.

I remain optimistic about the evolving landscape of technology education in South Africa. There is a growing awareness of the importance of IT skills, driven in part by advancements in artificial intelligence and the emergence of Generation Z. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this awareness, highlighting the need for digital literacy and proficiency in an increasingly technology-driven and remote-working world.

There are diverse opportunities available to individuals entering the field at a basic level. For instance, infrastructure specialists are responsible for ensuring the smooth functioning of organisational computer networks. Belgium Campus offers diplomas in IT infrastructure, providing students with specialised knowledge in network management and system administration.

In addition, there are many opportunities in software development, ranging from basic website design to app development. These entry-level positions empower individuals to code and develop software applications, laying the groundwork for further specialisation in areas like software architecture and system design through the Bachelor degrees,” she adds.

All learners need to have a comprehensive understanding of career pathways within the ICT industry, from practical infrastructure roles to more advanced software engineering positions.