Technology will drive job growth says Liquid Telecom boss
Women and men with the right skills are active agents of change, and the evolution of skills and technology can empower people and create job growth in South Africa.
This is according to Liquid Telecom SA chief executive officer, Reshaad Sha, who was speaking at the 2019 MyBroadband Conference.
Sha said that Liquid aims to help create a scenario where South Africa’s citizens can be “accomplished game changers”- by merging the rights skills with empowerment actions.
He said that the company wants to see a scenario where people and skills are aligned, creating accomplished game changers.
A dead end scenario would be one where people have entitlement to a certain role, but do not have the appropriate skills to fill that role.
Sha said that new technologies – such as machine learning, AI, and advanced robotics – will also impact millions of jobs in South Africa.
These technologies will, however, create hundreds of millions of jobs across the world in the next 10 years.
Businesses must consider the following three questions when it comes to new technology:
- Are we ready to embrace the technology?
- Do we have the skills to adapt to change?
- Are we investing in the skills we need in 5, 10, and 20 years time?
Complicating matters in South Africa, is the lackluster state of its GDP.
There has been a significant decline in growth over the past decade, and currently our economy is barely growing, Sha pointed out.
He said that Liquid Telecom is driving skills growth with its own initiatives, which will ultimately benefit the economy and the company having access to skilled employees.
Its extensive fibre network across South Africa and Africa allows it to work towards a connected continent and grow the skills base among citizens where its network touches, Sha said.
This includes partnering with universities and learning institutions to help students understand the benefits of new technologies.
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