There is a significant mismatch between labour supply and demand – with a deteriorating education system churning out a workforce that is largely unskilled in light of new job market trends, said Shaun Fuchs, the CEO of Centennial Schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
South Africa is currently in a joblessness crisis, with six out of every ten young people being unemployed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fuchs said that people between the ages of 15-24 remain the most vulnerable people in the labour market, with the latest unemployment figures (for the first quarter of 2023) released by StatsSA showing that the total number of unemployed youth (15-34 years) increased by 241,000 to 4.9 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The biggest challenge facing those who have just finished school is their lack of appropriate skills when they want to enter the job market, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The economy demands skilled and experienced work-seekers, which reduces the chances of unqualified or inexperienced young people finding jobs,” he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the rapid emergence of new technologies and a shift away from labour-intensive work – educators need to adjust to accommodate the new job environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our schooling system is frozen in time with virtually no reference to the impact technology is having on our labour market,” Fuch said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest World Economic Forum 2023 jobs reports said that the adoption of technology would remain a key driver in business transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 85% of organisations surveyed identify increased adoption of new and frontier technologies and broadening digital access as the trends most likely to drive transformation in their organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is an emerging prioritisation of analytical and creative thinking skills in companies across the globe, reported the World Economic Forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Most technologies demand these skills, so why not let children get comfortable with them at school?” said Fuchs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n