You got IT. We want IT.
The IT sector challenges facing recruitment consultants
An inconvenient truth faced by many recruitment consultants is the lack of digital skills talent in South Africa. According to the 2018 Career Junction Index Report, the recruitment activity for software developers, specifically C# and Java Script developers, has increased by 12% and continues to increase on a month to month basis. The ICT sector is sadly in critical condition with the rise of Industry 4.0, competitive international markets as well as the fundamental failures within our education system.
WHY WE NEED IT:
According to the JCSE-IITPSA ICT Skills Survey, the ICT sector is estimated to contribute more than R250 billion (approx 6%) to the country’s R4 trillion GDP, with a significant 12,5% growth in software development. This is a clear indication highlighting the need for strong ICT programme development skills.
As more and more South African retailers and consumers move towards the convenience of mobile applications, the need for high-end development skills remains a top priority. The rapid rise of E-Commerce and Online purchasing platforms requires highly skilled Python and PHP developers, familiar with the technical aspects of back-end development as well as front-end integration.
On a more pressing note, the rise of Cybercrime in South Africa is another area requiring innovative ICT skills. Cyber attacks are targeted at both individual and corporate enterprises, estimated as costing R1 billion a year. The need for network and security specialists being able to detect and avert these security breaches has become a massive demand in the supply chain.
Despite the increase in competitive salary packages and plans to build more ICT skills development initiatives, the large supply and demand gap means that more vacancies in South Africa are available than can be filled. Aside from more lucrative international opportunities, the problem essentially boils down to South Africa’s failing education system, as well as the need for private sector support and investment in skills development.
WHY WE LOSE IT
“There is not enough investment in basic education to create the pool of ICT skills South Africa needs,” explains the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa’s (IITPSA) Adrian Schofield.
The slow pace of improvement in South Africa’s basic education system, including outdated curricula and educator responsibility to highlight the importance of ICT skills to students, is a major hindrance to progress. The fact that students either don’t have access to quality education or are unable to complete basic education curricula is an alarming statistic.
It’s not all gloom and doom, however, as more private sector initiatives are bridging the gap where education departments are falling short. Skills upliftment and employment opportunities are taking shape as more partnerships such as the JCSE and BankSETA Digital Skills Pipeline Programme come to fruition. The two year programme is designed to improve the employability of matriculants and graduates in South Africa by teaching them rare IT skills and exposing them to various project experiences.
Other noteworthy initiatives include WeThinkCode, a free 2 year course sponsored by corporate BBD where the only criteria is aptitude and enthusiasm. Three universities have also partnered with Amazon Web Services to offer specialised cloud-computing focused curriculum.
You got it? Apply through Kwena’s leading recruitment services
Kwena Human Capital are currently recruiting ICT positions for a number of projects in the pipeline. These include top skills such as:
- Senior .Net / C# Developers
- Intermediate .Net / C# Developers
- Intermediate Java Developers
- Senior Java Developers
- Mobile Developers (IOS / Android)
- Web Developers (Angular 4 / higher / Java Script / HTML)
- Intermediate / Senior .Net Developers
- BI Developers (SQL / ETL Lifecycle / SSRS / SSDT / SSMS / Data Modelling)
- Intermediate / Senior Web Designers – UX / UI / HTML / Wireframe)
Please submit your CV to bernadette@kwena.net to join our database.
