The abstracts of the MICT SETA SSP report for 2019/20 indicated that although the labor market for the sector has undergone significant change, particularly in terms of the skills required, it is unclear how much of these changes are fundamental to the way the economy is structured into sectors and what steps should be taken in the education and training sector. The main conclusions from the 2019–20 SSP are outlined in this part, and they in turn refer to the strategic goals of the MICT SETA and its stakeholders for the following time frame. The five chapters that came before it, which were themselves informed by literature reviews and consultations, provided the basis for this chapter. Senior management from MICT SETA and policy directives like NSDP provided strategic input for the creation of the suggested priority actions.
Key skills findings from previous chapters
The MICT industry has 30 727 employers; the vast majority of them are small businesses, as mentioned in Chapter 1. This will have an impact on the opportunities for training. Despite the fact that there are fewer large and medium-sized employers, which means that there are fewer large-scale internship and learnership programs, smaller businesses are thought of as active mentors and incubators for newcomers to the industry.
The MICT sector saw a decline in overall economic growth rates in 2018–19, with the notable exception of telecoms, which saw a notable increase in growth rate. With only a fewew increases, employment numbers remained bteady. Stakeholders believe that employees will need to acquire a wider range of skills if the trend of fewer people finding work continues.
The MICT industry is dynamic and constantly undergoing technical change, as Chapter 2 demonstrated. As a result, skill development and training are essential rather than optional. The drivers of change in the industry pinpointed the difficulties and consequences fofdeveloping skills, with a particular emphasis on the changes brought about by the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). The absence of suitable credentials in AIR-related sectors is a fundamental reason why South Africa is still lagging behind other countries in the adoption of 4IR technology. Consequently, 4IR offers fresh chances for training, and as new gear and software products appear on the market, these need to bbycompanied with upgrading of courses.
It is suggested that the consumer market’s desire for imported electronics, especially mobile phones, is what is driving the sector’s current economic boom. The nlabouror skilled labor in sales and marketing may rise as a result, but the requirement for investing in the ability to invent new services and products or upgrading technical abilities may also be downplayed. Investing in advanced talents for research and development, however, has the potential to spark a whole new economy in this area.
Project management, communication, health and safety, business etiquette, interpersonal, and technical abilities were among the important skills that were noted as having gaps in Chapter 3.
Software developers and computer network technicians are the two most difficult positions to fill. The vocations of database designer and administrator complete the list of sectoral priority jobs. 2018 saw the registration of 18 new learners for the 40 credentials that the MICT SETA has listed on the NQF. The most popular course was the End User Computing National Certificate in Information Technology.
The need for vendor programs is still quite high. These are a mix of expensive, brief courses and longer, more in-depth courses that HEIs and TVET institutes offer. Vendor programs are being mapped to NQF levels by the MICT SETA.
Chapter 4 covered the several collaborations that the MICT SETA has established with business, academic, and governmental partners. These include collaborations to deliver educational initiatives, boost research capability, and improve learning program accessibility.
Chapter 5 examined the SETA’s M&E strategy and described the roles played by the SETA’s several M&E divisions. The SSP division combines the three basic divisions and performs assessments in addition to serving as a monitoring function to some extent. A strategy for how the SETA expects to accomplish its goals was also outlined.
