Need skills, will travel

In a recently published list identifying critical skills that are lacking in SA, foreigners are called upon to apply for more than 23 000 posts in the private and public sectors.

Among these are 2 500 IT positions, including 1 500 software developers and 1 000 silicon and microchip developers. In total, 56 industry sectors have been identified by the National Critical Skills List as needing `scarce` skills to aid growth. The list was drawn up from assessments done by the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI), Home Affairs and Labour, based on "surveys, individual experiences and observations".

When published on ITWeb, the announcement was met with outrage by the IT industry, with many letters claiming that SA companies possess the skills, but have been sidelined by affirmative action employment policies. Government, however, insists that the relevant skills don`t exist within the country.

BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Lionel October, deputy director general of the DTI`s Enterprise and Industry Development Division, informs iWeek that foreign skills shouldn`t be seen as a threat to local job seekers, but rather as a means to kick-start major projects that will create thousands of local jobs.

"It must be understood that when the list mentions software, silicon and microchip developers, these definitions are very broad. What we are referring to are niche areas, where very specialised skills are required," October points out.

The required skills figures for the IT industry, as well as other industry sectors, he notes, are based on a range of studies.

Government earlier revealed that these figures would be revised on a continual basis.

He adds that the government initiative is no different from programmes run by private sector enterprise, such as IBM and Sasol, which have been importing skills for some time now.

"It is important to remember that we need these skills to get major projects off the ground. Consider development such as the Gautrain, for instance. Only R5 billion of this multibillion-rand project will have foreign content.

Otherwise, the skills that will be imported for [it] will create thousands of jobs over a number of years," October explains.

PLEASE COME HOME!

"There is [also] a big drive to attract expatriates. The DTI has 120 offices around the world, and we have recently identified the first 900 people who would be suitable for placement in positions in South Africa."

Currently, the DTI is on an active recruitment drive in Europe and Asia.

While the programme to bring in foreign skills is designed to upgrade South Africa`s skills pool, it is also envisaged to accelerate the country`s economic growth to 6% by 2010, and reduce poverty and unemployment by 50% by 2014.

To expedite the process, says Home Affairs spokesperson Nkosana Sibuyi, new immigration regulations have been implemented and foreigners will be able to apply for quota work permits, meaning they can enter the country having first secured employment.

These permits do not guarantee employment, but give foreigners the opportunity to compete for work in the country on an equal footing with South Africans.

The new immigration regulations were designed to attract foreign skills and investment to stimulate economic growth in the country.

Home Affairs stated at the time that the amended regulations would discourage illegal migration, especially of people from poverty-stricken countries, by creating a wider array of permits to legalise entry.

"As a country we have an obligation to regulate or facilitate movement of people, goods and services into and [out of] South Africa," Sibuyi said at the time.

JIPSA

Earlier this month, Cabinet appointed union leader Gwede Mantashe to head the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) - skills empowerment division of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgisa). Steered by the Deputy President`s Office, Asgisa is directly linked to government`s plan to accelerate the country`s economic growth. Jipsa aims to connect social partners to drive immediate and medium-term skills needed in the country, including skills within the IT sector. Jipsa will perform an integral role in turning the tide against the skills shortfall over the next 18 months through special training programmes, as well as enticing South Africans who are currently abroad to return to the country and bring retirees back into the workforce.

NUMBERS, PLEASE

While it is evident that government is attempting to solve the ICT skills shortage, ascertaining the magnitude of the shortage seems impossible.

Attempts to gain official statistics from the Department of Labour were unsuccessful, and efforts to obtain this information from Isett Seta proved equally fruitless.

In fact, the Department of Labour could not provide an official figure for the country`s unemployment rate at the time of publication. And so the real magnitude of the skills shortage in ICT remains unknown.

But, judging by the furore, government wants at least 2 500 applicants in this sector to launch a skills upgrade programme.

"These quotas are determined using the National Critical Skills list - a mechanism designed to assist in recruiting certain skills into South Africa," Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula said at the time of announcing the quotas.