Phase 1 of the ICT Skills Registry kicks off.
Phase 1 of the ICT Skills Registry, a searchable database that contains the profiles and skill sets of candidates seeking a career path in the ICT industry, has been launched, while the Africa Cyber Security Outlook 2022 shows a dearth of qualified cyber professionals. Meanwhile, data from the Social Research Foundation shows more than 50 percent of university graduates are considering emigration.
Talent pool for cyber professionals shrinking
The Africa Cyber Security Outlook 2022 survey by KPMG found that 75 percent of companies encounter challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified cyber professionals and only one in three have access to a sufficient talent pool.
The development of highly specialised cybersecurity resources with skills for cyber leadership, and securing and testing systems should be prioritised, the professional services firm recommends in its report.
However, some industries are well geared in terms of cyber skills, with the highest percentage of adequate skills being in the manufacturing sector and energy and natural resources sector, followed closely by the fast-moving consumer goods and information and communication technology sectors.
Construction starts on KZN skills development centre
Construction has begun on the KwaMpumuza Skills Development Centre in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, which is expected to create about 175 jobs.
The R105 million project is the first intra-SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority) collaboration infrastructure project undertaken by the Construction Education & Training Authority (CETA) and Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA).
The centre will have administration, hospitality and retail hubs, two CETA-related workshops, lecture halls, an abattoir, and gatehouse.
Among the skills development courses to be offered are agroprocessing (meat processing and feed load management), bricklaying, air conditioning and refrigeration, electrical, painting, and decorating.
It will also offer plumbing, heat pump, carpentry and joinery, property maintenance, geyser installation, road maintenance, and retail related trades.
Majority of university graduates considering emigration
Moret than 50 percent of university graduates are considering emigration as citizens lose faith in the country’s future, according to a survey by the Social Research Foundation.
Out of 3,204 survey participants, 53 percent of university graduates and 43 percent of those who earned more than R20,000 a month may leave the country.
“South Africa is vulnerable to surrendering near half of its top skills base and income earners, and by extension much of its remaining tax base,” the foundation said.
ICT Skills Registry takes off
Phase 1 of the ICT Skills Registry, a searchable database that contains the profiles and skill sets of candidates seeking a career path in the ICT industry, has been launched by the Internet Service Providers Association, in partnership with the Wireless Access Providers Association of South Africa and the Wireless Application Service Provider Association.
Applicants with an intermediate or advanced level of IT skills and experience aspiring to become professionals in the ICT sector or looking for industry exposure in order to complete their studies through internship or learnership programmes are eligible for registration.
