Advertorial: EWSETA
Guiding the next generation
EWSETA IS REIMAGINING CAREER GUIDANCE IN SOUTH AFRICA’ S ENERGY AND WATER SECTORS.
In South Africa, more than 65 % of young people leave school without a clear direction. This uncertainty fuels unemployment, skills mismatches, and economic stagnation. But what if career guidance could do more than help learners choose subjects – what if it could power a nation?
Picture a learner in Mpumalanga, surrounded by power stations, and unaware of renewable energy careers. Or a student in the Eastern Cape facing daily water challenges, but never introduced to hydrology or wastewater treatment. These aren’ t rare cases – they reflect a systemic gap in guiding young people into the careers that literally keep the lights on and the taps running.
The urgency: a shrinking skills pipeline
South Africa urgently needs more professionals in energy and water. Without deliberate, sector-specific awareness, we risk lacking the workforce to drive the energy transition or ensure water security.
EWSETA’ s career guidance revolution
EWSETA is flipping the script. We treat career awareness not as a tick-box exercise, but as a national strategy. Our approach spans the entire education-to-employment chain:
Top scarce skills in energy: |
Electrical and renewable energy technicians Smart grid engineers Power plant operators Energy efficiency auditors Hydrogen and battery storage technologists |
Early exposure:
STEM messaging:
Support for educators and parents:
|
|
Introducing learners to energy and water careers from primary school
Showing how STEM solves real-life challenges
Toolkits, workshops, and info sessions
|
Top scarce skills in water:
Process controllers Hydrologists and water quality analysts Civil engineers( water infrastructure) Pump operators GIS and climate resilience specialists
Over 40 occupations across these sectors are marked as scarce. This is more than a workforce issue, it’ s a national development challenge.
The cost of inaction
• More outages – not due to load shedding, but to a shortage of skilled workers
• Delays in water infrastructure creation and maintenance due to a lack of qualified personnel
• Missed green economy investments due to a lack of talent to support them
• Youth unemployment worsens as STEM careers decline
Industry linkages:
Evidence-led planning:
Learnerships, site visits, bursaries, and internships tied to market needs
Guided by the national list of in-demand occupations and real-time data
With 4 500 + bursaries awarded and 200 + partnerships across South Africa, EWSETA is building a STEM-ready, future-fit workforce.
Let’ s stop asking,“ What do you want to be?” and start asking,“ What kind of future do you want to power?” www. ewsetacareers. org. za www. futuresa. co. za 91