FEATURE : SKILLS AND TRAINING
The tech talent shortage has
CIOs on the African continent scrambling to ensure that employees brush up on the latest skills and technologies that facilitate business agility . Among the domains in the highest demand : cloud computing , Machine Learning , data science , software engineering and cybersecurity . How are CIOs on the continent bridging the tech skills gap ?
A
lack of skills and resources has been either the number one or number two obstacle to achieving organisational objectives , according to the past four annual Gartner CIO surveys .
As technology continues to evolve , skills for the workplace must also evolve . It is obvious that those companies that effectively train their workforce to be proficient in relevant digital and future skills can better utilise the abundance of available digital products and services to increase their business success .
By 2030 , more than 230 million jobs will require digital skills in Africa according to the International Finance Corporation ( IFC , World Bank ). Considering the current situation around the COVID-19 pandemic , these numbers will possibly increase due to a significant rise in the demand for digital tools and processes . This is an important change in the nature of work and needs to be taken seriously by organisations of all kinds and its leaders . Developing the right skills is critical , not only for organisations but also economies to build and secure prosperity for all involved in Africa .
Elmarie Grant , Head , Synthesis Academy , said increasingly , employers are looking to structured learnerships and internships to build the next generation .
“ The reliance on tertiary institutions to produce candidates with good work ethic and practical experience has been replaced by work-based programmes that include a strong theoretical training base but allows participants to build a wider set of business skills while gaining practical , real-world experience ,” she said .
Amrote Abdella , Regional Director : Microsoft 4Afrika , said as much as the industry talks about the need for intensive ICT investment into infrastructure and the technology that will support Africa ’ s engagement in the Fourth Industrial Revolution ( 4IR ), this will not happen without the human infrastructure to support the technology .
Abdella said for Africa to fully realise the opportunities brought about by digital transformation and 4IR , it is vital we have strong ICT skills .
“ We refer to this as having ‘ tech intensity ’ – the ability to not just adopt emerging technology , but develop the capabilities to effectively use it . Skills development has a crucial role to play , both in skilling new resources – our youth – and also in upskilling our current workforce to play their part in supporting ICT infrastructure development ,” she said . “ With the youngest population in the world , Africa can supply the world ’ s future workforce . But over 50 % of young people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to formal education and only 2 % of the labour force has IT skills .”
Bridging the IT skills gap
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