SA's massive skills problem

PaulMurkin

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Bigger concern should be how our manufacturing sector is declining.

View attachment 1444349

SA has labour - plenty of it.
SA has raw materials, plenty.

What we dont have is skills and power to drive up manufacturing.

If we could get this right - what a country we could be.

:(
Its declining because:
- LOADSHEDDING
- ANC POLICIES
- LAZY AF PEOPLE with added entitlement complex
- DUMB PEOPLE PUT INTO IMPORTANT POSITIONS
- RAMPANT CORRUPTION AND LOOTING
 

TEXTILE GUY

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Its declining because:
- LOADSHEDDING
- ANC POLICIES
- LAZY AF PEOPLE with added entitlement complex
- DUMB PEOPLE PUT INTO IMPORTANT POSITIONS
- RAMPANT CORRUPTION AND LOOTING
Absolutely

Sad thing, is I dont see that changing anytime soon.
 

Corelli

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So here is the irony.

We have someone in our office that has 25 years experience working in Ai, thats really a genius and built many multi million rand applications that work, well damn well.

But in comes the new HR leaders and say, whoah, they dont have a degree in computer science Ai (which didnt exist 25 years ago), so we will have to get rid of them and hire a newbie for double the money (probably recruit in from India) to do their job. Because youngsters know better.

So the staff member just quit, a lot of their systems went offline and the newbie from India basically resigned 3 months later with no clue what to do. The old Engineer is gone abroad.

The sad reality is thats now going to cost our company 50 million in penalty fees to clients.

All because some dumb HR demanded people with degrees over people with heckuva lot of years of work experience.
 

Corelli

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...leaving the country for Germany or Switzerland?
Well technically its burying gold like Krugerrands in crates underground, because well you technically dont hold any gold if it's buried, because well gold technically comes from well...the ground.

Yip all those Krugercoins are nicely buried, where the ANC cant find them or tax them. All $500 million worth.
 

hj007

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Why study to be skilled when you are living in a welfare state.
Because a grant is too little money?

But, I don't think everyone needs to be skilled as even basic labour overseas earns 10x SA rates for unskilled labour. Our economy just cant absorb the volume of unskilled labour available, and yet developed markets cant seem to find any labour...
 

Cosmik Debris

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I have scarce skills but wasn't allowed to work in SA because I have the wrong colour skin. Overseas companies fly me to work wherever they need me now. And I lived and worked overseas because of having the skills SA needs but won't use them because of ideological reasons.
 

PaulMurkin

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So here is the irony.

We have someone in our office that has 25 years experience working in Ai, thats really a genius and built many multi million rand applications that work, well damn well.

But in comes the new HR leaders and say, whoah, they dont have a degree in computer science Ai (which didnt exist 25 years ago), so we will have to get rid of them and hire a newbie for double the money (probably recruit in from India) to do their job. Because youngsters know better.

So the staff member just quit, a lot of their systems went offline and the newbie from India basically resigned 3 months later with no clue what to do. The old Engineer is gone abroad.

The sad reality is thats now going to cost our company 50 million in penalty fees to clients.

All because some dumb HR demanded people with degrees over people with heckuva lot of years of work experience.
This is the story of Africa.
It has happened at companies I worked for, it is happening (or has happened) at Eskom
It will continue to happen until nothing is left of the country and/or the continent
 

Harmonic

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I have scarce skills but wasn't allowed to work in SA because I have the wrong colour skin. Overseas companies fly me to work wherever they need me now. And I lived and worked overseas because of having the skills SA needs but won't use them because of ideological reasons.
When I was still employed, foreign companies were paying me 4x the amount I could get locally for the same job. I've worked on four continents, right across the timezone spectrum and got to travel to places I never would have otherwise.

I started that journey not loo long after I got rejected for a job at FNB based on my skin color (the HR guy literally told on me on the elevator ride down, but that's a story for another day).
 

aleksandar

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Had a unexpected chat to friends on Saturday, they are leaving for EU in Feb.
Very rare skill set, fantastic education, double PhD.
 

TooFastTim

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I started that journey not loo long after I got rejected for a job at FNB based on my skin color (the HR guy literally told on me on the elevator ride down, but that's a story for another day).

I got a call from a recruitment agent telling me I was the best qualified candidate but they couldn't put my name forward for the same reason. Within 2 weeks I was on a plane.
 

Dolby

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My brother - although employed - was looking for something fresh and started updating CV. After a year he’d gone on just a handful of interviews … and obviously been unsuccessful.

He tried his luck in applying for a position in Netherlands - and got it. Sold houses, cars etc and hopped on a plane . Love it.

Judging by the thread, it happens often and it’s sad to see.
 

lowriderza

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I missed something in the article.... What is the German or Swiss approach ?
Vocational schools and colleges. Kids would do aptitude tests at primary level and be moved to the correct type of school at secondary level. So for instance if you tested for and wanted to be a butcher you would go to a butchery school. And by the time you finish school you would be a butcher certified by the country's Meat Board along with your Matric Certificate.
 
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