Closing In On The Future
Leadership|October 2019
The digital economy offers hope for the youth but gender issues must still be addressed
Greg Penfold
Closing In On The Future

The process of digitilisation and automation is not the future of work – it’s the present, affecting every sphere of employment and productivity. This has important implications for South Africa in terms of youth employment, productivity and gender equality in the workplace.

Even if technology stays at present levels, it is already possible to automate half of the jobs that people do—meaning that very large numbers of people who are presently employed will be looking for new jobs within the next decade. So says Laurie Wright, Senior Lecturer at the Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering, Solent University: “People are calling it the fourth industrial revolution or “industry 4.0”. The first industrial revolution used steam power to mechanise production. The second used electric power to mass-produce products while the third introduced computers to automate production. The fourth revolution is happening now, disruptive technologies including the internet of things, virtual reality, robotics, and artificial intelligence are changing the way we interact, work, and live. Highly automated, intelligent systems promise to transform people’s lives and even question the very role of humans.”

The implication is clear—young people need to ensure that their skills match the needs of companies that are undoing digital transformation themselves. But how can young people ensure they have the right skills when the pace of change is so fast and furious?

Matching youth skills to company needs

According to the results of the Siyakha Youth Assets study, one promising solution is employment programmes that offer matching —when training is based on employer requirements and programmes offers employers and young work-seekers an interface to facilitate recruitment.

Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Leadership.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Leadership.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA LEADERSHIPSe alt
Bright Minds, Bright Future
Leadership

Bright Minds, Bright Future

For the economy to grow, businesses need graduates whose skills match their needs. Producing these graduates is the core focus of Stefan Ferreira, CEO of the Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology.

time-read
5 mins  |
April 2020
Safety In Business
Leadership

Safety In Business

Securing the future is essential

time-read
3 mins  |
April 2020
Artificial Intelligence
Leadership

Artificial Intelligence

Is artificial intelligence reinventing insurance? This was the question posed by Bill Hoggarth, national sales manager, Digital Business Solutions at high performing and secure ICT solutions provider, Datacentrix. He was speaking at the recent Robotics, Drones and AI in Insurance Conference, held in Rosebank, Johannesburg. In answer to the question, Hoggarth clarified that no, he did not believe artificial intelligence (AI) was changing the nature of insurance–at least, not on its own. “My view is that AI is not reinventing insurance, but that it is part of the mix of technologies that is causing a shift in insurance today,” he said.

time-read
6 mins  |
April 2020
Leading The Future
Leadership

Leading The Future

Leading the modern world requires fast thinking and an impulsive ability to adopt and adapt to the technologically driven era. The way we conduct business today has drastically changed from the way business was conducted ten years ago, failing to integrate innovation and technology could prove fatal to any business.

time-read
8 mins  |
April 2020
The Evolution Of The IT Operation
Leadership

The Evolution Of The IT Operation

Consistency in delivery is key

time-read
4 mins  |
April 2020
Empowering Our Future
Leadership

Empowering Our Future

More than half (51%) of youth aged 18–24 years claim they do not have the financial means to pay for their tertiary tuition. That is over 1.4 million youths who will never be able to afford to take their education further and thereby increase their opportunities to progress in their careers and lives. This is the sad reality according to the Higher Education and Skills in South Africa report released by Statistics South Africa in March 2019.

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2020
Air Traffic Navigation Services: Flying High Into The Future
Leadership

Air Traffic Navigation Services: Flying High Into The Future

After an exceptional 2018/2019 financial year, Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) is poised to soar even further, as it builds on an exceptional record and heads into the next phase of its development

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2020
Leadership

Entrepreneurs Hit Hard By Coronavirus

The big challenge

time-read
4 mins  |
April 2020
Use The Covid-19 Lockdown To Think Differently
Leadership

Use The Covid-19 Lockdown To Think Differently

Crowdfunding, delivery of food, hygiene and learning packs, and psychosocial support could #changethestory

time-read
3 mins  |
April 2020
Attractive Production Tax Credits
Leadership

Attractive Production Tax Credits

“We wouldn’t do it without the production tax credit we get.” That’s what Warren Buffett said about his holding company Berkshire Hathaway’s US$30 billion investment in wind turbines and infrastructure in the State of Iowa through one of its companies, Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE)

time-read
7 mins  |
April 2020