2014 has been a somewhat sad year for the South African unemployment rate. It has seen thousands of job losses, particularly for young people, across the country, from mining to transport, logistics, and wholesale to retail. However, all you bright young things should listen up, because the Adzuna team has been working hard, searching far and wide and from coast to coast. And we have come up with an ingenious plan (even if we do say so ourselves). South Africa is experiencing a chronic shortage of skills in recent months. Although some areas of the job market are seeing reductions in vacancies, the number of new jobs being creating in highly-skilled sectors is soaring. What does that mean? It’s time to head back to the classroom and hone some new skills! With 829,000 unfilled skilled vacancies, now is the perfect time to hit the books and boost your appeal to employers. Here are few ideas of areas
1. Engineering. South Africa is crying out for engineers and engineering support staff of all different types; electrical, civil, chemical and energy to name but a few. They are needed to meet new infrastructure requirements, new technology initiatives, clean energy production and mining, and are a huge part of building the economy. Currently lots of these roles are filled by immigrants, because less than half of South Africa’s engineering graduates end up working in the industry.
How to get started: There are a number of ways into the industry and depending on which area you go into there are different requirements. Rule of thumb says you must have studied maths and physical science at high school after which you can then gain training through a FET college, university of technology or traditional university degree.
2. Health Care. There are fewer than 1 doctor and 5 nurses per 1,000 people. As shocking as it sounds, South African shortages in health care are not limited to doctors and nurses, they are also in dire need of paramedics, pharmacists, support staff and managers. Many South African qualified medical professionals are seeking work abroad but the home market is in need of a bit of TLC. The Government has tried to boost the number of people training to be doctors by agreeing a partnership with Cuba. Cuban doctors are recruited to South Africa while South African students are given the rare opportunity to study in Cuba.
How to get started: To get into medical school you will have to demonstrate high academic ability, a wide variety of extra circular activities and that you are socially conscious. To become a nurse you will have to complete a course in an institution that is accredited by the Nursing council, although the length of the course will depend on what you want to specialise in. If you think that being a paramedic might be for you there are various courses offering different levels of expertise. At the very least you will need to qualify as a basic ambulance assistant and be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
3. Quantity Surveyors. A quantity surveyor works as a financial and development consultant with construction and development industries. They advise clients on how to make the most of their resources. Luckily for you guys, they are also in short supply across the country. This is a really diverse and interesting role, where you could be involved with a whole range of different sectors, companies and people. Quantity surveyors need to personable and conscientious, if that sounds like you, maybe you should give it a go.
How to get started: There are two different ways to train to be quantity surveyor, you can do a four year full-time or five year part-time university degree or, you can do a three year University of Technology diploma then a B-Tech degree after a further year of study.
So there you have it, three jobs that could be perfect you and perfect for South Africa at the same time. If this sparks your interest, why don’t you head on over to Adzuna and check out some of the related job listings?