The advent of the 4IR and all that it enables means there’s growing demand for skills aligned with data science. The Presidential Commission on the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has submitted its report to President Cyril Ramaphosa containing recommendations on the way forward for the 4IR in South Africa, including investment in the skills required to ensure a ‘technologically enabled future’.
However, says Colette Swanepoel, Business Development Manager at CTU Training Solutions, these are not skills that can be acquired in a short space of time, and must be regarded as part of a greater skill set, not as a standalone career path.
“Industry 4.0-related skills development needs to take place on several levels, with learners being exposed to both soft skills and technical skills components. The fourth industrial revolution is a new way of living and interacting that the world is embarking on, and the skills on offer have to be cognisant of that. Skills such as critical thinking, for example, are just as important as coding skills, and this is often overlooked in the rush to acquire technical capabilities and certifications. As a result, down the line we’re going to see a significant shortage in that type of skill.”
Another important factor when it comes to readying the nation’s workforce for 4IR, according to Swanepoel, is to not just focus on one age group. While it’s important to develop these skills in school leavers, it’s also important that scholars be given access to 4IR-related skillsets from an early age, as well as older people who are already employed in the IT field and who may require a few additional skills to enable them to shift into a data science role. “Employees need to align their existing skill sets with the requirements of an ever-changing ecosystem to ensure that we have the required skills here and now, while we also need to ensure that we’ll have innovators and entrepreneurs in the future,” she says.
The challenge is that there’s a tendency to target a specific calibre of candidate when it comes to 4IR and data science, with high-level initiatives. The country will be better served if it addresses all levels of candidates, from scholar to school leaver to people with degrees. “If we only target already highly skilled individuals, we’re limiting ourselves and the potential that’s out there.”
An additional point that needs to be made is that data science and other 4IR skills are not developed overnight, it’s a continuous learning project that requires a practical element. Initiatives to run a three-month training programme, while well-intended, aren’t sufficient, says Swanepoel, because individuals can’t develop effective skills in such a short time, it requires a longer-term initiative and investment. An ideal programme would offer technical skills, soft skills and incorporate a practical element, followed by more theory training. Over and above technical capabilities such as coding and data science skills, Swanepoel says soft skills such as complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, emotional intelligence, decision-making, service delivery, negotiation, cognitive flexibility, collaboration and persuasion are all key to succeeding in the workplace of the future.
Swanepoel highlights the importance of having a job role certification as opposed to a disparate collection of subjects. “This identifies the learner as having the skill for a particular job role and this is what recruiters are looking for. For the employed person, it shows that they have job relevant skills and will be able to perform the tasks required for a specific job role, thereby making them more productive in their jobs.
“We need to gear this country with the right skills for the future, for 4IR and whatever follows that. And we need to ensure that we address all levels of candidate and not just already highly skilled individuals to ensure we’re ready for 4IR,” she concludes.
Choose the right programme that addresses 4IR requirements by doing the following:
- Select a course that addresses both technical and soft skills;
- Ensure that whatever course you choose has a clear career path to a specific role; and
- Try to ensure there’s a practical component to the course.
To find out more about programmes that prepare candidates for the 4IR, click here.
