The Skills Challenge: What Must Be Done to Get It Right?

By Chris Campbell, CEO of Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA)

South Africa is grappling with a significant skills challenge, evidenced by a staggering 33.5% unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2024, according to Stats SA, as well as an escalating shortage of competent technical skills. The pressing question is: what actions must we take to tackle the dual issues of high unemployment, especially among the youth, and the shortage of engineering skills?

This issue is not unique to us. The skills challenge is a global issue, but each country needs to find its unique solutions to solve the challenge. Despite not being alone in this struggle, our approach has not been effective. There is a troubling trend highlighted in CESA’s Bi-annual Capacity and Economic Survey of December 2023: an uptick in migration patterns with highly skilled South African engineers leaving for the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. These cyclical migration patterns are driven by political and policy uncertainty, among other factors, reminiscent of the post-1994 era.

Addressing the reasons for this migration is crucial. The primary concern is safety and security, both personal and professional. We cannot surrender to organised crime. Reports suggest that government entities have capitulated to the construction mafia, inflating project costs to account for criminal activities. Our country cannot afford such excesses in infrastructure development. Additionally, citizens face the high cost of personal safety.

Click here to download the full press release in a Word document format.