Digital upskilling to combat South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis
Various South African tech firms are urging the government and private sector to invest more in digital skills development initiatives to help solve the youth unemployment crisis in the country.
According to local organizations, nurturing new growth and job creation opportunities — with a particular focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills — will play a crucial role in creating employment opportunities for the millions of unemployed South Africans.
At the same time, cyber security firm Digital Resilience and KPMG Digital Consulting believe that cloud computing, software, and cyber security skills, in particular, can help narrow the digital skills gap and unlock endless opportunities for youth.
“With technology vendors now offering entry-level e-learning and certifications for free, it is a prime opportunity for corporate and government to invest in training youth quickly and cost-effectively to combat both unemployment and the skills gap,” said Sharmlin Moodley, partner at KPMG Digital Consulting.
In the latest report by government agency Stats SA, the youth unemployment rate in SA hit a staggering 34.5 % in Q1 2022.
