5 fields that companies are struggling to find skills for in South Africa
Specialised expatriation company Xpatweb says that it is surveying companies about the most needed skills in South Africa.
The company said that it plans to present these findings in response to the Department of Home Affairs’ updated Critical Skills list which is set to launch this week.
“Xpatweb’s Critical Skills Survey takes place annually and has established itself as an important way of measuring the skills needed in the economy.
“We were honoured to be asked to present our cumulative findings to the Departments of Home Affairs and Higher Education and Training late last year, and so contribute to the draft list that will be released for public comment,” says Marisa Jacobs, director at Xpatweb.
This year’s Xpatweb Critical Skills Survey shows that occupations in the Engineering and ICT sectors remain most in demand.
This is followed by occupations such as Foreign Language Speakers, a range of Artisans and C-Suite Executive-level Management.
“Attracting the skills we need is vital if we are to increase economic output and get the economy back on track,” Jacobs said.
She added that in today’s sophisticated and highly competitive economies, countries are competing for skills to help them stay abreast of fast-moving technologies and rapidly changing business models.
A growing number of countries are using their immigration policies to attract these skills to their shores.
For example, Britain recently announced favourable visa conditions for much-needed healthcare workers, and Mauritius has introduced a special fast track for investment professionals as it cements its position as Africa’s financial hub.
“Government’s initiative to fine-tune our immigration system to make it easier for companies to attract the skilled people they need is admirable, and clearly the more data it has to work with, the more accurate the list will be.
“We’ve already had record participation in this year’s survey, which indicates how important an issue this is. We are urging companies to take advantage of the new closing date to make sure their voices are included in the process of compiling the final critical-skills list.”
Read: The most in-demand job skills in South Africa right now
