A new database intended to help reduce unemployment among science graduates was launched by Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena in Pretoria on Tuesday.
“I have no doubt that what we are engaged in today is a necessary step in the right direction to begin closing the gap of the skills shortage,” Mangena said.
The Database Management System (DMS) will quantify the level of unemployment among science, engineering and technology (SET) graduates. It will also gather demographic data on such graduates.
Mangena said there is a considerable skills mismatch in South Africa, which harms the country’s economic growth and competitiveness.
This is in contrast to comments made by Employment Equity Commission chairperson Jimmy Manyi last week, who said South Africa’s skills shortage is “an urban legend”.
Manyi said that companies experience skills shortages only because white management refuses to appoint black people.
According to a Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition report, South Africa is experiencing a severe shortage of well-qualified, competent and experienced artisans.
While the economy currently produces about 5Â 000 artisans a year, research suggests that at least 12Â 500 artisans should be produced each year over the next four years to meet demand, the report says.
Mangena appealed to potential employers to make optimal use of the database to address the skills shortage in their companies.
The South African Graduate Development Association (Sagda), a NGO involved in empowering unemployed graduates, will manage the database on behalf of the department. — Sapa
Graduates can register online by logging onto the Sagda website. Those without access to the internet can fill in a registration form and send it to Sagda by fax — 011Â 492Â 2589 — or post, at PO Box 2187, Johannesburg, 2001