SA needs an urgent ICT skills revolution that will drive change in the economy, creating opportunities for innovation, new products and entrepreneurship, says Partha Basu, chairman and MD at Reverside Software Solutions.
Basu, whose company also runs an ICT skills initiative, Geeks4learning, says due to the ICT skills shortage in SA and the high demand in digital transformation, the country is losing huge economic opportunities, as high-value projects are being outsourced to other countries.
In an interview with ITWeb this week, Basu said there is an urgent need for the SA’s workforce to be exposed to the global trends and immediate adoption of disruptive technologies, which, in turn, will boost economic activity.
According to Basu, of concern is access to the skills that the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is going to demand, and this is a big challenge for SA going forward.
SA’s need for skills to drive 4IR is a matter that has since attracted government attention and is highlighted in a report prepared by president Cyril Ramaphosa’s commission on the 4IR.
The report, which is now government’s 4IR blueprint, says: “The purpose of the next version of our skills ecosystem will be to leapfrog our youth into productive work and reskill current workers for job retention and ongoing productive work in the economy.
To read more please click the link below:
https://www.itweb.co.za/content/lwrKxq3KkjJqmg1o