Shortage of skilled workers next door
In UK they underline that they are not producing enough young people with the skills to meet the needs of UK employers, and the skills they do have are well below the levels of their international competitors. The UK Commission on Employment and Skills report catalogues chronic shortages of skilled workers. Meanwhile, those with qualifications are not meeting employers’ expectations (The Guardian February 2016).
In April 2016 there are currently as many as 829 800 unfilled positions for high-skilled workers across a wide range of occupations in South Africa. The Index, reflecting employment in South Africa during April, also shows a negligible increase in jobs of just 1.86%, described by the company’s Labour Economist Loane Sharp as patchy and even. In terms of actual numbers broken down by occupation, the skills shortage among technicians is 432 100, among managers 216 200 and among professionals 178 400. In sharp contrast, a total of 967 600 elementary workers are in excess of the nation’s needs, as are 247 400 domestic workers. The skills shortage of South Africa poses a significant limitation on the country’s long-term economic growth potential, with viable economic opportunities often rendered thereby unviable (Adcorp).
Australia can report that there are significantly larger numbers of applicants and suitable applicants for vacancies for professionals than for technicians and trades workers? The relative ease with which professional vacancies are filled reflects, at least in part, high numbers of university graduates entering the labour market and fairly low numbers of apprentice and trainee trade completions in recent years (Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch. Department of Employment. Australia, February 2016)
From all over the world we get reports of shortage of skilled workers. Can anyone find examples from countries where there are no shortage of skilled people?
To make a country grow, you need skilled people. Where are they? Why are we not educating the young people to fill the shortage?
Where is the skilled worker next door?
(Picture: The Economist)
