Shortage of artisans in South Africa

There’s a shortage of a number of scarce skills in South Africa, with one of the areas affected the most being artisans.

While government has started to actively encourage young South Africans to choose trades, they’re also filling skills gaps in the trades with artisans from abroad.

The minister of Higher Education and Learning, Blade Nzimande, recently said that South Africa needs at least 60% of the matrics from the class of 2022 to pursue artisan-type training to meet the country’s demand for scarce skills.

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The department said the number of students entering artisan training in TVET colleges will be increased from 17 000 to 30 000 in the 2023 academic year in an attempt to close this shortage gap.

South Africa’s public universities have received more than four million applications, but there are less than 163 000 spaces available, leaving many youngsters sitting in limbo and not knowing what to do next.

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Education expert
Although not being accepted into a traditional university might initially seem like a setback, an education expert, Kelvin Perimal, claims that it might actually be a blessing in disguise because there is a significant skills gap in the country, mostly in the trades, and he’s encouraged young people to consider these opportunities.

Perimal, the managing director of Zama Training & Development in Durban, said the shortage of artisanal skills in the country is critical.

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Perimal said eThekwini Municipality, along with many other municipalities in SA, is experiencing a serious problem of sewage spillages and dilapidated storm water systems, but there are not enough skilled and professional plumbers, engineers and builders to effect repairs.

The demand for these skills is there, but we just need more young people to open themselves up to it.
The government has also made great strides in ensuring that skills training centres are there, and [in some cases] people don’t even need to have a Grade 12 to be able to become a qualified artisan. Grade nine is enough because there is an understanding that not everyone is skilled the same, some are gifted academically while some people are gifted with practical skills.
Perimal also disputed the misconception that there is no money in artisan work, claiming that a newly-qualified bricklayer can earn anything from R15 000 to R20 000 a month and even be able to occupy managerial positions within the organisation.

Artisan training has been shown to provide a number of benefits, including increased employability, great earning potential, as well as a faster and more direct path to a fulfilling career.
KZN Premier
KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube last month outlined the provincial government’s plans to convert non-viable schools, with dwindling enrolment numbers, into vocational skills centers.

Dube-Ncube said the provincial government is in discussion with the Departments of Education and Higher Education and Learning to discuss the possibility of converting some of the schools that are unused with good infrastructure into vocational skills centres to address the shortage of technical skills.