MICT SETA has developed what they consider to be 11 4IR future skills. As part of this process the SETA has facilitated a process of gazetting them with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).
"As the MICT SETA we are excited about our partnership with the higher learning institutions in launching and spearheading the provision of formal training for 4IR in South Africa. We are hopeful that with these 11 qualifications we are going to bridge the current shortage of skilled labour within the ICT and digital industries, and ultimately increase the employment rate and entrepreneurship in South Africa." said Matome Madibana, MICT SETA Acting CEO.
The newly developed qualifications include:
– Artificial Intelligence
– Cloud Computing
– Cyber Security
– Data Science
– Design Thinking Lead
– Design Thinking Practitioner
– Internet of Things
– Robotic Processing Automation
– Quality Engineering Automation
– Systems Development
– e-Waste
The SETA has indicated that these qualifications will equip young professionals and the current workforce to deal with the disruptive effects of new technologies, enabling them to innovate and create new products and services across industries.
The MICT SETA has organised itself around the 4IR by establishing an advisory committee with the focus on education, research, policy and labour. One of the key outputs from the advisory committee is the Integrated Digital Skills Strategy. The 11 qualifications were developed under this strategy in collaboration with a community of experts such as Universities, TVET colleges, QCTO, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS), professional bodies, labour and government departments.
"We have the opportunity to create a 4IR-ready country and workforce. I am confident that the multi-faceted and collaborative approach that we are taking will yield positive results and have long term effects on the economy and society," said Gugu Sema, acting senior manager 4IR and 4IR assessment quality partner at MICT SETA.
The QCTO gazetted future skills qualifications are still open for public comment on the MICT SETA website www.mict.org.za. Comments should be submitted to [email protected] by Monday, September 20, 2021.
After the public comment process, the qualifications will be submitted to the South African Qualifications Association (SAQA) for further validation, approval and registration to the public domain.
“We strongly encourage participation from the public on these exciting qualifications so we can ensure all viewpoints and feedback is taken into account, as we finalise the process that will have a high impact on the South African labour force and its readiness to take advantage of 4IR,” said Matome Madibana, MICT SETA acting CEO.
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