IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

CeBIT 2013 shone the spotlight on the key trends and innovations in the digital economy and there were also exciting contacts to be made. This event has also long been the largest career market in the high-tech sector.

According to a study by the German Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (Bitkom) and applied research and development organisation Fraunhofer, 45% of companies are already reporting that their current staff are overextended owing to a lack of human research resources. Twenty-six per cent had to turn down contracts as a result, 9% were unable to complete certain projects and 8% report losing customers as a result of this situation.

For the past two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has placed communications technology in the epicentre of modern human activity.

Education and information dissemination has also assumed new form. Prompting a massive uptake on new mediums of teaching since millions of learners and teachers were unable to physically attend school. This gave rise to what is now known as the great digital divide. A situation whereby high levels of technological illiteracy and other issues of computer proficiency are causing further disparities between urban and rural schools.

The government's two weakest points were public administration and information technology services, both of which fell under Sisulu's department.

ICT would be a critical part of "professionalising" the public service.

The ever-increasing demand for ICT skills can be partially met by a strong business focus on staff training and ‘up-skilling’, says Robert Sussman, joint CEO of Integr8.

The exponential growth of ICT is not only driving demand for sufficient numbers in existing skills, but is also creating the need for new skills. Sussman explains that in order for businesses to fully capitalise on technologies such as cloud, virtualisation, mobility and big data, new skill sets are needed to help businesses utilise these trends to their full potential.

According to the 2011 IT Web-JCSE Skills Survey, two thirds (66%) of companies from a wide range of industries are severely impacted by a shortage of ICT skills. International figures would certainly seem to back up this finding, with evidence that demand for ICT skills is not being met. This is unsurprising, given the way in which ICT has become the platform on which most, if not all, business now runs, with government catching up fast.

Communications minister Yunus Carrim, his deputy Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel will launch the project, which first came to light in March last year when the DOC unveiled its strategic plan for 2013 to 2018.

Gauteng finance MEC and head of the Department of e-Government, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has called on ICT companies to step up efforts to upskill youths in the province.

This comes as the e-government department, in partnership with Altron, has introduced the Soweto-leg of its socio-economic development (SED) programme and workforce management institute.

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) will on Tuesday, 21 July, officially launch the roll-out of its technology enabled teaching and learning programme to Grade 12 learners in the Gauteng province.

The programme, commonly known as "The paperless classroom" entails the usage of interactive boards, mobile devices such as tablets, laptops with complete internet connectivity to conduct teaching and learning. To this end the GDE has selected 375 high schools with Grade 12 classes, mainly in township and rural areas to participate in the programme.

This approach replaces previous plans to build ICT classrooms in every school as part of the government’s aim to make Gauteng a smart and connected province.

The Gauteng Department of Education plans to strengthen its training of schools and teachers in the province to maximise, strengthen and sustain its ICT rollout programme is public schools.

MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, delivered his budget speech yesterday in Johannesburg.

During his budget vote speech yesterday, deputy minister Hlengiwe Mkhize said this is because the department acknowledges that technology in education is increasingly occupying a dominant space in the 21st century.

“E-learning has the potential to fast-track open and distance education and training, which will enable access for vulnerable groups, including the disabled and learners from rural communities.”

Huawei South Africa, in partnership with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, has officially launched the Women4Tech digital skills training programme, with an attendance of 107 women entrepreneurs. This initiative aims to help women advance their skills and use new technologies to grow, improve, and digitise their businesses.

The programme aims to help tech-forward women entrepreneurs with three specific technological skillsets: cloud computing, digital marketing, and introduction to app development. Aside from the training, the attended will also be afforded a networking opportunity with other successful women entrepreneurs, including an award-winning woman app developer within the Huawei Mobile App ecosystem.

“Information and communication technology (ICT) is not high on the Department of Basic Education’s agenda, and it’s practised in a fragmented, uncoordinated manner.”

“It’s impossible to roll out ICT across all provinces because of varying situations and the different approaches to interpreting ICT policy.”

The Ikamva National e-Skills Institute was launched at the Durban University of Technology by Communications Minister Yunus Carrim and Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel on Friday.

It is of utmost importance to think differently to resolve this problem. One of the possible solutions is actually located in the government domain where, in cooperation with the industry, the utilization of internships can be used as a mechanism to upskill the technology-challenged society.

The eThekwini municipality has set itself a target of equipping one million young people with critical IT skills within the next three years.

This was the word from eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality executive mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, speaking at the State IT Agency’s (SITA’s) annual ICT conference GovTech 2023 this week.

In response to the overwhelming demand for contemporary, fit-for-purpose digital and IT education offerings, MANCOSA (a proud member of the Honoris United Universities network) launched the School of Information and Digital Technology (SIDT) on September 1.

The rapid growth of information and digital technologies, perpetuated through the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), has the ability to bring about widespread change for the better.

Gauteng e-government spent nearly R5-million to send 45 students, including relatives of its senior officials, to study in Germany for a programme some allegedly did not qualify for.

The e-government department sent them in November 2016. The students were enrolled for the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AIR) course at Pforzheim University after a company that dealt with artificial electric immobility, IBA Global, had made a proposal to the department.

Depending on who you speak to, the South African ICT industry faces a critical shortfall of skills, or it doesn’t have enough jobs for all of its experienced professionals. The contradictory picture points to a mismatch between the skills on offer and those in demand in a market that is going through some wrenching changes.

The industry, like many other sectors of the South African economy, has shed jobs as a result of the global economic downturn. Integrators like Gijima, end-user organisations like Absa and telecoms operators such as Cell C have all taken a knife to their headcount in recent months.

President Jacob Zuma envisages that through Operation Phakisa in education, learners will leave the schooling system as ethical, discerning, and responsible users of information, and be Information Communication Technology (ICT) capable to make meaningful contributions to society.

He said learners with special needs and their teachers will also be afforded access to specialised resources and to networks of specialist support.