Not All Teenagers Need to Work Behind a Laptop
Today, in a world where the pace of change is quickening, technology and artificial intelligence are being sold as the jobs of the future. The message is: young people need to learn how to program; they need to work with computers, artificial intelligence and gearing up for the digital economy. And while these skills are crucial, South Africa needs to remember the key message that not all young people need to be employable in the computers-as-job-creator economy in order to have a great career.
They also require those with a practical touch, those who can operate machinery, fix machinery, install equipment and construct the infrastructure that makes communities and commerce run.
The country requires plumbers, painters, electricians, welders, mechanics, technicians, artisans, builders. Other tradespeople in addition to doctors, engineers, accountants, software developers, data specialists, and the rest of the digital economy.
Technology alone will not make an economy successful. That can only be achieved through a symbiotic workforce where manual jobs and digital jobs work alongside each other.
The Importance of Occupational Skills
9 Skills At Work Skills at work are skills and attributes that can help individuals to do the job they have or want to do effectively. They can be acquired through: vocational education, apprenticeships, technical colleges, training in the workplace and experience.
The relevance of occupational skills is clear because society relies on individuals that carry out daily activities. When a water pipe bursts, it is someone’s obligation to repair it. When the electrical appliances malfunction, you need an experienced electrician.
When the car breaks down, you need a mechanic to find the fault and repair the vehicle.
When the metals need to be manufactured and repaired, you need to have a welder.
While these occupations might not be as glamorous as those related to computers and offices, they are everyday essentials.
A nation cannot operate efficiently if it boasts thousands of graduates with decent academic ability yet in doing so, lacks people with the necessary practical skills to run its basic services.
Plumbers Keep Communities Functioning
These other types of training go to show how essential hands-on experience really is. Everywhere from homes and schools, to factories and restaurants, you can’t make it without access to water and sanitation.
Plumbers work on pipes, drainage systems, water systems and equipment to install, repair and maintain them. They have a direct impact on the health and quality of life of the community they serve.
Plumbing: South Africa relies heavily on good water and sanitation infrastructure, which makes this an important area for plumbers. Skilled plumbers can also become entrepreneurs by starting their own companies and selling their services to individuals, builders and other companies.
If a young person opts for the plumbing trade, it should not be considered a backup plan. It could develop into a career that will lead to employment, management or their own business and a range of specialisms.
Electricians Are Essential to Modern Life
Electricity touches everyone’s lives. Houses, hospitals, schools, factories, offices, communication systems… All these are based on an electrical infrastructure.
Electricians are responsible for installing, maintaining and repairing all types of electrical systems. They are also starting to have a greater significance in South Africa as the country shifts towards using renewable energy and new electrical systems.
What does it mean for future electricians? As the demand for solar energy, battery storage, smart power and energy-efficient technologies continues to grow, so electricians can continue to upskill as technology evolves.
A contemporary electrician might integrate traditional electrical skills with digital monitoring systems, automation systems, and green energy technology. This is a great example of how work that has been around for years can evolve with advancements in technology.
Welders Help Build the Physical Economy
Also Read: Manufacturing is one of the industries crucial to construction, engineering and infrastructure growth.
Welders join metals to build and repair products, equipment, vehicles, pipes and structures. Many of these may be found in factories, workshops, mines, on construction sites and in other industries.
With local manufacturing and infrastructure development at the forefront of South Africa’s vision, local welders will be able to make a meaningful contribution to the country’s manufacturing base.
Entrepreneurship: welding can lead to setting up one’s own business. Skilled welders can open workshops, repair services and supply shops for communities and industries.
As a trade, the job demands a high level of skill, discipline, safety awareness and technical skill. It is a skilled trade and not just manual labour.
Mechanics Keep the Economy Moving
Transport is the lifeblood of the South African economy. All types of vehicles including cars, trucks, buses, farm equipment, construction and earth moving equipment and industrial vehicles.
Mechanics identify faults, fix engines or mechanical parts, keep vehicles clean and are using more and more electronic diagnostics gear.
The contemporary mechanic shows that technology and skill are not just two schools of thought. In the new vehicle, the computer has complex sensors and electronic controls. The modern mechanic is about combining the skills of a mechanic with the proficiency of a computer.
Those who decide to enter this career can develop even more expertise as vehicles become more sophisticated. Electric vehicles, hybrid technology, and electronic control systems will all offer new aspects to explore.
Technicians Connect Technology With Practical Work
Technicians stand at the intersection of theory and practice. They may install, operate, maintain and troubleshoot sophisticated systems and equipment.
South Africa requires technicians in telecommunications, electronics, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, information technology, engineering and various other sectors.
A computer may be combined with physical equipment such as servers and other devices. For this reason technical occupations are useful in this digital world.
As an increase in automation, robotics, smart buildings and industrial technology occurs, people will need to be familiar with the connections digital systems have with the machinery.
Artisans Are Central to Development
Workers who help build infrastructure As part of this group, we have some of the most important workers who build infrastructure. Artisans use their skills in construction, manufacturing, maintenance, engineering, etc.
South Africa requires a steady stream of skilled artisans to fill the gaps created by the departure of an aging workforce and to grow the economy.
Trade craft workers may comprise electricians, plumbers, welders, fitters, boilermakers, millwrights and other specialised trades. They practise their trades using the knowledge gained through experience and must adhere to safety practices.
Thus, it is important to make young people aware of the relevance and validity of an artisanal career.
Practical Careers Can Lead to Entrepreneurship
Self-employment is also one of the benefits of occupational skills.
Someone who has a hands-on skill can start their own small business and hire others. A plumber can start a plumbing company. An electrician can start an electrical contracting company.
A mechanic can start a garage or an auto-body shop.
A welder can start a fabricating shop.
Entrepreneurship is especially relevant in South Africa, as small businesses can generate employment opportunities and stimulate local economic growth.
Digital technology can empower these businesses, rather than be a threat to them. A talented tradesperson, for example, could sell their services through social media, handle the financial side of the business with digital accounts, use mapping apps to map out jobs and book appointments with customers online.
Thus, business opportunities can be created through this fusion of skills and technology.
Vocational Education Deserves Greater Respect
For a long time, university academic education has at times been marketed as the magic bullet to success. But even if we can acknowledge that university does a lot of things, it is by no means the only way to travel.
Technical and vocational education has the ability to teach young people the skills which are more likely to be necessary in the workplace.
VET shouldn’t be something that students take if they “can’t do” school. For example, numerous careers in the workforce demand proficiency in Mathematics and Science, along with technical skills, mental discipline, and problem-solving skills.
A skilled artisan will possess good education and be employed professionally. Practical intelligence is equally significant to academic intelligence.
Technology and Practical Skills Must Work Together
The idea isn’t to tell the youth to throw away technology. In fact, exactly that…
South Africa requires employees who are able to harness technology to enhance hands-on jobs.
A plumber can plan projects and solve problems using digital technology. A tradesperson like an electrician can program smart energy systems. A mechanic can operate computerised diagnostic equipment. A welder can use advanced fabrication machinery. A technician can analyse data to monitor equipment.
Technology can make workers more effective and efficient.
So the future is not about a choice between “technology jobs” and “manual jobs”. The real opportunity will be in integrating the two.
Building South Africa’s Infrastructure
Range of skills: infrastructure demands in South Africa include almost everything. Roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, houses, water supply, electricity supply, telecommunications infrastructure, factory building, etc., all require a pool of capable workers with various specialisations.
A system may be designed by engineers, the plan may be made by architects and a computer program may be written to control it by computer specialists. But we still need a workforce to build, operate and maintain it.
It provides career options for young people seeking occupational careers that are hands-on with tangible outcomes.
It is highly beneficial to see a finished building, machine repaired, electrical system working, or water network installed and to be aware that your skills have contributed to it.
Changing the Perception of Success
What we need to do in South Africa is change how we talk about jobs.
Working in an office, or having a laptop, are not signs of success. A successful worker is a person who acquires valuable skills, is able to do his or her job properly. Therefore finds solutions to problems of the modern time, thus being beneficial to humanity.
A young person who develops into a great electrician has built himself a valuable career. A qualified plumber who starts up his own well-running business has built a valuable career. A mechanic who takes apprentices has built something useful for the economy.
These achievements deserve recognition.
Conclusion
Not all young people have to be glued to a computer. Despite digital skills and artificial intelligence disrupting the world of work going forward, there will always be a place for those who can assemble, install, service, maintain and operate physical systems in South Africa.
You will work alongside plumbers, electricians, welders, mechanics, technicians and artisans as they work together with engineers, doctors, accountants, software developers, data specialists and other digital economy workers.
South Africa’s future needs both the mind and the hand, of technology and of craftsmanship.
Hence we need to guide young people to find out what their strengths are and let them decide for themselves on their career options on the basis of what they like, what they can do and what opportunities they have instead of society forcing choices upon them. While some will decide to be programmers, others may decide to be electricians.
Every one of these skills has value.
However, if South Africa is to do this, it needs to focus on creating a workforce that is adaptable and employable – one with decent, high quality technical training, modern vocational education and the right skills for the digital economy of the future.
Keep the message clear: there is pride in skill; opportunity in real jobs; strength in the marriage of job skills and technology.
South Africa doesn’t need all its young people sitting at a computer. We need young people who can build, fix, run, design, invent and solve problems wherever they can most add value.
