PRESIDENT ’S COMMENT Jo Burgess, WISA president
Global talent crisis,
local pressures WISA president JO BURGESS delves into reasons behind the global talent crisis and discusses how the local water sector can promote resilience, especially in the context of globalisation.
T
he not-so-recent debate over the deployment of Cuban engineers in the water sector threw into rather sharp relief the range of prevailing opinions regarding professional migrants in South Africa, and in the water industry. Needless to say, we are not alone – neither in the water community nor in this country. Globally, we are entering an era of unparalleled talent scarcity, which, if left unaddressed, will put a brake on economic growth around the world, and will fundamentally change the way we approach workforce challenges. No country or organisation can remain competitive unless talent – the engine force of economies – is there to ensure success in turbulent times, handle the political, social agenda and boost research and innovations. Twenty years from now, the world will need millions of new business professionals, engineers, doctors, IT specialists, scientific researchers, technicians, teachers, plumbers and nurses. Twenty years from now, we may not have them. Creating professionals Just as the problem is multifaceted, so is the solution. While today’s rhetoric focuses on telling businesses to “create new jobs”, the creation of new jobs is inextricably tied to providing the right skills for those jobs through education, training and retraining. We must invest in the future by taking on the long-term task of training new talent and retraining
existing talent. At the same time, we must compete with other countries and industries to attract the best and brightest from around the world and, critically, to retain the talent within our borders. In South Africa, we have focused our efforts on developing local talent and, more importantly, sometimes excluding foreign nationals from entering our labour market by precluding them from studying or working here by withholding residence permits to work or study. Although the upskilling of citizens must be a priority for us, we must also realise that sharing best practices with the rest of the world will help support a globally talented workforce for the future, which is also in the best interests of our state.
Europe will need more than 45 million. In Germany, according to a recent assessment, 70% of employers are hard-pressed to find the right people. In developed countries, ageing and the retirement of baby boomers will have significant implications for how to manage workforce quantity, quality and costs. Many countries in the Southern Hemisphere report workforce surpluses due to high economic growth and stable birth rates. However, there are questions about the employability of these workers – whether they have the necessary skills to get jobs and work effectively. The uneven quality of educational systems is one reason why workers are not receiving the training they need to thrive in an increasingly global economy. As one example, only 25% of Indian professionals are considered employable by multinationals.
We must compete with other countries and industries to attract the best and the brightest from around the world and, critically, to retain the talent within our borders
Scarcity background The roots of the looming talent scarcity are no mystery. The Northern Hemisphere faces talent shortages in a wide range of occupational clusters, largely because populations are ageing rapidly and educational standards are insufficient. The USA, for example, will need to add more than 25 million workers to its talent base by 2030 to sustain economic growth, while Western
Rapid response The talent crisis demands bold responses. Skills for high-demand jobs in 2020 must be developed now. Demand will be highest for well-educated scientists, engineers, technicians and managers. All over the globe – in developed, newly industrialised, BRIC and developing MAY/JUN 2016
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