Careers
Youth should pursue careers
in the built environment to curb the skills shortfall While the World Population Review ranks South Africa number one out of the top 10 countries with the highest unemployment rates globally, the Master Builders’ Association, Western Cape (MBAWC) notes that there is a shortfall of 40 000 skilled artisans in the country. This shortfall could be addressed if young people stepped up to pursue careers in industries that require skills such as plumbing, building and carpentry. When taking a closer look at the number of qualified artisans in the industry, the most noticeable observation is that over the past three to four years, many qualified and experienced artisans have retired and left the industry. The number of retired artisans versus the number of new entrants does not equate, which has resulted in a shortfall when it comes to training and upskilling new artisans. “This is a concern, not only for the MBAWC, but for the construction sector and country as a whole, as the built environment is a huge contributor to the country’s economy”, says Letitia van Rensburg, Training Officer at the MBAWC. Over the years, the MBAWC has kept a close eye on the talent pool within the sector and a key trend that has emerged is that many young people may not be aware of the career opportunities offered to artisans (such as carpenters, plumbers or joiners). This means that there is an immediate need for associations such as the MBAWC, the Department of Education and the government to start educating young people about career opportunities available within the built environment. Some inroads have been made with the introduction of the A21 programme, but there is still a lot of work to do to close the skills gap.
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