Degrees and diplomas are no longer guaranteed tickets to securing a job

Graduating with a degree, a diploma or a certificate from a university or college increases one’s chances of getting a job — but does not guarantee it.

A large proportion of unemployed people in South Africa today have competencies that are not required by the labour market. Technological advancements have radically changed the world of work and resulted in employees having to reskill or upskill, or face becoming redundant.

Further, technological advancements have led to workplace efficiencies, with fewer people required to do the work — but, importantly, this has also created opportunities for new kinds of work requiring employees with particular and sometimes different kinds of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.

In South Africa, despite the very high unemployment rate, we do not have enough graduates with the required attributes needed by the labour market, which has resulted in a high reliance on skills from other countries. The Covid-19 pandemic has also played a major role in people losing their jobs. This means a large number of previously employed, and now unemployed people, is increasing the competition for jobs, making it more difficult for new graduates to get jobs, unless they have specific attributes — knowledge, skills, attitudes and values — required in the marketplace.

Making strategic study and career choices is imperative in a country in which the youth unemployment rate is currently at a staggering 66.5%.

Forecasting competencies that will be required by the labour market in the next five to 10 years requires conducting research and environmental and job analyses.

It is important to be as specific as possible in choosing areas of study. For example, deciding to study for an engineering or a teaching qualification is not specific enough as there are some kinds of engineers and teachers in short supply and others without jobs due to low demand for their particular skill set.

It is a good idea to have a few options, as spaces in many study programmes are limited.

Much information is available on the internet. Getting guidance and advice from others might be helpful, but they might also be unaware of the array of new occupations emerging in the dynamic world of work.

So, it is necessary to take the time and make the effort to do the research and to seek guidance from professional career advisers. Some large institutions offer these services free to prospective applicants.

Like opening a new business, where a thorough feasibility analysis is required, making a study choice requires research to predict future demand for graduates in particular fields of study. DM168

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