Does the demand for entry-level digital talent exist?

Despite the current global recession the digital economy continues to grow and as a result, needs digital and ICT skills to fuel its requirements. Harambee collaborated with many organisations that are equally motivated to make a difference to the livelihoods of young people in South Africa to produce the Harambee Mapping of Digital and ICT Roles and Demand for South Africa Survey. This research aims to understand where the demand for entry-level talent exists and how we can bring young people into a growing digital world. 

 

CapaCiTi recognises that collaboration and partnering is paramount when at least 3 million jobs have already been lost this year, and young, talented South Africans taking the brunt of lack of opportunities. 

 

“We cannot solve this crisis alone – an economy focussing on regrowth needs innovation forged from key partnerships and collaboration. CapaCiTi is proud to be a member of the SHIFT partnership with Harambee and welcomes the publication of the Harambee Mapping of Digital and ICT Roles and Demand for South Africa Survey and the extensive insights it offers,” says Fiona Tabraham, the Chief Executive at CapaCiTi. 

 

Does the demand for entry-level digital talent exist? 1

 

 

 

She adds that at CapaCiTi, we believe that there are significant growth and employment opportunities in the digital economy, but in order to provide our youth access to these opportunities, we need to build an effective skills pipeline, aligned with demand and credentialed in a way that the industry recognises and values.

 

“CapaCiTi’s investment in training for vendor certification such as Microsoft Technology Associate and AWS Cloud Foundation Practitioner and Solutions Architect is well aligned with the industry needs highlighted in the report for desktop support technicians, junior software developers, and data analysts.”

 

The fieldwork for this survey was conducted at a time of sudden, unexpected and extraordinary change brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, all 102 small, medium and large South African enterprises that participated in the survey, agreed unanimously that they are facing workplace challenges that have never been seen before. Businesses are changing how they work which has resulted in greater skills, talent and hiring challenges.

 

If you are an organisation looking at maximising your digital skills pipeline, CapaCiTi can help. Get in touch with Chief Executive Fiona Tabraham at fionat@capaciti.org.za to partner for future success.

 

Fiona Tabraham

Fiona Tabraham is a strategic workforce development expert with a career founded on a resolute commitment to inclusivity, talent nurturing, and societal impact. Chief Executive of CAPACITI Digital Career Accelerator, Fiona’s passion for equity has charted pathways across numerous organisations, guiding bespoke Talent Initiatives, Future Leadership Development Programs, and transformative Career Pathway Development. Her tenure at Network Rail bore inclusive talent strategies, STEM advocacy, and innovative Graduate, Apprentice, and Internship initiatives. A trusted partner to a number of governmental, corporate and impact driven entities, Fiona empowers individuals and organisations, fostering diverse recruitment practices and innovative talent strategies. Fiona’s impact transcends the tech sector, positioning her as a leading voice for inclusive digital career initiatives.