In South Africa, as in most countries in the region, there is a big challenge.
Vocational institutions continue producing qualified artisans to meet the needs of projects in heavy industry such as mining, manufacturing, and oil and gas, among others. Yet the numbers fall short.
What makes the situation even more concerning is that few of the available qualified artisans demonstrate the level of competency projects demand – heavy on theory, light on practical experience.
There is no quick fix, acknowledges the director of Champion Asset Care Services (CACS), as he offers some suggestions.
Achieving adequate numbers requires the introduction of intentional programmes to encourage young people to pursue vocational careers. Equally important, they must gain practical experience while undergoing training. This requires coordination among government, the private sector, and vocational training institutions.
By Jimmy Swira
The next time you hear an employer involved in an engineering project complain about a shortage of skilled personnel, do not dismiss it as “too much whingeing from a privileged business owner” (as one caller ranted during a recent heated talk show on a South African radio station about skills scarcity in the country).
In fact, this is a reality that many business owners in the heavy industry space would resonate with. So, the issue cannot be casually downplayed, as it has huge economic implications.
Huge Cost
Providing context to the skills shortage situation, Allan Champion, the founding director of Champion Asset Care Services, explains: “A delayed project, due to the lack of qualified personnel, deprives an organisation of the availability of an asset critical to production. Imagine if it is the downtime of a power plant or water treatment plant that serves an industrial area. In manufacturing, downtime on production lines results in product losses, missed delivery of client product orders, and lost revenue. Just do the maths!”
‘Qualified, but Not Competent Enough’
Narrating his experience as a maintenance and reliability consultant, which many would certainly concur with, Champion mentions the increasing difficulty of finding qualified artisans.
“There are simply not enough qualified artisans out there anymore. Remember, successful completion of training at a reputable vocational training institute does not automatically translate into the competencies required on a project. Delivering a project is a different ball game altogether.
“Project delivery requires hands-on practical experience. And there are no exceptions, even for someone who has just graduated with first-class honours from Harvard. One has to earn their dues in different real-world scenarios,” elaborates Champion, pointing to another intriguing challenge: the scarcity of supervisors.
Sourcing experienced supervisors for artisans on a project is becoming increasingly difficult, especially experienced C&I (Control and Instrumentation) supervisors, among others.
Outsourcing Comes at a Premium
Asked whether the option of outsourcing contractors can alleviate the situation, Champion laments: “Though seemingly convenient, getting contractors through brokers comes at a massive premium. Even so, there is no guarantee that you will get personnel with the level of competence worthy of every cent you have paid for. There is no liability or accountability for the performance of the people on projects.”
What has added another layer to the challenge is that AI prompts like ChatGPT can help almost anyone produce an impressive CV. That is why, he advises, it is important to have a conversation with prospective contractors to get a feel for their actual capabilities.
The Missing Generation
In the ongoing discussion on addressing the skills crisis, what emerges is a significant gap in the younger generation entering the artisan pool. The skills lost through the retirement of older generations and migration to overseas countries is not being replaced proportionately.
Champion regards the root cause of this problem as the younger generation generally frowning upon people “getting their hands dirty” “Young people regard vocational fields such as welding and plumbing as “not cool”, to borrow their slang. They are conditioned from an early age to believe they should work in an office behind a computer. They are drawn to careers such as communications, marketing and human resources, where they can sit behind a laptop in a plush office. Unfortunately, there is an oversupply of these skills. Instead, we need skilled artisans, not office workers and labourers.”
Champion shares a personal experience that shaped his view on artisans: “My grandfather taught me something when I was still a schoolboy. He always said, ‘If a man does not go to university, he should learn a trade. Any country needs artisans, and work will always be available.'”
Informed Career Choices
To build a pool of competent artisans, what is needed is intentional programmes to help the younger generation make informed career choices from an early age, Champion advises, while under no illusion that this can be achieved overnight.
But first things first: currently, tertiary institutions and industry work in silos.
Without deliberate intervention to address this, the gap between industry’s skills requirements and the competencies available in the labour market will continue to widen.
For now, what is needed is closer coordination among stakeholders such as government, the private sector, and tertiary education institutions.
