Water sector skills are running dry, youth needed
While other sectors grow, the one that feeds them all is shrivelling
UNEMPLOYMENT statistics for the first quarter of this year paint a bleak picture for job seekers, especially young people who are languishing in a mire of hopelessness. As this is said to be the highest unemployment rate observed since September 2003, it conveys the message that with each passing day the situation is growing gloomier for young South Africans.
The statistics reveal that of the 433 000 people who became unemployed about 58% were those from 15 to 34 years old, leading to an increase in youth unemployment rate by 1.6 % points to 38.6%.
Whichever way one looks at the statistics, the logical conclusion is that they are alarmingly high considering that it is the youth that is most affected.
Without sounding alarmist, it may seem that there is a connection between these statistics and the upsurge in the rates of crime and drug abuse.
The fact is that we are facing a huge challenge of youth without qualifications and those who have qualifications that do not match the needs of the country looking for work. The reality that hits you when looking at these statistics, is that our skills base is not commensurate with the demands of our economy.
Take for instance the serious lack of skills in the water management sector.
A drought is seizing the country and the dams in the Western Cape are hovering at dangerously low levels. Water is the economic driver of any development. Without water the prospects of any country being on a developmental trajectory remain a pipe dream.
It is important that the youth are encouraged to enter careers that are of value to the needs of the country.
Engineering skills in the water sector rank among the most needed and we should place value on attracting these skills into the sector.
As statistician-general Pali Lehohla observed, the unemployment rate remains high among graduates at 7.3%; and those with an education level of less than matric are at 33.1%, which is 5.4% higher than the national average.
Given this depressing picture, one may well ask if the country is ready to meet its commitment to the sustainable development goals, especially goal six on water and sanitation.
Thus, the high level of unemployment among young people partly points to the incongruence or mismatch between the skills we need and those that we have.
South Africa has committed itself to the realisation of the sustainable development goal on water and sanitation. However, committing to this goal does not solve the challenges presented by lack of innovation in the water sector.
Innovations all over the world started by attracting young people not just to take up careers but to pursue careers that are relevant to addressing issues and solving conundrums that hinder development.
In this context, the Department of Water and Sanitation is championing the task of providing essential services such as water and sanitation by expanding its limited resources by getting young people to take up relevant careers.
Some of the leading programmes the department is using as vehicles to trigger interest in the water sector are the Baswa le Meetse (Youth in Water) Award, the Aqua Enduro and the South African Youth Water Prize Competition.
From the water prize competition, three youths from Limpopo will represent South Africa in August at the Stockholm International Water Institute in Sweden.
This platform will expose them to a wealth of ideas and careers in the water sector so that they are better informed of issues internationally. They will develop the confidence that they can find solutions to issues that confront the world today.
At the risk of oversimplifying the complexity of challenges of water shortages by saying more youths should be encouraged to take up careers in the water sector, there is a pressing need to encourage more young people to go into the water sector. This is where they are most needed.
The problem that is being experienced in the water sector is one of numbers and talent. Statistics show other sectors are growing, while the water sector is shrinking with young people opting for other careers.
According to the latest statistics, the biggest growth has been in the manufacturing, finance, business services and mining.
The sad truth is that the water sector is the backbone of the sectors that are growing in leaps and bounds.
In this month of the youth, more should be done to make sure that young people enter the water and sanitation sector in numbers.