Addressing the skills mismatch in local government

The skills gap and mismatch at local government is a complex issue that requires immediate attention

Many government-supported growth initiatives prioritise the creation of low-skill jobs and the development of high-level skills. A recent research report by the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA) examined the effect of this skills mismatch.

The report notes that South Africa is faced with a prevalence of under-qualified staff. In 2019, the Department of Higher Education and Training found that almost one-third of workers are mismatched to their field of study. This challenge can be addressed through on-the-job training, retraining and new-skill acquisition.

There has been a definite increase in the level of education and proportion of people in South Africa with postschool education.

According to the report, between 2010 and 2017, the employed population with a tertiary education increased from just over 3 million to about 3.4 million; the proportion of those employed with higher education qualifications increased by 24.5 percent; and the proportion of employed people with diploma and certificate qualifications increased slightly to nearly 1.9 million in 2017.

Shortage of skills

However, there is still a shortage of skills, particularly in medium- and high-skilled occupations.

There is a shortage in most managerial jobs, and more than 50 percent of professionals, technicians and clerical support workers are employed in shortage

occupations.

The report found that the skill requirements of local government are changing constantly.

Skills needed include strong political leadership, networking and decision-making skills; problem-solving skills; ability to manage partnerships of various forms; skills to share and disseminate knowledge and experience; good knowledge of legislation, constitutional and human rights issues; and sophisticated project management skills to manage alternative delivery strategies effectively.

Priority skills were identified as research and policy skills (conceptual, analytic and problemsolving skills for sector decision-makers); financial planning and management skills; strategic leadership and management skills; project and contract management skills; and information and communications technology (ICT) skills.

The impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

means that skills such as data analytics, digital mapping and data visualisation skills are becoming increasingly necessary for planners. In addition, municipalities need skills to plan and manage growing infrastructure needs, asset management, as well as land and property valuations.

There are definite spatial variations in the nature of skills required and the kind of skills available across the country. It is widely acknowledged that many municipalities have high vacancies at the professional and technical level for professions such as engineering, planning and financial management.

Building capacity

The 2018 national municipal capacity assessment by the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) found a significant shortage of registered professionals in many municipalities.

It outlined the need to improve current municipal skills development arrangements, provide the necessary institutional capacity (structures, systems, strategies, programmes and resources) and responsive policy framework to support all skills development initiatives.

The report recommends that LGSETA invests in building the necessary capacity of municipal technical staff and that a comprehensive framework for local government skills development be developed which underscores lifelong learning, ethical norms, and skills and knowledge improvement.

It also emphasises the need for technical staff to acquire the necessary skills to perform the functions assigned to them, as well as a culture of commitment to the cause of the Public Service.

Municipal staff

The research conducted by LGSETA found that there are approximately 270 000 people employed by municipalities.

Staff numbers varies significantly from places such as the Central Karoo with less than 1 000 full-time staff, to metropolitan areas with over 25 000 full-time staff.

Standardising these figures through examining the number of households per staff member across the country, the differences become even more significant.

For example, in a metropolitan area such as Tshwane there are around 40 households for every staff member, but in Alfred Nzo Municipality there are over 150 households for every staff member.

A review of staff leaving and those appointed by municipalities found a difference in the skills distribution of those leaving and those entering each municipality.

In 2018/19 there was a deficit of 338 high priority managers, 84 professionals, and 249 technicians and associate professionals.This demonstrates that the retention of skilled staff, especially those in high

demand, is not happening.

The skills-related reasons for occupational shortages include unsuitable candidate, relevant experience, equity considerations, relevant qualifications and location.

Non-skills related reasons include insufficient finances, poor remuneration, recruitment process, and political interference.

When examining specific professions, it was found that engineering professional turnover rates are highest followed by planning professionals.

Each year, municipalities are losing 4.7 percent engineering staff, 3.6 percent of planning professionals and associated staff, 3.5 percent ICT staff and 2.2 percent finance staff.

Clearly, these statistics indicate both a geographical imbalance and relatively high loss of professional staff, both of which must be addressed if we are to create the environments considered to be essential for municipal governance.

Limited success

Numerous initiatives have been undertaken to address skills challenges and build capacity in local government.

However, these have generally had limited impact on the skills deficit.

While these programmes may have filled capacity shortfalls in the short term, assessments show that very little, if any, skills transfer took place for a range of reasons.

Addressing the skills gap and skills mismatch in South Africa, and especially in local government, is a complex and challenging issue.

There is a need for improved monitoring to track the efficacy of skills development programmes. It is also important to ensure that people are employed based on their skills and competency, and not for political or other reasons.

This article is part of a series reporting on research commissioned by the LGSETA (Contact: matodzir@lgseta.gov.za)