The fourth industrial revolution is here….Are we ready?
The 16 of June 2018 was the day that we commemorated the 42nd anniversary of the Soweto uprising,
where the class of 1976 took to the streets and fought an unjust education
system. We cannot look away from the challenges faced by the youth of today.
Unemployment is among the major challenges faced by the youth of this country. According
to statistics released by Statistic South Africa, 38.2%
of those aged between 15-34 are without job, which effectively means that one
in every three young persons is without a job in the first quarter of 2018.
Studies show that migrating to the fourth industrial
revolution will amplify the unemployment challenge. According to a report
titled Job loss by the World Economic
Forum (WEF) there will be 7.1 million job losses between 2015 and 2020 in 15
countries and South Africa is among those countries. The report further states
that 60% of those jobs losses are in administration.
The forth industrial revolution will be characterised by
technology, therefore how we position ourselves as a country in response to
this revolution is crucial. We need to identify skill sets that will be
relevant in response to the fourth industrial revolution and those skills range
from Computer Science, Data Science, Software
Programming, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning,
Industrial Robotics and Automation, Data Analytics and Business Intelligence.
Skills development remains a
centre stage for the country’s successfully migration to the fourth industrial
revolution and in creating sustainable job opportunities for the youth.
The forth industrial revolution
is upon us and unless we realign our education system to match the pace of
evolution we run a danger of creating a generation with no ability to prosper
in a new business world.
