Skills shortage in South Africa: Interrogating the repertoire of discussions

Abstract

The object of this paper was to examine skills shortage in South Africa specifically to unearth the myriad arguments around the subject but more importantly to unveil what has consistently lacked in the narratives of previous authors on the subject. In this regard, this paper has provided interesting insights into the attempts by countries such as New Zealand and Australia in stemming the tide of the scourge. The authors chose literature review as the main source of data collection. The paper also dishes what the authors consider as possible remedies to the scourge, while it advises that the problem of skills shortage is not the exclusive preserve of government. Further, the authors acknowledge that although the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) and its learnership programmes have experienced a huge amount of criticism, skills development is and will remain a dynamic and evolving process for addressing skills shortage as a long term strategy. There is no doubt that this paper has value in that it draws attention to the various issues associated with skills shortage especially in South Africa. Although the problem of skills shortage has been previously identified, it should be noted that it presents a significant problem in any society, and therefore demands regular attention. Keywords: Scarce skills, South Africa, HIV/AIDS, Pull Factors, Push Factors, Skills Shortage