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As South Africa continues to deal with an energy crisis, the urgent call for more skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) grows with each load shedding cycle.
In August, ailing power producer Eskom announced it would upskill its workforce in a bid to curtail load shedding. Eskom and the SA Renewable Energy Technology Centre announced that they’d be working on a collaborative effort that “aimed to train and upskill staff at the Komati Power Station and qualifying community members around the power station to become renewable energy artisans”.
“It has become clear that skilled workers within the STEM industries are needed, who are equipped to design, develop, execute and manage renewable energy programmes,” Mustafa Soylu, the CEO of Defy Appliances, said.
Soylu said that upskilling within this field is of relevance within our unique socioeconomic context, with SA notoriously having the highest Gini coefficient (a gauge of economic inequality, measuring income distribution) in the world. He added:
“This is a gap that training and education can serve to bridge, particularly in STEM careers that are characterised by their ability to pay a living wage, thus tackling poverty.”
Unesco’s 2017 Cracking the code: Girls’ and women’s education in STEM report states only 35% of STEM students in higher education globally are women. Young women also comprise only 25% of students in engineering or information and communication technology (ICT).
In South Africa, according to skills portal, only 13% of graduates leaving tertiary institutions with qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are women.
No quick fix
Soylu said with South Africa’s context, this won’t be an easy undertaking.
“Successfully making the transition towards a more sustainable and equitable energy system requires a long-term commitment from all stakeholders,” he said.
READ: Eskom gets new board in drive to improve power supply
“We must ensure that all solutions to the energy crisis are socially responsible as well as sustainable, in that they benefit the individual and community, as well as the broader environment.”
Companies taking the initiative
To that effect, Defy’s WE-InTech programme offers training, internships and job opportunities to women pursuing careers in the STEM fields.
“The initiative is centred around increasing participation in new generation research and development, offering a sustainable solution that will contribute to building a more inclusive economy,” he said.
READ: Spooks to hunt for Eskom saboteurs
Tata Consultancy Services' (TCS) goIT programme, "equips students with the skills, confidence, and mindsets they need to pursue careers of the future, offering robotics training along with mentoring from industry leaders and TCS professionals. While the Girls Who Code programme exposes women students to the world of coding and tech development.
"The future of sustainable innovation can only be guaranteed with diverse and equal participation from both male and women scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians," Rochelle Elmirinthia Blaauw, skills development and localisation lead at TCS, said.
Blaauw said:
"Equal exposure to STEM subjects is the gateway to a more diverse and sustainable fourth industrial revolution," Blaauw said.
Sasol also offers programmes aimed at addressing the STEMs skills shortage in the country. The Sasol Foundation "offers an all-inclusive bursary to talented individuals who are planning to study full-time towards an undergraduate degree to pursue STEM careers".
The WAAW Foundation's scholarship also offers support to African women students studying in the STEM field "to increase the pipeline of African women entering into science and technology fields and ensure they are engaged in technology innovation and entrepreneurship to benefit Africa".
Protec is another organisation aimed at helping address the STEM skill issues in the country. The NPO, "provides holistic, high-quality education and career support programme development in the fields of mathematics, science, technology, English, and the world of work-life skills training".
