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The technology sector tops the list of the 25 most in-demand jobs in South Africa today, according to the Skills Development Corporation. And even though South Africa’s unemployment figures are at record levels, nearly 10 000 positions in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector are listed as hard to fill, according to the 2021 ICT Skills Survey from the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering.
The situation is exacerbated by rising emigration and remote work arrangements, which means local employers are up against global corporates in the battle for talent. As a result, employers are struggling to fill the IT skills gap, with demand exceeding supply.
This provides an opportunity for mid-career moves to IT.
WHAT SKILLS ARE IN DEMAND?
Anything cloud-based: This includes cloud engineers, who are responsible for managing, planning, architecting and monitoring cloud workloads.
Cloud developers: Software engineers with a specialisation in cloud computing, and cloud migration engineers with a strong understanding of cloud and infrastructure components.
READ: Thousands of jobs vacant in SA's IT sector
Data engineers: They broadly look after an organisation’s data. They have the technical skills to collect, manage and convert raw data into usable formats for analytical or operational purposes.
DevOps engineers: They are responsible for implementing processes and tools to balance needs throughout the software development life cycle, from coding to deployment.
Java developers: They are skilled in the software language that is used by many organisations, particularly larger organisations in South Africa and abroad. These are software engineers with skills to develop IT applications with either a focus on front-end applications or back-end services.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MID-CAREER MOVE?
For people whose current career gives them exposure and understanding of IT systems, a mid-career move can be made possible by leveraging off their existing experience, which will need to be broadened by doing some online courses exposing them to basic IT concepts that would be covered in the initial years of studying for IT graduates.
Even if the intention is not to move to being a software coder, learning a coding language such as Python is recommended as this gives hands-on experience of basic IT technology and how it hangs together. Recognised certification courses in the field of interest are also a good idea.
ARE THERE NON-TRADITIONAL AVENUES TO LEARNING IT?
These days, technical tools change frequently and are more highly developed, so in-depth specialisation on technical tools is not always as valuable as it was previously. The ability to learn and grasp technical concepts quickly, strong analytical ability, the ability to deal with continuous change, and strong communication skills are important skills required in the industry. Also, knowledge diversity in teams can be very valuable.
HOW ARE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES SHAPING THE WORKFORCE?
The emergence of cloud as a platform has shifted the balance of skills that are required in the IT industry. Not only do these platforms offer cost-reduction opportunities for businesses, but they also allow for scalability, business continuity and flexibility. This is putting increased emphasis on projects focusing on cloud migration and re-engineering to take advantage of the opportunities offered by these technologies.
HOW TO GET STARTED
There are free coding academies which offer learnerships to people wishing to enter technology careers. These organisations work with sponsors and potential employers to fund studies and provide employment opportunities for graduates. Some organisations offer stipends for food and transport to students.
There are organisations which offer bootcamps and coding clubs run by volunteers, which target junior school and high school pupils to provide access to both knowledge and infrastructure.
TITLES AND PRACTICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF IT PERSONNEL
At entry-level, job titles and responsibilities include:
Trainee application support engineer: Optimise software application performance; install software updates and releases; troubleshoot production problems.
Trainee software developer: Member of an agile software development team; write software code under supervision of a team lead.
Trainee quality assurance analyst: Conduct testing on software and products; identify and resolve bugs; work with software developers to resolve issues.
Trainee quality assurance engineer: Create and run automated tests that identify issues in software; analyse test results; integrate tests into the product development and release life cycle.
READ: These are the most in-demand jobs in SA's tech sector – here's what you'll need to bag them
Trainee systems analyst: Analyse requirements for new systems and changes; develop specifications and requirements for developers; support the system development life cycle.
Pekelaar is head of people in devops practice
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