Recently, Minister Blade Nzimande released the list of Occupations in High Demand. What is this list used for and who does it help?
The list of Occupations in High Demand helps the Post School Education and Training sector plan for skilled people entering the job market.
The Department of Higher Education and Training identifies occupations that will best suit the National Development Plan (NDP), the New Growth Path (NGP), and the Industrial PolicyAction Plan (IPAP).
This helps the department identify ways to make the tertiary education system and post-school education more responsive to the needs of the economy.
"The primary purpose of the list of OIHD is to inform planning in the PSET sector by:
Signalling the need for the development of new qualifications;
Acting as a signpost for enrolment planning (Reddy, Rogan, Mncwango, & Chabane, 2018); and
Informing career guidance for learners and work-seekers."
An occupation is considered to be in high demand if it is innovative, it has shown signs of employment growth and the demand for the occupation is higher than the supply of skilled individuals entering the market.
"It is through providing a clear understanding of the demand for skills and occupations that are not being met in South Africa that the list of OIHD acts as an integral component for holistically understanding South African labour market dynamics."
The list of occupations in high demand is updated every 2 years with occupations that cater to people with intermediate to high skill levels.
The 2020 list contains 345 occupations that are crucial for the National Recovery Plan.
This years' list includes high demand skills and occupations like:
Digital economy
Energy
Infrastructure development
Data scientists
Web developers
Electrical engineers
Tool makers
Crop produce analysts
Agricultural scientists
occupations.pdf
The 2020 List of Occupations in High Demand- A Technical Report.pdf
