The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) is calling for closer collaboration between government, universities, schools, industry and funders to help South Africa tackle its growing shortage of engineering and information technology skills.
The call comes as concerns continue to mount over the country’s STEM skills pipeline. Recent reports suggest that only 42% of prospective employees meet the requirements for IT positions, while South Africa could need an additional 60,000 engineers to support infrastructure development, industrial expansion and innovation.
For ISFAP, addressing the gap requires intervention well before students enter the workplace.
Supporting Students Beyond Financial Aid
ISFAP CEO Werner Abrahams says South Africa has a strong pool of young people capable of succeeding in engineering and technology, but many need better guidance and support throughout their academic journey.
“South Africa has no shortage of talented young people with the potential to succeed in engineering and technology,” said Abrahams.
He argued that learners need to be guided towards careers that align with their strengths, while students should receive the academic and personal support necessary to complete demanding qualifications.
During the most recent academic year, ISFAP supported 386 engineering students and 21 IT students, contributing to the development of skills needed across the country’s infrastructure, digital and innovation sectors.
However, the organisation says financial assistance on its own is not enough.
Academic preparation, career guidance, mentoring, counselling and academic development can all play an important role in helping students remain at university and graduate successfully.
Better Career Guidance Needed
ISFAP also believes more can be done while learners are still at school.
The organisation is advocating for wider access to National Benchmark Test (NBT)-style assessments or similar diagnostic tools, which could help learners identify their strengths before selecting university courses.
Abrahams believes better-informed decisions could benefit students, universities and employers alike.
“Helping learners understand where their strengths lie before they enrol benefits everyone,” he said. “Students are more likely to thrive, universities experience improved throughput, and employers gain access to graduates whose skills are aligned with labour market demand.”
Building the Future STEM Workforce
ISFAP says closing South Africa’s engineering and IT skills gap will require a coordinated approach involving the entire education and employment ecosystem.
This includes improving career guidance at schools, strengthening student support at universities and creating closer links between qualifications and the skills required by employers.
“Building the country’s future engineering and IT workforce requires more than funding alone,” Abrahams said.
“By aligning career guidance, student support, higher education and employer needs, we can help more young South Africans succeed in scarce-skills careers while strengthening the country’s long-term economic growth.”
Main Image: ISFAP
