A large-scale industry-relevant artisan system must be reintroduced in South Africa to plug the skills gap, boost the economy and reduce an unemployment rate that is reminiscent of the Great Depression.
Emerging markets such as South Africa need more artisans and technicians to power their economies. Industry-based artisan systems have been critical in fuelling post-war economic miracles in Japan, Germany, Singapore and many other economies.
They are effective in bridging school and the world of work for young people by making it possible for them to acquire experience along with technical and professional training. Artisanships offer an income, which is ideal for people from poor backgrounds.
South Africa faces a critical shortage of skilled artisans. This is among the reasons for the slowing economy and continuing deindustrialisation. Artisans are essential in manufacturing, mining and heavy industry and in keeping infrastructure running — be it water, energy or logistics.
Restoring neglected infrastructure will require large numbers of artisans. New potential growth areas for the economy, such as renewable energy, cannot expand without artisans.
During the apartheid era state-owned entities such as Eskom, Telkom, the South African Railways and SAA trained large numbers of artisans in their own academies. After 1994, artisan training in these SOEs largely stopped. Many private companies closed or reduced their apprenticeships after the post-apartheid government introduced sector education & training authorities (Setas).
Many older artisans are close to or past retirement age while younger ones emigrate to escape crime, state failure and corruption. There is always demand for their skills abroad.
The ANC government that preceded the GNU, in a white paper on post-school education and training, set a goal of training only 30,000 artisans a year by 2030.
South Africa has at least 500,000 artisan jobs that cannot be filled because there are not enough skilled individuals. The country regularly imports thousands of technical skills that are not available locally. Sasol and Grinaker-LTA have been forced to bring in artisans from Malaysia, Ireland, India and Thailand. Eskom also had to import welders from abroad.
The government’s artisan training system depends heavily on state institutions that are not functioning and lack competent staff. Elsewhere in the world, and as was the case in South Africa before 1994, artisan training is a partnership between the private sector and the public sector. The state should mostly provide the policy framework while the private sector should take the lead in training, identifying the economy’s skills needs and maintaining training standards. State training institutions should provide supporting roles.
It is critical that the GNU ensures maths and science courses are prioritised at all education levels, that maths literacy is done away with and that 30% is no longer regarded as a pass mark
The ANC government allowed the politicisation and capture of many Setas and technical & vocational education training (TVET) institutions and divorced them from the real economy. Malusi Gigaba, when he was minister of public enterprises in 2012, said 52% of newly Seta-trained artisans in the manufacturing sector were unqualified.
Sadly, the introduction of “mathematics literacy” has curtailed the number of school leavers who can take up technical skills training. The ANC has not taken mathematics and science subjects at schools seriously. Close to 500 government schools have no mathematics teaching. The ANC government also introduced a 30% subject pass rate for matrics.
SOEs must restart or increase artisan training. But the appointment of contractors must be based on merit not patronage and corruption, and training must be industry-relevant.
It is critical that the GNU ensures maths and science courses are prioritised at all education levels, that maths literacy is done away with and that 30% is no longer regarded as a pass mark.
Properly functioning Setas and TVETs are critical because the best approach to artisan training is to combine theory and workplace training. The South African National Defence Force must be included in this as an institution of mass training.
Creating a pipeline of artisans, in partnership with private firms, chambers of business and trade organisations, must become a key deliverable for the GNU. If artisan training is combined with guidance in entrepreneurship and civic education, those who come out the other end will be able to start their own businesses and be better citizens.
• Gumede is associate professor at the Wits School of Governance and author of Restless Nation: Making Sense of Troubled Times (Tafelberg)
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