The urgent need for STEM education in South Africa's economy

The pressure and the increasing need to build a functional and profitable economy are now becoming urgent.

Every so often the media informs us of rising living costs, high unemployment, and an economy that is stagnating and in some sectors shrinking. Key to developing a successful economy is the need to develop, innovate, and create among us South Africans.

This can happen if our society becomes better skilled in technological advancement and innovation.

Unfortunately, we are still importing technological products at hefty prices which are utilised in all segments of the economy. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) aligned qualifications need to be prioritised and South Africans need to become aware of the need for many STEM graduates in South Africa.

Recent statistics have revealed that only 7% of Grade 12 graduates meet the requirements to engage in a STEM-related qualification at tertiary educational institutions.

The remaining graduates enter other fields of study and find their way in the formal and informal economy.

Approximately half of university students do not complete their qualifications which contributes to the high youth unemployment rate.

The corporate sector has claimed that many of our qualifications do not comprise skills that are required to be employed within the formal sector and they therefore find a young graduate unskilled and ill-fitted for numerous job descriptions.

The pressing inclusion of Artificial Intelligence, amidst continual technological changes also needs to be included in curriculums offered at universities and other places of learning.

Educators and academics too that teach and mentor students need to continually improve their skills in technological advancements.

The task of aligning an educational system, its curriculum, and its outcomes to the demands and needs of the formal employment economy is a daunting task.

In addition, curricula need to be continually updated so that it is relevant and inclusive in technological developments and the application of these products.

The growing usage of technological academic platforms has also encouraged academics to rethink how we can include Artificial Intelligence tools in our teaching pedagogies and curriculums.

The economy needs skills in areas such as logistics, renewable energy, welding, ICT, agritech, and infrastructure maintenance, but only a few universities and learning centres offer courses that can enhance the teaching and learning of the above-mentioned niche subjects.

The majority of students that attend university engage in courses that are of interest to them, as the composition of the primary Bachelor of Social Science degree, Bachelor of Commerce degree as well as the Bachelor of Science permits students to select modules that appeal to them with a few mandatory courses.

The remaining subjects are often the choice of students and are not aligned with the demands of the economy.

First-year university entrants need to be adequately informed of what the needs of the South African economy are and be guided to study within these niche areas.

At the same time, graduates also need to learn about the world, its functionality, society and its origins, structures as well as the development of a progressive society.

Modules aligned with this type of knowledge can be deemed inappropriate for the workplace, but it gives the university graduate a deepened sense of how to understand the socio-economic, and political stance in the world.

There are some career spaces such as project management and communications that depend heavily on understanding people, behavior, and society so that one can communicate effectively.

The assumption that certain courses at university are not aligned with the skill development of an individual is inappropriate. One of the central aims of academics at universities is to enhance the critical thinking skills of individuals and influence their stance and perspectives of the world and current socio-political circumstances.

Subjects such as History, sociology, and political science give one a clear education on how society has progressed, how to measure progress and identify where South Africa is at. South Africans can benefit from multiple educational streams, perhaps the key would be to inform each new university student of their limitations and possibilities of employment that await them after they complete their studies.

Each sector has its educational value that cannot really be compared to one another.

However, the need for STEM-based careers to be prioritised has become urgent in accordance with where South Africa’s biggest expenditure is.

The ideal scenario would be to have a sound and balanced proportion of graduates in various sectors that can enhance our economy effectively.

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