You know the South African unemployment rate is high. Most of us know more than one unemployed person and know of others who resorted to self-employment when they couldn’t find a job.
Find a Job when Jobs are Scarce
If unemployment concerns you, a job or field where you can find job security would be one listed as a scarce skill or trending industry.
How to Secure a Job in today’s Difficult Economy?
The Department of Labour puts it bluntly:
The answer is to study for a scarce skill!A scarce skill is a job that requires a qualification or skill for which there are too few people in South Africa, resulting in a skills gap or shortage.
A scarcity can arise if the occupation is new and very few people have studied to fill these posts. It’s also possible that people chose not to study for the course and a scarcity developed in the job market. It could even be that the industry has grown so fast that it couldn’t produce specialists quick enough in all parts of the country. In South Africa, scarcity can also be in terms of equity, for example too few women enter into a specific career.
International Scarce Skills
If you study something scarce skills related, not only will you find it easier to secure work locally, but you may even find yourself desirable on the international market.
Taking a scarce skills approach thereby opens you up to a range of local and international markets. In addition, this approach could mean that not only will you be able to find a job more easily, but that you could be paid better and progress to the top of your career path faster.
Which jobs are scarce?
Take a look at some of these posts to read about skill shortages in different industries:
- Careers and Scarce Skills in the Local Government sector
- Scarce skills within Culture and Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sports
- Scarce Skills within the Services Sector (SSETA)
- FPM SETA sectors and Scarce Skills
- FPM SETA Qualifications, Job Security and Scarce Skills
- Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Careers
- Financial and Accounting Scarce Skills, Qualifications and Training Providers
- 167 Scarce Skills in the Mining Sector
The Department of Labour draws up a National Scarce Skills List every year. The SETAs do research and consult with stakeholders in the sector of the economy that they are responsible for and then send the list to the Department.
The National Scarce Skills List can be found on the Department of Labour’s website ( use the search engine and type “scarce skills”). The DoL also has career counsellors who can assist you with your career choices.
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Useful Reading
HOT LIST SETA Contacts for Learnerships Internships and Apprenticeships
What Are Soft and Hard Skills? What Skills do Employers Look For?
What Are Soft and Hard Skills? What Skills do Employers Look For?
