Scarce skills identify where job opportunities are. If you see a job that you like and it’s a scarce skill – find training for it. SETAs usually provide funds to businesses and training organisations to develop these skills.

FP&M SETA Scarce skills range from design to manufacturing careers

Many of the key professional and artisan skills in the sector are in short supply both nationally and internationally.

Most of the aging workforce in many sub-sectors is concentrated in these artisan and professional occupations. Even though people are losing jobs here, there’s still a need for FP&M SETA to continue investing in a sustainable supply of these scarce skills.

New Occupations and Skill Scarcity

New jobs are being created and immediately termed scarce skills. This is because some industries change so fast that there isn’t yet a pipeline of people to choose from for new skills. Companies sometimes have to invest in building these skills themselves.

Design is emerging as an important part of industrial growth in furniture, printing and packaging, clothing, textiles, footwear and leather. Design is therefore a key scarce skill for the sector.

These “new” scarce skills are an important focus of FP&M SETA

JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FP&M SECTOR (scarce skills)

Clothing Sub-sector

• Patternmaker
• Clothing, Textile and Leather Goods Production Operator / Machinist
• Materials Engineering Technologist (not referring to quality advisors)

Footwear Sub-sector

• Manufacturing Technician / Footwear technician
• Clothing, Textile and Leather Goods Production Operator / Machinist
• Industrial Machinery Mechanic / Machine mechanic

Leather Sub-sector

• Pattern maker
• Clothing, Textile and Leather Goods Production Operator / Production overseer
• Production Engineering Technologist / Leather technologist
• Clothing, Footwear and Leather Processing Machine Mechanic / Sewing machinist
• Industrial Machinery Mechanic / Machine mechanic

Textiles Sub-sector

• Clothing, Textile and Leather Goods Production Operator / Machinist

Furniture Sub-sector

• Wood machinist
• Product Assembler / Wood finisher

Publishing Sub-sector

• Book or Script Editor / African languages editor
• Copywriter / Copy editor
• Translator
• Publisher / Commissioning editor
• Illustrator / Book designer

Printing Sub-sector

• Sales Representative (Business Services) / Estimator
• Management accountant
• Mechanized book binder
• Electronic Pre-press Technical Worker / Pre-press operators / technicians
• Production Coordinator / Production planner
• Millwright / Printers mechanic
• Roll Label Machine Technician / Flexographic machine minder

Print Media Sub-sector

• Newspaper or Periodical Editor / Editor
• Operations Manager (Non-Manufacturing) / Operations Manager
• Multimedia designer

Packaging Sub-sector

• Industrial Designer / Structural designer
• Research and Development Manager / New product developer
• Quality Systems Manager / Quality controller

Pulp and Paper Sub-sector

• Bio-refinery specialist
• Production / operations manager
• Fossil Power Plant Process Technician
• Environmental and Occupational Health Inspector / Environmental Practices Inspector
• Industrial Designer / Design and Manufacturing Draftsperson
• Coded welders
• Wood scientists
• Chemical Plant Controller / Plant controller
• Paper and Pulp Mill Operator / Mill operator
• Chemical engineer
• Industrial Engineer / Process engineer

Wood Products Sub-sector

• Saw Maker and Repairer / Saw doctor
• Production Engineer / Wood products engineer
• Wood Processing Machine Operator / Grader / analyser

Forestry Sub-sector

• Forest scientist / Geneticist (foresters)

Read the full FPM SETA Scarce and Critical Skills list here

The FPM SETA career brochure summarises scarce skills as:

• Technological skills (technologists, including performance improvement technologists)
• ICT skills (professionals, technicians, administrators & developers)
• Production and general management skills (human resource/production/general managers)
• Machine repair and maintenance skills (mechanics, artisans, technicians)
• Operators (manufacturing/plant machine operators)
• Work study skills (work study officer)
• Administration and marketing (sales, clerks, logistics)
• Technical training skills (technical training manager, trainers)
• CAD technician (design, pattern-making, grading, marking)

In order to gain access to some of these opportunities you need to be trained. 

How to use FP&M SETA Qualifications to find Training Providers

What Career & Learnership Opportunities Does FPM SETA Offer?