Top careers in demand in South Africa in 2015

The employment levels in South Africa are definitely not something to boast about. Recently we have experienced a lot of political changes and economic recessions that have significantly lowered the jobs in demand in South Africa. That being said; the employment situation in South Africa isn’t as dire as you might think. There are, in fact, still a lot of careers in demand in South Africa such as engineering jobs and accounting jobs to name a few.

In 2014, the South African government took it upon themselves to compile a report on the careers in demand in South Africa.

According to the Government Gazette which was released in November 2014, some of the jobs in demand in South Africa are as follows:

Physical and Engineering Science Technicians

Physical and Engineering Science Technicians are people who assist other scientists and engineers with their work. You will engage in developing procedures or conducting research on environmental, safety, biomedical, or industrial and production engineering.

You might have to make sketches and enter data into research computers, adjust and operate surveying instruments and compile notes.

 

The reason there is such a demand in this field is because South Africa produces far too few engineers and by extension, far too few engineering technicians. This has been attributed to the fact that only half of the people who graduate with an engineering degree, go on to work in the industry.

South Africa is looking to quadruple its yearly number of engineering graduates. This means that engineering jobs for Physical and Engineering Science Technicians will quadruple as well.

Accountants

Chartered accountants are responsible for preparing and examining financial records for individuals and entire companies. They handle tax returns and may perform audits on any records with discrepancies. They also help businesses streamline their expenses. They save them a lot of money by paying attention to return on investment and making sure the company is performing as it should financially.

In terms of their demand in South Africa. The SA Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) believes that we need another 22,000 chartered accountants to fill the gap in the industry. The Department of Higher Education has admitted that they need to review the qualification process and reduce the barriers to enter accounting. The standards are currently very high and this is what is preventing people from going into accounting jobs.

Vocational or Further Education Teachers (FET)

These are the individuals that teach others after they leave high school. This includes colleges and universities. These specialized teaching jobs are incredibly important as these are the people that will be preparing our school leavers for degree requiring positions in the employment sector.

The reason for lack of educators filling teaching jobs is basically the lack of infrastructure in South Africa. We don’t have enough training institutions to develop people into effective vocational teachers. In fact, the situation is so dire that South Africa allocated R17,4 billion to ensure that FET college enrolments continued to grow. This funding will be used to finance college infrastructure to turn college campuses into education, information communication technology, sports, entertainment and business incubation centers.

In order to compete on a global scale, South Africa needs more educated people to fill specialised roles in the economy. In order to do this, we need more people working in vocational teaching to meet this demand. Now has never been a better time to become a vocational or further education teacher.

Audiologists and Speech Therapists

An audiologist uses custom made audiometers, computers, and other devices to test a patients’ hearing ability or balance. They also have to diagnose the extent of hearing damage or loss, and identify the underlying cause of the damage.

Apart from the diagnosis of patients, these jobs will sometimes counsel patients on other ways to cope with extreme hearing loss, including lip-reading or sign language.

Most audiologists or speech therapists work in healthcare facilities, such as hospitals or audiology clinics. This is not a physically demanding job, but it does demand attention to detail, critical thinking and intense concentration.

The shortage of these professionals is due to the increase in hearing impairment in South Africa. The sudden surge in audible technology, construction and increased road usage are some of the reasons for this. South Africans are being bombarded with intense sounds and we need more people to diagnose and repair these hearing loss issues.

Medical doctors

A shortage of personnel to perform medical jobs is a global problem and South Africa is also feeling the pinch. We produce less than half of our required doctors and nurses, only 1200 doctors graduate annually from South African educational institutions. If you have the grades for it and the stomach, then this is a brilliant career path to follow.

As a doctor, you will be tasked with providing and maintaining healthcare to people who are in need of it. You will be diagnosing and treating illnesses where applicable and treat the injuries, and other physical ailments of your patients. You will be able to specialize in certain areas of medicine such as pediatrics or a neuro surgery.

You will either be working at a private practice or in a hospital. You might also find work at colleges or training institutions. You will have long shifts and irregular working hours. Even when you aren’t working, you might be on call in case of an emergency.

There is no such thing as an average day for a doctor. You will experience different patients with different illnesses or issues every day. Depending on your speciality, you might even encounter things that no one has ever seen before.

There are a lot more jobs in demand in South Africa. You can see the full list on the Government Gazette.

Are you looking for careers in demand in South Africa? Register your CV on Job Mail today and start applying for careers that are sought after – from accounting jobs to engineering jobs, you will find it on www.JobMail.co.za.