Construction World September 2019

MARKETPLACE

A s South Africa faces a critical shortage of skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and youth unemployment is at an all-time high, closing this gap has become a vital imperative. In a bid to both tackle youth unemployment and seek innovative solutions to the STEM skills crisis in South Africa, the 3 rd Annual STEM Conference & Career Expo will be taking place from 4 to 5 October 2019 at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg. While the overall rate of unemployment in South Africa remains high at 27,6% in the first quarter of 2019, more alarming is the rate of unemployment among South Africa’s youth, who account for 63,5% of all unemployed people. This is according to an article posted by Stats SA in May 20191, which also notes that unemployment rates for youth graduates, traditionally a more resilient statistic in the face of unemployment, also showed a sharp increase to 31% in Q1: 2019 as compared with 19% in Q4: 2018. “At the same time, South Africa is grappling with a crippling skills shortage in the STEM arena and we now find ourselves at a critical juncture in the country’s social and economic trajectory that demands our urgent attention. As highlighted by the Presidency, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us and we need to be ready and equipped to leverage and unlock its opportunities for a prosperous and economically sustainable South Africa,” says Amalia Hendricks, STEM Conference & Career Expo Director. “This is a time of tremendous opportunity for the youth and stakeholders, including corporates and government agencies, who wish to stake their claim in the future of the country; we have a burning need for STEM skills in both the public and private sectors and we have an abundance of young STEM graduates eager to

make their mark in the workforce. As a key matchmaker in this realm, STEM Conference & Career Expo brings STEM graduates and business together to erode barriers to riding the 4IR wave,” she adds. The 3 rd Annual STEM Conference & Career Expo aims to build on previous years’ successes by matching STEM graduates with prospective businesses in this arena. “Our objective is to make recruiting technical graduates easier and more cost-effective, supporting companies in building talent pipelines that are underpinned by quality and diversity,” remarks Hendricks. Who should attend? STEM Conference & Career Expo attendees are made up of prospective and current university students as well as STEM graduates from all major tertiary institutions across South Africa looking for exciting career opportunities. Grade 12 learners are also invited to gain exposure to both STEM careers and university readiness seminars. Who should exhibit? Any and all businesses connected with and whose survival and prosperity depends on science, technology, engineering and mathematics have a responsibility to participate at the STEM Conference & Career Expo, not only to communicate their exciting career opportunities, but to showcase to future industry leaders what a resilient, forward-thinking business in STEM looks like. Exhibitor stakeholders include secondary schools, extra-curricular STEM education and training suppliers, universities and their departments, Government departments and agencies, and STEM-oriented recruitment agencies. 

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD SEPTEMBER 2019