Address by the Minister of Science and Technology, Honourable Mosibudi Mangena, at the launch of the database of unemployed Science, Engineering and Technology graduates at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Conference Hall, Pretoria

Dr Phil Mjwara, Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology,
Distinguished guests and graduates,
Ladies and gentlemen

Launching a database for Unemployed Science, Engineering and Technology graduates is indeed a groundbreaking moment for my department. I believe there is cause for rejoicing on this occasion, even though it is difficult to speak of unemployed graduates in the same breath as we decry the need to populate our National System of Innovation (NSI) with skilled youth in the fields of science, engineering and technology.

The reason for this is that there is a considerable skills mismatch in South Africa that poses a challenge to the country's economic growth and competitiveness. In particular, the Human Resource Development Review of 2003, released by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC), reported a shortage of professional skills especially in the engineering field. According to this report, the skills shortage arose as a result of insufficient alignment between programmes in the Higher Education System and the changing labour market demands.

Thus, my department identified the need to review the situation of unemployed science graduates when we realised an urgent need to prioritise human resource development in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) field. As a starting point, a study on unemployed science, engineering and technology graduates, whose aim was to determine the extent and the dynamics of unemployment among science graduates, was commissioned in order to assist us to develop ways of responding to the challenge and put together effective strategies through which we could mitigate recurrence of the problem. The report of the study was presented to my department in February 2007. Some of the findings of the study will be taken into consideration when the department's intervention plans for SET human resource development is crafted.

Although the study was vital for determining the extent and dynamics of unemployment, the limitations inherent in study reports cannot be ruled out when finer details of the information are required. Therefore, as a result of the identified gap, the idea of developing the database system we are launching today was conceptualised.

We view the Database Management System (DMS) of unemployed SET graduates as an immediate intervention for obtaining specific information, while the study is anticipated to provide a bigger picture of the situation of this group.

We are very pleased that it will now be possible, through the DMS, to continuously gather demographic data on unemployed SET graduates throughout the country. As revealed by the demographic information of individuals captured in the system, such information will inform future interventions on specific areas that need improvement. In addition, we are certain that the database will also serve as an information hub, particularly for interested parties in SET human resource development, and a pool of human resources from which potential employers can tap.

In other words, by being provided with organised information on the realities of unemployment among SET graduates, role players in knowledge generation and human resource development stand to benefit from the DMS. Similarly, agents of human resource development can use information from this database as a yardstick to measure the extent and determine the dynamics of the problem. I have no doubt that what we are engaged in today is a necessary step in the right direction towards closing the gap between the skills shortage and the mismatch I alluded to.

I urge employers and potential employers to make optimal use of the database to tap into resources they need to build capacity in their businesses and work with government to address the skills challenge. I will not go into the details of how precisely the database will work, save to say that detailed information about graduates will be classified properly and only those allowed by the system, including the department and parties within the knowledge generation, will be able to access the information.

Ladies and gentlemen, this address would not be complete without acknowledging the partnership that has taken us thus far, and will continue to do so as the database makes its impact felt. The partnership includes the South African Graduate Association (SAGDA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is intimately involved in the empowerment of unemployed graduates in the country, the Umsombovu Youth Fund and officials from my department. Such partnerships will go a long way in helping us address the skills gap and mismatch that characterise our labour landscape sooner than we would have imagined.

My department will continue to support initiatives aimed at addressing unemployment in the Science, Engineering and Technology fields. Such programmes include:

* The internship programme, where my department, together with the National Research Foundation (NRF), have jointly implemented and are managing a programme to provide work experience for unemployed graduates, thus providing graduates with practical and accelerated learning programmes towards building workplace competencies.

* The Tshumisano Internship Programme where in partnership with Tshumisano we placed more than 50 interns within various technology stations, namely, at Tshwane, Port Elizabeth, Vaal, Cape Peninsula, Mangosuthu and Free State Universities of Technology. The interns were exposed to practical workplace experience in chemicals, electronics, automotives, material-composites, agri-food, clothing, metal casting and metal value-adding.

* The National Information Society Learnership programme, which aims to contribute to the building of an information society to promote greater and efficient use of information technology (IT).

* Our Youth into Science Strategy, whose primary objective is to contribute towards the development of the priority skills-base by recruiting the youth to pursue careers in areas of scarce skills. Its targets include doubling the science and technology literacy among the youth, and identifying and nurturing at least 5000 young people with talent and potential by 2010.

While our efforts and combined resources are limited in comparison to the high levels of unemployment and limited access to education and training, particularly among young people, I believe we are making significant inroads towards containing the problem.

The Unemployed Science, Engineering and Technology Graduates Database we are launching today are one such significant intervention by government and partners in the SET sector.

It is now my singular pleasure to introduce to the nation, the Unemployed Science Graduates Database at a time when our country and the economy need the skills most.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
29 May 2007