Engineering Occupations Remain Prevalent

Engineering Occupations Remain Prevalent

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Jo-lene Da Silva VergottiniJo-Lene Da Silva-Vergottini Expatriate Solutions Advisor

Inclusion in the list

The Xpatweb annual critical skills survey in 2021 confirmed that engineering skills are of the most sought-after skills in South Africa and employers are looking for highly qualified engineers with many years’ experience. It is not surprising then that engineers were included in the new list, as the demand for their professional skills and experience outweighs the current availability in South Africa.

Also included on the list are technologists and technicians in certain fields of Engineering, however these professions will be required to be registered as professionals in their field with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), which is the statutory professional body regulating this industry.

Qualifications of paramount importance

As with all other occupations on the new list, the qualification requirements for those in the Engineering field are of paramount importance. Those wishing to apply for any of the occupations under the Engineering section will need to have obtained formal qualifications as high as an honour’s degree, comparable to a NQF Level 8 South African qualification.

This can be a difficult endeavour as an NQF 8 honour’s degree is a uniquely South African qualification, which refers to a 1 year post graduate study. Whereas most institutions globally view it as a form of merit in a class system, for example passing your bachelor’s degree with honours. The requirements for this specific level of qualification thus causes a hindrance for those who wish to apply for a Critical Skills Work Visa.

Skills exodus

As we continue to see South African engineers recruited globally including places like the Netherlands, the shortage of experienced engineers in South Africa will continue to rise. Whilst the new list seeks to assist with the shortage, more should be done to ensure that South Africa produces more engineers in the fields that are so sorely lacking.

It stands to reason then that the South African government should prioritise skills development at the grassroots level to stimulate education in these fields in order to avoid skills shortages of this nature in the future. A possibility for this is a drive by the Department of Basic Education to target those students who are in Grade 9 and needing to choose subjects that they will require to be able to further study in a certain field once matriculated. Currently these students are not given enough information as to the vast number of occupations that they are able to choose from as future careers.

Perhaps a suggestion is that a condensed version of the Critical Skills List be provided to each school and possibly each student, who will then be able to make more informed decisions regarding subject choices for their future studies.  This will ensure that more qualified South Africans enter the job market in the fields and occupations that are critically lacking.

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The New Critical Skills List - Corporate General Manager is in!

The New Critical Skills List – Corporate General Manager Is In!

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One such occupations on the Critical Skills List is that of Corporate General Manager (CGM). This has been defined on the Critical Skills List as an individual who plans, organizes, directs, controls, and reviews the day-to-day operations and major functions of a commercial, industrial, or other organization (excluding government or local government) through departmental managers and subordinate executives.

This occupation was included on the new critical skills based on the high number of comments requesting inclusion, along with subsequent requests for inclusion by both the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the Presidency’s Operation Vulindlela, which provided substantiating evidence that the occupation is indeed in shortage.

The technical report issues by the Department of Home Affairs, read with the new Critical Skills List provides under Annexure 1 different names or specialisations included for the occupations listed on the Critical Skills List. However different titles are not provided for the occupation of Corporate General Manager thus applicants are limited to using the above specified occupation title when submitting their applications.

The new Critical Skills List is highly focused on levels of education that must be met by the applicant to qualify for a Critical Skills Work Visa. Applicants applying under the occupation of Corporate General Manager must submit proof with their application that their qualifications meet the new minimum requirement of NQF level 8, as confirmed and evaluated by SAQA.

The size of the organization is a significant distinction to establish in the case of Corporate General Manager (CGM) and Director. The view laid out in the critical skills technical report is that Critical Skills Work Visas for these occupations could be exploited if the size of the organization is not provided (i.e., individuals who are self-employed, a sole employee and designated as a manger will be able to obtain a CSV). As a result, only those looking for a position in a medium or big company will be considered for a CSV. The size of a business can be evaluated by looking at both the total number of full-time equivalent paid employees and total annual turnover, according to the Department of Small Business Development (2019). As a result, for a person to apply for a Critical Skills Work Visa as a Corporate General Manager the above thresholds must be met.

Although Corporate General Manager is on the new Critical Skills list it has greater limitations that will need to be adhered to such as the applicant’s level of education, the size of the enterprise the applicant will work for and the annual turnover of said enterprise.

We caution applicants and employers in conjunction with your preferred provider, when preparing new applications, to take a careful and considered approach, proactively anticipating challenges during the adjudication process in terms of the new criteria as set out. New applications will be widely open to interpretation, and it is our role when preparing your application, to make it clear to the adjudicator that the applicant indeed qualifies for a visa under the category of Corporate General Manager.

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