To help you decide on what you want to study full-time, part-time or online, we've compiled a list of South African EMPLOYMENT TRENDS recently published in a number of respected newspapers and reports. All of these insights are backed by research and indicate which sectors and skill sets are in highest demand.
ENGINEERING
According to a January 2022 article on the Business Tech website, recent government figures showed a shortfall of 40 000 artisans across the country. The need for skilled workers in engineering and other trades has grown year-on-year and The National Development Plan aims to train 30 000 artisans a year by 2030 in order to meet our country's need for these skilled workers.
What's more, a January 2022 survey of the sectors with the highest average salaries in South Africa indicated that "the mining sector, the manufacturing of telecommunication equipment, and the manufacturing of petroleum and chemical products are the next highest paid, averaging around R30 000 a month."
Now is an extremely opportune time to explore one of our four full-time Engineering qualifications!
TECHNOLOGY
It's a bit of a no-brainer that the demand for skilled workers in the technology field continues to grow, but everyone is always interested to know which particular roles are the most in-demand and best paid.
Here is a list of the top 5 most in-demand roles along with the associated average annual salary according to PayScale:
1. Java Developer - one of the world's most popular programming languages used by small to large organisations in a number of applications (R375 315)
2. Software Engineer - from websites and apps, to networks and operating systems, software engineers have a skill set that can be applied to a wide range of roles and projects (R371 699)
3. Data Scientist/Data Engineer - data scientists are analytical data experts who have the technical skills to solve complex problems and are "part mathematician, part computer scientist and part trend-spotter." Data engineers on the other hand design and build systems for collecting, storing and analyzing data at scale. Both of these roles are in extremely high demand internationally, offer excellent job security and are highly paid. (R428 554 to R449 030)
4. Enterprise Architect - these are the people responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of an organisation's IT networks and services. This role is generally the most senior IT role in a business and requires that the enterprise architect ensure that it is using the best possible software and hardware to meet its goals. (R867 986)
5. Fullstack Web Developer - combining the skills of a front-end-developer and back-end-developer makes this the fifth most in-demand tech job in the world. (R730 841)
Does one of these roles sound like your dream job? Take a look at our IT Technical and Programming courses.
(Source: IOL, December 2021)
FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES
An annual survey from specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters lists 13 jobs that pay salaries over R1.5 million per year in 2022. Of those 13, five are in the Accounting and Finance sector and two are in Human Resources.
UniCollege offers a Human Resource Management Diploma as well as a Technical Financial Accounting Diploma (accredited by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers). Both of these courses are offered FULL-TIME and PART-TIME so you can work towards qualifying for one of these highly paid jobs no matter what your situation!
Ready to find out more about UniCollege's part-time and full-time courses? Select your Study Field here.