Is foreign recruitment an answer to the shortage of critical skills in South Africa? A qualifications perspective (original) (raw)

The shortage of critical skills in South Africa has been part of the skills development debate in this country for some time. As the country is preparing for the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and more skilled workers are needed, this debate has been elevated to another level, with serious concerns being raised as to why we find ourselves in this precarious situation. Through initiatives such as the Shared and Accelerated Skills Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA), government has shown that it is aware of the problem and that something needs to be done. One avenue for addressing the skills shortages in South Africa, particularly in the area of critical skills, is foreign recruitment. Of course this option has its own challenges and implications for the source countries, the recruiting countries and, most importantly, also for the workers. In this paper we reflect on some of these challenges and implications from the perspective of the South African Qualifications Authority. We present some of the initial data on applications for the evaluation of foreign qualifications submitted between June and October 2006 and, in responding to the question whether foreign recruitment provides the answer to the shortage of critical skills in South Africa, make a case for the long-term management of foreign skills recruitment in South Africa through two routes: (1) A more coordinated approach to the recognition of the qualifications of migrant workers, facilitated in part through the establishment of national and regional qualifications frameworks; and (2) The protection of the integrity of national systems through the effective collection of data on the evaluation and recognition of foreign qualifications, which may lead to the development of improved recruitment and migration policies.