Technological and management skills development an imperative for economic growth: A South African perspective

The ramifications of the global economic meltdown have exposed the economic vulnerability and the underlying structural flaws in the economy of many nations, and South Africa as a developing nation is certainly no exception to the rule. It is suggested in this paper that one such flaw is the skills paradox that exists, in that while the South Africa has a very significant unemployment problem it simultaneously does not have the appropriate technological and managerial skills required by business and industry. A case in point is the fact that while services account for over 65% of the South African gross domestic product, the Graduate School of Technology Management, at the University of Pretoria, is the only academic institution in the country that currently presents courses in services science within an engineering and technological context. The objective in this paper is therefore to explore the role of technology and skills development as an imperative for economic recovery and growth, from a South African perspective with reference to global trends. The methodology applied in realising this objective essentially constitutes a literature research that is limited in depth of content but not in scope. As such the study underpinning this paper is deemed to be literature based and analytically descriptive in nature.