OPINION: In a country where a third of young graduates are unemployed, innovation is the way to go to create more job opportunities, writes Noxolo Kahlana.
With the shift towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) well under way, innovation has emerged as one of the key attributes of a winning nation.
South Africa can take its place at the forefront of 4IR by investing in building its science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and innovation (Steami) skills base and attracting more youth to careers and studies in the field.
Global technology change and scientific advances are moving at a blistering pace, and innovation is the key to growing South Africa’s economy, addressing developmental challenges, and creating new jobs.
Innovation enables societies to achieve more with fewer resources, driving higher productivity, growth, and sustainability. In a country where a third of young graduates are unemployed and where we face profound socio-economic challenges, we need bold and creative solutions.
Innovation comes from harnessing not only the technical know-how of traditional Stem fields but also synthesising it with the arts and humanities to come up with bold answers to today’s biggest problems.
The challenges we face today are so complex that no single field has all the answers. Climate change and sustainability, healthcare, basic infrastructure, gender equity, social justice, and education are all areas where we can drive better results through a multidisciplinary approach that catalyses innovative thinking and unlocks new approaches.
In taking this approach, South Africa can boost its global competitiveness and position itself at the forefront of 4IR. Furthermore, investing in home-grown Steami skills can help us reduce our reliance on imported innovation and technology as well as to create solutions that are designed for local conditions and that address local problems.
Preparing youth to enter Steami studies and careers is essential for widening their job opportunities and expands their professional horizons. As we uplift more youth through high-quality jobs, they in turn, can uplift their communities. This could help us create a cycle of education, employment, and opportunity that leads to a more prosperous nation.
* Noxolo Kahlana is the head of the Sasol Foundation.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of IOL or of title sites.
IOL Business