Page 14 - EngineerIT August 2022 Digital

ICT - THE GIG ECONOMY

Prof. Dwolatzky said: “This indicates are built on a foundation of knowledge applied in practice, and it’s often our peers and
that there are still opportunities in supervisors who help us iron out mistakes as we gain experience; this environment allows
the local market, and that employers the workplace to mitigate the risks that can happen. There are myriad cooperation tools
value their employees. The remote, and platforms available for remote workforces, but we aren’t all used to using them
borderless world of work appears to where it’s appropriate.”
have both benefits and disadvantages for Prof. Dwolatzky agreed: “A lot of people gain skills on the job, and most employers
employers. Among them are that having invest some time and energy in growing the skills of their workforce. In a gig economy,
a workforce working from anywhere we may find that those who have the superskills will get the work, and those who are
reduces overheads, and for international still building their skills may be excluded and not grow in the job. If we are ever to grow
firms there are cost benefits in paying our skills pool in South Africa, we need to grow people on the job. This is what concerns
South Africans local market related me about the gig economy – if we are just pulling in skills from all over the world, what
salaries. It also opens new markets – if happens to our local skills base?”
you have a remote workforce all over the Schofield noted that the local ICT skills base could be further eroded by international
world, they are potentially closer to some demand in a borderless world of work. “For example in Australia, there are around 25
of your customers. Environmentally, it’s million people and they expect to have 1,2 million ICT practitioners by 2027, but this
more sustainable to cut the travel and is not enough to meet the growing demand. South Africa has more than twice that
carbon footprint, and there are also population but only 1% of our population is engaged in ICT. We need to close that gap,
societal benefits – people stay in their but even more than that - if Australia is seeking 300,000 more people to add to its ICT
communities where they are socially workforce, they will look over here.”
comfortable. Prof. Dwolatzky added that the new environment would likely drive a need for
The disadvantages of distributed different skills. “Curiosity has been named as one attribute people will need, but I think
teams are that it can be harder to people also need the skill of taking ownership of their own learning. If a company isn’t
maintain human contact, and there is investing in your learning and future, you have to acquire the skill to grow yourself.
a risk of burnout when people working The same digital platforms that make remote work possible also make remote learning
remotely work harder and longer hours.” possible, so people need to take ownership of their own skills development to compete in
Schofield said remote and gig work this environment,” he said.
raised concerns around workplace The 2022 JCSE-IITPSA ICT Skills Survey which is currently underway looks into what
training and experience: “We place the new world of work means for IT practitioners and employers, and whether hybrid
great store on the value of professional working policies are widening or narrowing the ICT skills gap within South African
experience. Skills and competencies organisations. The results will be released in October this year. n

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