DOC promises e-skills boost

The Department of Communications (DOC) has emphasised that it will create over 100 000 jobs by 2020.

Adding that the focus would also be on boosting e-skills in the country, deputy Communications minister, Obed Bapela noted that progress was already being made.

Bapela explained that the ICT sector will create jobs across the entire value chain, mainly infrastructure rollout, content development, access to banking facilities, creative work and animation.

As jobs were being created, the development of the sector would be achieved by creating required skills and innovations.

“Sufficient progress is taking place in our endeavour to create an e-skills institution which initially is being incubated within the department with a medium term plan to establish it as a standalone institution… An e-skills revolution is needed if we are to compete with other developing countries in the ICT sector,” he explained.

Consultations with relevant government institutions and universities had been ongoing for some time, and in the future the department would engage industry to ensure that the new e-skills dispensation responds to the real situation on the ground.

“There should be a symbiotic relationship between industry and the e-skills Institute,” Bapela added.

The department hopes to create 7880 jobs through Infrastructure Development  initiatives and over 160 000 jobs through the creation of broadband infrastructure. Creative digital industries are expected to contribute 8580 jobs while Business Process Outsourcing programmes and small business are expected to create over 42 790 jobs.

With the deadline for digital migration approaching rapidly, digital set-top-box manufacturers are expected to create over 24 300 jobs while the postal sector will account for 24 190 jobs.