Young people urged to avoid redundancy by doing maths and science
Staying on the cutting edge of technology has become crucial to survive in the ever-changing job-market. The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, has urged young people in South Africa to learn how to use knowledge to avoid being made redundant due to new technological advances.
Addressing the annual conference of the Southern African Association for Research into Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (SAARMSTE) in Pretoria recently, the Minister said that, when new business processes automated jobs, young people should be able to learn new skills through up-skilling and re-skilling, thereby enabling themselves to earn a living for themselves.
The conference took place at the Tshwane University of Technology from 12 to 15 January, with the theme "Researching a sustainable environment and sustaining research in mathematics, science and technology education".
"We cannot know what the work environment will look like in 2070, but we do know that those who master maths, science and technological skills will be best placed to learn new skills," said the Minister.
Africa needed its own scientiststodevise new solutions for sustainable development –to providecleaner energy and betterfood and better health to communities, said the Minister. Scientistswere also neededto develop new technologies that would allow the use of natural resources in a manner that reduced environmental risks, for example, and that saved resources for future generations.
The Minister said government was working hard to ensure that more young people studied science and mathematics. For instance, the Dinaledi schools conditional grant was replaced in the 2015 budget by a more comprehensive programme of support to schools to improve teaching and learning outcomes in maths, science and technology.
The Department of Science and Technology played an important niche role in this regard. Scifest, science centres around the country and National Science Week all sought to expand science access and awareness. All of these initiatives affirm that the success of these endeavours depend on the development of a science, engineering and technology human-capital pipeline that starts at school.
These multi-stakeholder-driven science, engineering and technology awareness campaigns, which include science festivals, are the best way to create excitement among pupils.
The Minister also emphasised the importance of collaboration across Africa, with universities having a key role to play, particularly on African development issues such as science and maths training, climate change, water and bioenergy.
Enquiries:
Lunga Ngqengelele
Cell: 082 566 0446
