Youth excited about future in AI

Young people, who attended the the Microsoft AI Skilling workshop in Midrand, left optimistic of improved job prospects, also urging their peers not to lose this opportunity of possibly ending up plying their trade overseas due to the global high demand of AI (Artificial Intelligence) skills.

Scores of unemployed youth were introduced to various expertise they can pursue to acquire a competitive edge in the workplace.

The workshop sought to bridge the societal gap of the vast number of young people who are sitting at home and unable to find jobs.

Some young people who made an effort to attend the event showed their excitement, saying they plan to go into the technology arena.

“The tech industry seems to be the way to go because other industries are shutting us out,” says one youth.

“There are a lot of opportunities, which have been opened. I have been unemployed for quite some time now and after today’s workshop I realised that there are a lot of doors that are open and a ready for me to just walk in. One speaker said there are jobs that are not occupied because of the skills that are required. So with what I have learnt here today, I am definitely in” says another youth

“Young people coming from high school should go for as many opportunities as possible no matter how intimidating they may seem. The ones that are intimidating are ones we actually have to go for because there are lots of opportunities there. Being here has given me the opportunity to network, see people, and actually get to see different things and opportunities that I can get with this AI skills thing” says another youth.

According to Stats SA, 46.1% of the country’s young people are unemployed, with the 15-24 age group – which comprises around 10.3 million South Africans – experiencing the largest barriers in entering the labour market.

A brand that helps young people locate work prospects online, SAYouth, believes it is critical that young people explore AI-driven options, warning that conservative economic practices are no longer growing.

This brand is one partner, which Microsoft has linked up with, in its bid to foster inclusion in the digital space and turn the tide of high youth unemployment in the country.

Events and Activations Leader at SAYouth, Jonathan Najoe, is urging young people to also explore the
entrepreneurial space.

“It’s important because when you look at our formal economy, it’s not growing fast enough to absorb young people and so we have to make young people aware of opportunities in the entrepreneurship space,” explains Najoe.

He also encourages South Africa’s youth to take advantage of verified online recruitment platforms.

Najoe says there are several opportunities, particularly those needing AI-handling skills, for young people to put money in their pockets and achieve financial security.

According to the Department of Digital Communications and Technology, there are at least 120 000 jobs in the IT sector, which are vacant in the South Africa and are not filled due to the lack of skills.

CEO of Youth Employment Services (Yes), Ravi Naidoo, says they are working at turning the tide and have, so far, helped 7 000 young entrepreneurs start their own businesses. He believes it is critical to teach young people how to sustain themselves.

Given the rapid rate at which the world is pushed by technology and how fast it motions into the fourth Industrial Revolution(4IR), he suggests that children, particularly in marginalised communities, should be given AI tools that would enable them understand digital data as early as possible.

“The problem with AI is that it has the explosive ability to spread wide and fast. The acceleration will be more for those who already have access to it. So what we need to do as a country and in fact as the continent, is ensure that we are giving as many people as possible access to the resources of AI so that they can actually not miss the bus and therefore stay up to speed with the world around them,” says Naidoo.

According to the Yes CEO, at least 86% of potential recruiters in the country now require staff to be able to use AI.

Studies also show that there are abundant opportunities in the digital industry, and that more young people are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the technology.

Chief Director of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, Matlole Mampshika, urges young people to pursue STEM subjects.

Mampshika has pointed out that various industries like manufacturing, banking, and retail industries, amongst others, are already using AI, saying collaboration through technology has the capacity to improve lives.

“If you promote your own anxieties about the digital era, you will be left behind. What this means is that collaboration between government, industries, professional institutions, and all the stakeholders, needs to be in a way that will ensure sustainable solutions for South Africa’s economy. Digital transformation is everyone’s business, just play your part,” says Mampshika to young people. Written by Odirile Rabolao