A free good is a good that is not scarce, and therefore is available without limit. A free good is available in as great a quantity as desired with zero opportunity cost to society. Examples of free goods are ideas and works that are reproducible at zero cost, or almost zero cost.
Non Scarce Services In South Africa
Abstract and Figures
The concept of scarce skills features prominently in South Africas national development discourse. Over the past decade, the scarce skills concept has been used to frame debate about the relationship between post-school education and training and the economy.
In this article, we compare education policy documents articulating scarce skills perspectives with plans from four occupational sectors and general labour market data and analysis. In our analysis, we identify ideological, theoretical, conceptual and methodological limitations to the scarce skills discourse.
PROBLEMS WITH THE ‘SCARCE SKILLS’ DISCOURSE IN SOUTH AFRICA
INTRODUCTION
The article traces a familiar storyline: government policy identifies economic growth as its top priority and identifies education and skills development as critical to promoting such growth. In this model, ‘skills shortages’ are seen as explaining the persistence of poverty, inequality, and unemployment, while ‘skills development is identified as a solution to these problems. Institutions of education are then tasked with market-responsive education and training.
Meeting national development goals through skills development
The concept of ‘scarce skills’ has had a far-reaching influence on legislation and government policy (e.g., Skills Development Act, 1998; the National Skills Development Strategy; National Skills Fund; the DHET White Paper on Post-School Education and Training;
the National Development Plan 2030); the establishment of new departments, authorities and councils (the Department for Higher Education and Training; TVET Colleges; Sector Education and Training Authorities; Human Resource Development Council); and on DHET research initiatives and funding.
Problem 1: ‘Scarce skills’ has become a discursive practice
The use of ‘skills shortages’ as an explanation for unemployment and sluggish economic growth in South Africa and as a critique of ‘unresponsive’ post-school institutions (see Wedekind 2014) is pervasive – to the extent that major government policy documents and initiatives make addressing ‘acute skills shortages’ a core goal of education policy (DHET 2013, 12). The ‘skills shortage’ diagnosis is so certain that evidence underlying the ‘scarce skills’ claims is generally left unexamined in the popular media and in policy discourse. In our analysis, this qualifies ‘scarce skills’ as a discursive practice.
Problem 2: The ‘skills’ argument is based on contested theory and ignores non-skill factors influencing the economy
In discussing this problem, we affirm, but do not revisit well-known international and South African critiques of neoliberal capitalism, human capital theory and productivist theories (Allais 2012; Vally and Motala 2014). Instead, we will look at two very specific questions:
• in the medium term, could skills development solve mass unemployment in South Africa? and
• what non-skills factors influence labour market trends
According to Statistics South Africa (2015), in a labour force of 20.9 million people, 15.7 m are employed in the formal sector or informal sector, 5.2 m people are unemployed, and a further 2.4 million people are ‘discouraged work-seekers’. The DHET methodology for identifying ‘occupations in demand’ includes reviewing SETA SSPs and vacancy data from various sources.
Problem 3: The conceptualization of ‘skill’ is narrowed when skill is defined as ‘occupation’
The DHET List of occupations in high demand: 2014 is a response to the NDP admonition that DHET identify ‘current and future skills demand as accurately as possible’, (DHET, 2014b, 7). In responding to this mandate, ‘skill’ is reclassified as ‘occupation’.
We observe three problems with equating skills with occupation. First, for a skill to be included on SETA ‘scarce skills’ lists or the List of occupations in high demand: 2014, an occupation must be identified as one of the 1 448 occupations identified in the Organizing Framework of Occupations (2013).
Which jobs are scarce in South Africa?
List of scarce skills in South Africa:
IT and communication.
Health Professionals.
Engineering.
Business Management.
Economics.
Architects.
Environmental Health Professionals.
Quality Regulations.
What are five careers classified under scarce skills in South Africa ?
Electrical engineer.
Civil engineer.
Mechanical engineer.
Quantity surveyor.
Programme or project manager.
Finance manager.
Physical and engineering science technicians.
Industrial and production engineers.