Education is about transmitting knowledge, building skills and improving life-chances to participate in the economy as well as assisting one to end intergenerational poverty.

Napoleon Hill said: “Education is derived from the Greek word “Educo” meaning to draw out, educe, and to develop from within.” Napoleon went on to speak about “knowledge” in South Africa as just general knowledge which our universities are offering instead of “specialized knowledge.”

Our universities unfortunately specialize in teaching knowledge which is of no use after being acquired. Knowledge will not attract money unless it is organized and intelligently directed through practical plans of actions to the definite end of accumulation of money. Therefore “knowledge” is not power but “potential power.” It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end.

Most academicians confuse education with intelligence. We have ten different forms of intelligences as follows: -

1. Verbal,

2. Musical,

3. Physical

4. Mathematical.

5. Visual-spatial,

6. Entrepreneurial,

7. Interpersonal- meeting with any person anywhere without difficulties,

8. Intrapersonal- Aware of yourself,

9. Intuitive

10. Abstract/Conceptual/Imaginative

Previously, if you were educated, people thought you were intelligent and vice versa. Many Africans who are highly intelligent are systematically deprived of education. We have to put that right and build our national capabilities fast, now that we know that intelligence has little to do with education.

Dr. Frank Aswani, Vice-President and Director of Strategic Relations from African Leadership Academy and Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean of Henley Business School Africa aver that “the core of African education systems has not changed over the past 50 years and as such, are out of touch with today’s reality.” They further argue that African leadership stagnates both education and economic growth, and these two cannot be separated from one another.

Africa has had 204 Presidents since 1960 but it is hard for to name a handful of ethical leaders who would be emulated by the future generations. In the 1960s, Kenya had the same GDP as South Korea. Now South Korea’s GDP is stronger and 20 times greater based on their investment in education, electronics and automotive manufacturing industries. Why, Africa, why?

The Star of 30th September 2015 stated that because of poor political leadership, our economy is degrading every day and graduates are not absorbed in working environment. In Kenya for example; for each graduate requiring a job position, there are 700 applications. The current education systems in Africa are still producing job seekers and not job creators. Another typical example is in Sekhukhune District, with more than 12 mines. In April 24, 2016, the Sunday Times stated that 76% graduates were unemployed even after having studied mining related courses in the following municipalities: -

1.Fetakgomo municipality: 35%

2.Makhuduthamaga: 28%

3.Tubatse Municipality: 26,9%

Personality And Character Identification as A Solution to Global Economic Enhancer to Youth

When “ER” is removed from “Career,” we are left with “Care” and “ER,” a Greek word meaning “Life.” This means that Career is not a choice but who you are from “within.” Napoleon Hill in “Think and Grow Rich” observes that “education” is derived from “educo” meaning to “educe, to draw within.”

“Career” is not something you can choose from outside yourself, because otherwise, graduates could not be struggling to be absorbed in job markets after their tertiary education. That is why I came up with “I’m Unique Concept” or “WHOAM I” which is presently in the process of being patented in US, and once done; it will change our education system globally as everyone will be able to know who they are before embarking in taking a career for their lives. It will stop students from becoming “professional hobos” in their life time.

There is a huge concern over graduate quality, because people took wrong careers for their personalities. My company is on the verge of changing that. Imagine a scenario where a very highly qualified employee is unproductive or a five-star Mathematics teacher whose class cannot move to another Grade because the teacher cannot convert what he/she has acquired through university.

Feedback from 25 countries has drawn our attention to one key point – that there is a significant disconnect between education systems and the needs of 21st century employers.

South Africa is lagging behind in economic transformation because of skills mismatch, gap-year and job-shadowing. The match between what employers, individuals, and governments seek and what respective education and training systems provide appears ill-fitting.

Effective education for employment is defined as the requisite skills and knowledge that constitute an effective employee in the 21st century.

In order for South Africa to meet its national development plan target in 2030, they should be addressing the following challenges to deliver effective education for employment: -

(a) Develop shared employment profiles that connect employers to educators.

(b) Incorporate knowledge, skills and behaviours into education and training programmes.

(c) Build programmes that effectively stretch and develop these qualities for effective use in the   real world.

(d) Develop transferable qualities explicitly to connect academic with professional learning.

(e) Build comprehensive, progressive learning framework.

(f) Develop and extend the quality of teaching.

(g) Access certificate learners appropriately.

(h) Share and promote best practice.

The gap between educational outputs and industry requirements is simply too large. Typical course content is not sufficiently related to the workplace because of lack of job-shadowing and personality-character identification by Waya Waya Global Connection (Pty) Ltd.  Mechanisms should be put in place to allow business to be more involved in the design and delivery of professional education. (Workplace, 26 August 2009).

My recommendation is that the type of education that is “future proof” is as follows: -

1. Complex-problem-solving.

2. Critical Thinking

3. Creativity

4. People Management

5. Coordinating with others

6. Emotional Intelligence

7. Judgment & Decision making

8. Service Orientation

9. Negotiation Skill

10. Cognitive-Flexibility

11. Software Development

12. Middle Management

13. Consulting

14. Cost and Management Accounting

15. Finance Analysis

16. Internal Audit

17. Entrepreneurial skill

We need to teach entrepreneurship as a mindset to our kids in schools. Africa needs entrepreneurial thinkers across all our sectors; from business to civil society and government. The potential exists; it needs to be harnessed.

According to the Star of 3rd August 2014, skills of strategic integrated projects (SIP) have been on the decline since 2014 from 100 000 to 50 000. Here we are referring to professional people with technical know-how, such as those who are good in planning, design, development, systems processes, operations and maintenance of projects. These people are required to solve problems, exercise professional judgment and make sound decision with respect to planning, designing, building, operating and maintaining infrastructure. Skilled personnel from schooling and tertiary/university level where students are meant to grasp the basics and learn the theory to the training level, where they develop their on-the-job know-how and grow are limited. Outcomes measured in matric are misaligned with respect to the requirements of higher education.

The world does not pay for what you know but what you do. Why does the  South African, ANC led government keep on sending and funding students to universities who do come back with theory, unemployability and inexperience?

I propose to establish what I term as “Industrial Universities” so that through it, we are able to develop industrialists and entrepreneurs who will be able to create income for themselves and their friends. It serves no purpose for the NYDA Chairperson; Sifiso Mahlangu, to shout that employers should scrap the word “experience” when employing young people because the world demands that you become productive immediately you sign a contract. The world has laws that we cannot change.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s National Development Plan, Chapter 9, observes that “Education, training and innovation, are central to South Africa’s long-term development. They are core elements in eliminating poverty and reducing inequality, and the foundations of an equal society. Education empowers people to define their identity a just society; and play an effective role in politics, economic and governance of their communities. Fundamental skills in areas such as mathematics, science, language, arts and ethics are essential components of a good education system. Quality education encourages technology shifts and innovations that are necessary to solve present day challenges.”

AI and 4IR is here to disrupt us all. Shape in or shape out.

By Patson Phala

Entrepreneur, Media Commentator, Book worm (Read worm) Orator, Investors Networker, Avid Traveller, Civil Rights Activist, Mentor, Motivational speaker, Comedian (in Sepedi language) and author of many articles. N.B. Patson is not a member of any political organ in the world.