Monday morning musings: Knowledge is power

Last week, I wrote about the power of human connection, and how enke’s efforts to bring together youth from across the socio-economic spectrum is important in a country like South Africa, with it’s staggering inequality rates, and racially divisive history.

This week, I couldn’t help but think about enke’s second pillar of activity: Equip, as I read a recent article in Business Live discussing the skills shortage in South Africa.

The article pointed out that despite the fact that the African economy (continent-wide) has grown at an average rate of 5% over the past 10 years, a pace second only to Asia, there simply aren’t enough skilled people to fill the jobs that are being created.

This isn’t really news. In 2009, a report by the auditing firm Grant Thorton, revealed that 41% of South African businesses considered skilled shortages as the biggest constraint to business growth.

Furthermore, the percentage of South Africans with tertiary education is 0.6%, well below the global average of 4%.

The goal of enke’s youth forum is to equip South African youth across the country, not only with the capacity to recognize opportunities, but also to have the skills and knowledge to be able to implement their visions/ambitions/goals.

In countries with such high inequality, knowledge truly is power. It’s the only way impoverished youth are going to be able to transcend their socio-economic boundaries.

There’s ample opportunity in this country, one just as to recognize it, and know how to walk through it.

That’s your Monday morning musing for today.