CAPITALISING ON DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS FOR CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA
2nd Economic Research Advisory Network (ERAN)
Annual Conference 2017 8 – 10 March 2017, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
1
Walter Matli (Vaal University of Technology) Prof Mpho Ngoepe (University of South Africa)
Road map
• Introduction • Digital literacy skills advances in South Africa • Research methodology • Study results • Conclusion and recommendations
Introduction to the study
• Most people from rural and townships areas continue to be
left out from accessing and using ICT. • The study by Schmidt and Stork (2008), discovered that
there were only 4.8 percent of household with working internet connection and 14.8 percent of household with computers in South Africa.
• The situation is compounded by high cost of internet connection, ICT enabling infrastructure, and the know-how.
• This contributes to many people not to be sufficiently skilled to use ICT.
• The purpose of this study was to establish if digital literacy skills may serve as a catalyst to support in developing capacities of people who are unemployed.
Why the study?
• Individuals who are not digital literate find it challenging to actively participate in economic activities due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of digital platforms. The problem of people who are not digital literate is deteriorating as the current economy is ICT driven and expect individuals to have digital literacy skills. Failure to address the implications of digital literacy may affect people NEET to contribute to the country’s economic growth. There is a necessity to develop capacities of NEET people in order to fight poverty and the high rate of unemployment currently experienced.
• The set of what specific digital skills for NEET people is not understood as most policy documents and literature does not explain, and therefore, this is the research problem this paper attempts to address.
• The concerns of people who are NEET and also with not digital literate calls for interventions to strengthen digital literacy programmes. South Africa has acknowledged the significant role of digital literacy skills in building capacities of its citizens for growing the economy (PIAC, 2007).
Purpose and objectives of the study
The general purpose of the study was to explore how digital literacy skills can capacitate people who are NEET. The specific objectives were to:
– Identify digital literacy programmes initiatives for NEET people in South Africa
– Assess digital literacy skills for people who are NEET – Determine how having no digital literacy skills creates
challenges for people who are NEET – Understand the perception of people who are NEET
on the importance of digital literacy skills to search for employment opportunities
Importance of digital literacy
• Digital literacy is defined as “the ability to develop and use ICT to adequately participate in an environment increasingly dominated by access to electronically-enabled information” (Inkamva National E-Skills Institute 2016).
• Digital literacy skills programmes are crucial in addressing development of people.
• Digital skills is one of the essential development skills people must invest in particularly that technology rapidly evolve.
Digital literacy advances in SA
There is evidence that the government is spending larger
amount of money into skills development, but the results do
not reflect what was hoped for (Van der Westhuizen, 2016).
There are numerous government projects that focuses on
the development of people into entrepreneurship and digital
literacy skills among others. It is important to note the great
initiatives such as CoLab for e-Inclusion and Social
Innovation that contribute to upskilling the nation with digital
skills.
Digital literacy advances in SA
Roll-out of free Wi-Fi connectivity
Most cities shows preference of providing free Wi-Fi
internet connection to their communities, but following
different implementation strategies (Alfreds, 2016). There
are vast of reasons that influences a city with regard to
increasing free Wi-Fi hot spots. As reflected in Table 1,
Alfreds (2016) compared the implementation strategies of
the city of Cape Town and the city of Tshwane.
Digital literacy advances in SA
Table 1: Comparison of Wi-Fi implementation of two cities.
(Source: Alfreds: 2016)
Growing free Wi-Fi in SA City of Cape Town City of Tshwane
Public Wi-Fi hotspots 206 780
Annual budget R10 Million R180 Million
Connection speed per user 30Mbps 15Mbps
Free data allocation 100MB 500MB
Wi-Fi infrastructure Own and manage Rental agreement
Digital literacy advances in SA
Technology stations
Technology is an important tool used to ease
communication and strengthen the sharing of information
(Lesame, Ratshinanga & Seti, 2014).
The establishment of e-centres in communities is to provide
training focused on ICT skills with the aim of empowering
people. Lesame, Ratshinanga and Seti (2014), further state
that the ICT skills provided by e-centres must help citizens
to fight poverty and illiterate challenges.
Digital literacy advances in SA
Technology stations The Jozi Skills Hub (JSH) is one of the training centres that focuses on skilling and preparing people to be employed by the slow growing markets (City of Johannesburg, 2011).
Another significant initiative contributing to digital literacy is
WeThinkCode let by private sector. The programme provides
training for free with no educational prerequisites. The
programme is targeting youth between the ages of 17 to 35
years. Such initiatives may be beneficial to people with no digital
literacy background but with interest to learn computer coding.
Digital literacy advances in SA
Technology stations
Other programmes that contribute to digital literacy skills
include but are not limited to Khaya programme, Vodacom
digital classroom and Tshimologong Precinct based in
Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
Research methodology
• The study utilised qualitative research approach. • Semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary
data. • Data were collected from nine people who are NEET and
were chosen purposively. • Study has obvious limitations, i.e. one being the limited
sample size and sample selection. Therefore, future studies should cover a wider participants.
• Collected data were recorded and analysed thematically.
Results and Discussions
Participant
code
Interviews with
participant
Age Participant
Area
Educational background
P1 Interview 1 33 Tembisa Completed matric (grade 12)
P2 Interview 2 30 Tembisa Dropout (grade 10)
P3 Interview 3 32 Tembisa Dropout (grade 10)
P4 Interview 4 22 Daveyton Completed matric (grade 12)
P5 Interview 5 21 Daveyton Completed matric (grade 12)
P6 Interview 6 26 Kempton Park Tertiary graduate
P7 Interview 7 25 Daveyton Tertiary graduate
P8 Interview 8 27 Daveyton Completed matric (grade 12)
P9 Interview 9 22 Daveyton Completed matric (grade 12)
Results and Discussions
Category: Digital literacy programmes for NEET people. Question: What kind of digital literacy skills programme would you have interest to be trained on? Majority of participants stated that they have interest in attending digital literacy programmes. During the interview various digital literacy programmes where highlighted. The researcher felt it was important to probe reasons by asking a follow up question of why the interviewee had interest is a specific digital literacy programme. The general believe was that digital literacy programme will better their chances of securing employment. P6, P1 and P2 illustrated in their statements above once a specific digital literacy skills programme is attained, it will be simple to secure employment.
Results and Discussions
Category: Digital literacy programmes for NEET people. Question: What are some of the reasons for not attending digital literacy programmes? There were different reasons provided for not attending digital literacy programmes. This ranged from people who stated they have interest in attending but they are not aware of any, while others stated that they do attend digital literacy programmes. P8 states that “I can’t attend if I don’t know about trainings”. This important viewpoint by P8 suggest that not much is done to promote and make people aware of digital literacy programmes. Awareness is important, particularly about programmes that require no post school education as a prerequisite. Therefore, how information is disseminated to people in communities must be looked at. There are people who are currently seeking for employment and attending digital literacy skills programme to better their skills. P6 posits that “I did the course recently for two months”.
Results and Discussions
Category: Assessment of digital literacy skills. Question: What digital literacy programme have you attended? P2: So far I haven’t attended any. But I would like to attend. It is evident that there are people who have never had the opportunity of receiving digital literacy skills. P2 continued to state that he would like to attend digital literacy programme. Therefore this it is important to note that some of the people who have not attended digital literacy skills have interest in such programmes. Awareness is crucial for people currently not employed to know about development programmes offered, especially those not carrying a cost fee.
Results and Discussions
Category: Assessment of digital literacy skills – Continues… Question: What digital literacy programme have you attended? Finding: there is a need to strengthen digital literacy skills to people who are currently not in employment, and for training programmes to be visible in communities. It be formal or informal training on digital literacy skills. It is important to afford people currently looking for employment the opportunity to enhance their digital literacy skills. Fifty six percent of the participant haven attended digital literacy skills programme at some stage in their lives. Meanwhile, forty four percent indicated they have not attended any digital literacy programme. With the current economic meltdown in South Africa and the high number of unemployment, skills and development must be reinforced. Digital literacy skills programme is important for searching for job opportunities online.
Results and Discussions
Category: Assessment of digital literacy skills Question: How did the programme contributed to you being digital literacy? During the interviews there was evidence that digital literacy skills programme has had an impact on the participant lives and development. P9 posits “The programme introduced me to computer environment”. P9 described how digital literacy skills acquainted him to the computing environment. P6 stated that digital literacy skills programme enabled him to have the capabilities to use online services. Digital literacy programme gave P9 the opportunity to utilise online services effectively, this may include searching job opportunities online.
Results and Discussions
Other categories includes: Category: Challenges encountered when searching for employment. Category: Importance of digital literacy for employment seekers. Category: User experience NB: the above categories with questions are discussed in the full paper.
Conclusion and recommendations
The study reveals that digital literacy skills are important in the
development of people, especially employment seekers. Most
organisation advertise career opportunities from digital
platforms and require potential employees to submit online
their applications. Digital illiterate is one of the major challenge
faced by people looking for employment, as such this people
are not able to effectively make use of digital platforms to
search for employment opportunities.
Conclusion and recommendations
The results obtained further shows that digital literacy skills are
essential when looking for employment opportunities. Some of
the stimulating findings from the results above (study results) was
that (a) unemployed people with access to smart mobile phones
with internet connection search for employment using their
devices, (b) The is a need to make awareness of digital literacy
programmes, especially those offered for free, (c) not everyone
has the capabilities to search for employment using online
services, and (d) Forty four percent indicated that they have not
attended digital literacy programme so far.
Conclusion and recommendations
Having emphasised the significant role of digital literacy skills, it is
equally important for government to work with Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGO) to establish policies that drive the nation to be
skilled with digital skills. What the researchers intended to convey and
highlight was that digital literacy plays a critical role in the development
of unemployed people. The outcome of this study may serve as
literature for other researchers intending to investigate the similar
problem in the future.
NB: Full paper of this summarised presentation is available.
End of presentation Thank You…