by marketing | Jul 29, 2024 | News @ ORT
The economic landscape demands a workforce that is adaptable and skilled. Employment, entrepreneurship, and re-employment form a continuous cycle, and at each stage, relevant skills are the key to success. This article explores the link between these stages and the critical role of skills development in navigating this dynamic environment.
There is a concerning skills gap between the workforce and the demands of the job market. This gap translates to inefficiencies, wasted resources, and ultimately, a weakened economy. Employees lacking the necessary skills struggle to perform their roles effectively, hindering productivity and innovation.
The current economic climate, characterized by high unemployment and critical skill shortages, presents a stark message; without a focus on upskilling, we risk exacerbating the triple burden of unemployment, poverty, and inequality. Investing in high-quality, relevant skills development empowers individuals to not only secure employment but also thrive within it.
Strong skills are the cornerstone of a healthy employment-entrepreneurship cycle. Individuals with the right skillset are more likely to secure employment, gain valuable experience, and potentially pursue entrepreneurial ventures. Entrepreneurs, armed with the necessary skills, can build successful businesses and, in turn, create employment opportunities for others.
By prioritizing accredited training programs and fostering a culture of continuous learning, we can equip our workforce with the skills needed to excel in today’s job market. This not only benefits individuals but also strengthens businesses, promotes economic growth, and fosters a more equitable society.
Upskilling is not a one-time solution; it’s an ongoing process. By bridging the skills gap, we can empower individuals to navigate the employment landscape with confidence, encourage entrepreneurial endeavours, and ultimately build a more robust and sustainable economy.
ORT SA lives by its vision of ‘educating for life’ and mission of matching the skills needed to the job market by providing SETA’s and QCTOs accredited courses and in partnership with Cisco and IBM we provide relevant courses in the IT fields
by marketing | Apr 29, 2024 | News @ ORT
Back in the 90s and early 00s, family dinners were a cornerstone of our daily routine. At 6 PM sharp, we’d gather around the dining table, greeted by my dad’s heartfelt prayer before indulging in my mother’s delicious cooking. Those evenings were more than just meals; they were moments of connection, where my brother and I shared tales of our school escapades.
Then, at 7 PM, it was time for our nightly ritual: tuning in to prime-time American TV. From the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy or CSI Miami, Survivor, and Lost. I wasn’t allowed to watch Desperate Housewives? I later understood why. And who could forget the mad dash during commercial breaks, with the Clicks jingle “You pay less at Clicks” signalling a brief relief for bathroom breaks or snack grabs?
But as I grew older, I witnessed a seismic shift in our habits. Dinner became less about togetherness and more about convenience, ordered through an app and consumed in front of a glowing screen. Binge-watching replaced the anticipation of weekly episodes, and the internet became our go-to for instant gratification, offering answers to our queries at lightning speed.
In today’s world, patience seems like a relic of the past. We swipe right on dating apps without a second thought of who they are, expecting love at first sight. We’re seduced by get-rich-quick schemes, blinded by the allure of instant wealth. Fast food joints litter every street corner, promising quick fixes for hunger. The internet caters to our every whim, offering instant answers and gratification at our fingertips Delayed gratification has become a lost art because we want what we want and we want it now.
The use of Technology was created to make life more efficient and efficiency serves its purpose, but taking these shortcuts continuously over a period of time results in serious implications. The most severe, being the lack of patience and the expectation that everything should provide a result of instant gratification.
We rarely focus on the process of success, the unsexy, ungratifying tasks required to get us to where we really want to go
In my own journey, I’ve come to realize the importance of delayed gratification. Success isn’t about shortcuts or quick fixes; it’s about putting in the hours, grinding away even when the results aren’t immediate. It’s about embracing the process, knowing that greatness takes time to cultivate.
Studies show that those who put the work in actually learn to respect the finances in their business because they understand how long it took to make. Grant Cardone, an American entrepreneur and a billionaire, drove around in a leased second-hand family sedan, while he had more than one million dollars in his account. However, many times you find, that we buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t know. Delayed Gratification is the sacrifice of the present for the security of the future which is a pinnacle element in anything we set ourselves to achieve.
Take the story of James Dyson, whose quest to revolutionize the vacuum cleaner industry was marked by over 5,000 failed prototypes. Despite the setbacks, Dyson remained steadfast in his pursuit, demonstrating the power of patience in the face of adversity. His trust and belief in the process may have taken more than ten years but Dyson is worth over 3 Billion dollars today!
So, let’s reclaim the lost art of patience in a world obsessed with instant gratification. Let’s savour the journey, knowing that true success is worth the wait. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, it wouldn’t have been built at all if Snap Chat was around.
If you show patience, persistence and prolong the urge of procrastination, at some point, the success of a perseverance will portray itself. Success isn’t a light switch; it won’t yield instant results. Like a plant, it needs nurturing to thrive. And trees don’t sprout overnight—that’s why Jack and the Beanstalk is a fairy-tale.
Wesley Pillay
Wesley is a project manager and business coach for ORT SA
by marketing | Apr 12, 2024 | News @ ORT, Old News
South Africa grapples with a significant shortage of skilled professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This is particularly concerning for young girls, who are often steered away from these traditionally male-dominated careers.
However, the South32 and ORT SA’s Let Kidz Code programme has been an agent of change. This initiative goes beyond simply equipping students for the future workforce; it actively empowers youth to become leading figures in the technological revolution.
Let Kidz Code boasts an impressive statistic; a staggering 60-70% of its student participants are girls. The programme breaks down longstanding stereotypes and cultivates a passion for coding and robotics in young girls during their formative years. By fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, Let Kidz Code allows girls to see themselves as capable and enthusiastic contributors to the digital world and STEM as a whole.
Imagine a future where young women become the architects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution! Let Kidz Code equips these girls with the necessary tools to transform into innovators and leaders within the tech industry and beyond, gone are the days of a male dominated tech industry, rather balance and representation are starting to reign supreme.
Thanks to South32’s commitment to national transformation Let Kidz Code has been able to transcend the realm of coding – it dismantles barriers and paves the way for a future where young South African girls can stand on equal footing with their global peers. The programme fosters a world where girls are not bystanders to progress, but rather pioneers of change.
This initiative presents a powerful call to action. By encouraging young girls to embrace the exciting world of STEM, we can cultivate the future generation of female leaders in innovation.
Be a part of change, learn more about our STEM programmes and get involved.
hashtag#GirlsWhoCode hashtag#LetKidzCode hashtag#FutureIsFemale
by marketing | Mar 25, 2024 | News @ ORT, Old News
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights names education as a fundamental right for all. Yet, millions around the world remain locked out of classrooms, their dreams of learning stifled by factors beyond their control.
One of the violations of this right occurs in societies where girls are denied an education. In Afghanistan under Taliban rule, girls were systemically excluded from secondary schools. Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani activist who famously spoke out for girls’ education, was shot by the Taliban for her defiance. Her story, though harrowing, is emblematic of the fight many girls still face.
Beyond gender discrimination, civil unrest and poverty create immense barriers to education. In war-torn regions like Syria or Yemen, schools are often destroyed or repurposed for military use. Children are forced to become soldiers or take on labor to support their families, leaving no time for learning.
Even in seemingly stable countries, poverty can be an insurmountable obstacle. In some developing nations, families cannot afford school supplies, uniforms, or the costs associated with attending school. Child labor becomes a harsh reality, robbing children of their childhood and educational opportunities.
The consequences of a denied education are far-reaching. It perpetuates poverty cycles, hinders economic development, and fuels social inequality. An educated population fosters innovation, promotes critical thinking, and paves the way for a more just society.
On this Human Rights Day, let us remember that true equality cannot be achieved without access to education. We must continue to raise awareness, support organizations working on the ground, and hold governments accountable for ensuring this fundamental right becomes a reality for all.
by marketing | Feb 19, 2024 | News @ ORT, Old News
Artificial Hearts – the complex bond between human and AI
Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ to machines like Alexa and ChatGPT has become ordinary, raising intriguing questions about our emotional connections to artificial entities. Sci-fi movies, books, and games have extensively explored the love connection between robots and humans, sparking curiosity about the potential Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds for the nature of interactions between machines and humans.
Robots seem to mystify us all. We often relate to them as if they were conscious beings, attributing to them intelligence that surpasses ours, despite knowing they are merely machines. As robots become an integral part of our lives, our hardwired social nature prompts us to treat them like humans. This unconscious response is triggered by anything that looks, moves, sounds, and interacts like us.
Current AI systems do not possess emotions or consciousness. They operate based on algorithms and data, making decisions and generating responses from programmed instructions and learned patterns. While AI can simulate understanding and responses that mimic empathy or emotional intelligence, this does not indicate true emotional experience or understanding.
Humans are capable of forming attachments not only to living beings like pets but also to fictional characters and machines. This extends to AI and robots, especially as they become more advanced in mimicking human-like interactions, fostering a sense of connection or affection towards machines.
Studies find that when humans interact with robots, people from all walks of life, across different age groups and genders, tend to be emotionally impacted. In one study, the same brain zones activate when a robot says ‘I love you’ as they do for a significant other, highlighting the depth of the impact the machines have over our emotions too.
The idea of love or deep emotional connections between humans and machines raises numerous ethical questions. It challenges our notions of relationship, companionship, and love, which are traditionally based on mutual emotional understanding and experience. Concerns about social isolation and the impact on human relationships grow if individuals begin to prefer interactions with machines over human connections. Extensive use of robots can lead to atrophy in social skills, making people less connected, more withdrawn, and lonelier.
Machines operated by generative AI lack emotional and creative intelligence, and yet, as a society, we tend to overestimate their intelligence due to their high computational capabilities. It’s crucial to examine the value we assign to different types of intelligences.
As AI technology advances, the interactions between humans and machines will likely become more complex, leading to profound questions about the nature of emotion, artificial consciousness, and the potential for machines to understand or even reciprocate love in a way that humans find meaningful. Addressing these challenges emphasizes the importance of maintaining human connections in the age of AI.”
