As Thomas Jefferson once said, “it is neither wealth nor splendour but tranquillity and occupation which give you happiness”.

That said, do you know whether your occupation is in high demand? If you don’t, you might want to consult the Government Gazette of November 26, in which Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande published, for public comment, his department’s 39-page National List of Occupations in High Demand: 2020.

The list of Occupations in High Demand (OIHD) was first published in the Government Gazette in 2014, and subsequently in 2016 and 2018. The Gazette provides a list of occupations that have been identified as being in high demand at national level. It is intended to inform decision-making in relation to a wide range of issues pertaining to, among others, education and training.

The primary purpose of the latest list is to improve the responsiveness of the postschool education and training system to the needs of the economy and to the broader developmental objectives of the country. Specifically, the list was compiled to support planning processes in the postschool education and training system by: serving as a signpost for enrolment planning at universities, as well as at technical, vocational, education and training colleges and other education and training institutions; signalling the need for the development of new qualifications, especially to respond to new and emerging occupations and skills needs; guiding and informing resource allocation processes; and informing career guidance for learners and work-seekers. In addition, public- and private-sector employers, employer organisations, professional bodies, career development organisations, trade unions and research organisations are encouraged to use the list to support their own programmes and interventions.

Occupations in high demand are defined as those occupations that show relatively high employment growth, based on past, present and future trends, and where there is a current shortage. Also falling in this category are occupations that are new or are expected to emerge in the future as a result of innovation, technological advances or the development of new industries, or as a result of government’s strategic priorities. The list is reviewed every two years, unless it is deemed necessary to do so earlier.

The concept of the OIHD list therefore encompasses the idea of historical, current and anticipated occupational growth trends (including new and emerging occupations), occupational shortages and occupations associated with government’s strategic priorities.

The processes to identify the OIHD list would be incomplete without considering the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. As is well known, the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the South African economy. Besides its overall economic shock, it is likely to change the composition of the South African economy fundamentally.

The Government Gazette highlighted in green where the sector within which an occupation is located is expected to recover relatively quickly from the impact of Covid-19 or to show signals of increased labour demand. It highlighted in white or did not highlight where the sectors within which an occupation is housed is expected to recover from the impact of Covid-19 in a moderate timeframe, or labour demand is expected to be ambiguously affected by Covid-19 in the sector, or labour demand is not expected to change as a result of the impact of Covid-19. Highlighted in red are sectors housing occupations that are expected to recover slowly from the impact of Covid-19 or to show signals of decreased labour demand as a result of Covid-19.

The OIHD list comprises a total of 345 occupations, or 54.42% of the 634 unit groups of the South Africa Standard Classification of Occupations.