The development of soft skills is as important as hard skills in a region like Gauteng, says Professor Rose Luke of the University of Johannesburg’s department of transport and supply chain management.
“Since it is the country’s economic hub and logistics centre it is critical that there is ongoing investment in skills. Training has to be ongoing as the goalposts keep moving. The models are constantly changing – especially if one is looking at developments in the online and e-commerce sectors.”
But, says Luke, while skills development is often approached from a traditional sense with a high demand for hard skills, it is increasingly apparent that soft skill development is just as important.
“We need people who can look at the big picture. Who can plan and prioritise into the future. Typically we train in the traditional education model, giving the necessary knowledge and ability of hard skills. But what many of these people lack when they go into industry is the soft skills to look at situations, judge them and be creative in making plans and finding solutions. It is less easy to teach these skills but they are absolutely necessary in the logistics and supply chain environment.”
According to Luke, the development of modern freight logistics models and the necessary skills set must be accompanied by long-term infrastructure investments.“When it comes to any transport infrastructure it is key to have a long-term perspective and that is not always easy from a political perspective,” she said. “As the economic hub of the country there are huge opportunities in Gauteng, but it will mean having the necessary infrastructure and skills set in place if we want to take advantage of it."
