SA graduates are proud

Durban - South African graduate professionals are confident of the future of their profession over the next five years, a newly-launched study by the PPS Graduate Professional Index revealed.

The study revealed that 73 percent of SA's graduate professionals were confident, and the positivity they have is because they believe they work in a sought-after profession (36 percent) and they contribute positively to society (28 percent).

The study was conducted among more than 3 000 graduate professionals by PPS - the financial service provider focused on graduate professionals.

The company’s spokeswoman, Macy Seperepere, said the results of the survey indicated that most professionals were proud of what they did and the fact that they helped to make South Africa a better place for all its citizens.

“Monetary reward is not high on their priority list as only 19 percent of the respondents listed earning capacity as a factor that has a positive effect on their confidence,” said Seperepere. She said it was interesting that, of the 27 percent of respondents who were not confident in the future of their profession, the prevalent factors that contributed towards their negativity were all external influences.

“Political issues (42 percent) were the biggest concern, followed by economic conditions (27 percent), for those respondents who indicated they are not confident in the future of their professions.”

Mindset

Twenty one percent of the respondents with a positive mindset towards the future of their profession are between the ages of 20 and 30 and 16 percent are aged 60 and above.

When it comes to encouraging their children to enter their specific professions, Seperepere explains 55 percent of the respondents indicated they would want their children to follow in their footsteps.

“The main reasons for this finding was that 43 percent viewed their skills as critically needed in the country and 32 percent would want their children in their same profession because they find it is a personally rewarding career.

“These results reflect that financial reward is not the main reason these professionals would want their children to enter their professional occupations,” she said.

Forty-five percent of the respondents prefer to allow their children to pursue a different profession of their choice.

When asked how unemployment affects their profession, 32 percent of the respondents stated that skilled professionals were resultantly unable to find appropriate jobs and are therefore moving overseas.

Seperepere noted these results are mirrored by an analysis of data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which shows South Africa has the highest number of highly skilled female professionals of any African country emigrating to other countries because of limited opportunities.

“While it is very positive to note that our professionals are mostly confident in their future prospects of living and working in South Africa, it is clear that more has to be done to ensure our professional talent is retained by increasing job opportunities for all South Africans,” she said.

DAILY NEWS