ThoughtWorks, a multinational software delivery and technology company, has urged the private sector to develop and implement innovative interventions that will help produce better qualified professionals, particularly user experience (UX) software designers.
This is in order to develop a new breed of professionals to help deliver better software, by starting with addressing chronic skills shortages.
Rob Enslin, lead consultant experience designer at ThoughtWorks, notes that UX designers are scarce in South Africa, adding that senior UX designers are going abroad for better career opportunities.
“The industry and government are not doing enough to reduce the migration or attract the talent back in the country. This poses a serious threat to the country’s ability to compete on an international level and design great software right here in our country.
“The IT industry is moving at a very fast pace and we cannot afford to lose talent to other countries. Internet users in South Africa, for instance, have increased significantly since the year 2000. This is a clear indication that more experienced UX designers are needed to provide great experience to connected users,” Enslin says.
“The education sector also needs to play its part. The current education system is not geared up to produce graduates that have the relevant skills required in the market. The sector needs to use local experienced UX design professionals to help teach subjects in their related fields, rather than just relying on newly qualified graduates to perform the role.
“Teaching design in the context of software development needs to be covered in detail and curriculum material needs to be updated constantly to keep up with developments in the market.”
In other countries such as the UK and US, it is much easier to find the qualified UX designers compared to South Africa. ThoughtWorks has taken the first step to bridge this gap by introducing world-class meet up sessions for anyone interested in UX design, in Johannesburg.
