# PRELIMINARY CRITICAL SKILLS LIST (2021) NOW AVAILABLE



## a4xiaoxiami (May 17, 2018)

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has submitted its preliminary Critical Skills List to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for review and several occupations on the current Critical Skills List have been excluded from the preliminary list.

“The list is publicly available from the DHET’s website and companies should start reviewing it in anticipation of a round of public commentary before it is finalised,” says Marisa Jacobs, managing director at Xpatweb.

Jacobs confirmed that Xpatweb’s own research was used as a refence of input for the DHET Occupations in High Demand (OHID) report and, subsequently, informed the preliminary Critical Skills List by the DHET.

Significant macroeconomic events have affected the country’s foreign skills demand since 2014, like the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the impact of COVID-19

*Availability*
The current Critical Skills List was published in 2014. Significant macroeconomic events have affected the country’s foreign skills demand since then, like the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the impact of COVID-19. This makes the new list vital to enabling the recruitment of emerging business-critical talent internationally to promote economic growth.

Jacobs anticipates that, with the recent publishing of the OIHD report from the same research base, the momentum of that work will carry forward to the finalisation of the new Critical Skills List.
“The new List is likely to be published in early 2021,” reports Jacobs.

*Exclusions*
Notably, several occupations on the current Critical Skills List have been *excluded* from the preliminary list. These include *corporate general manager; risk assessor; certain ICT designations; electrical and chemical engineer; toolmaker; pressure welder; boilermaker; certain trades, such as millwright, pipefitter, double-coded welder and rigger; foreign language speaker; and business analyst.*

This may concern employers who have difficulty sourcing these skills locally. Visas for foreign nationals listed on the Critical Skills List are typically processed two to six months faster. This puts companies who urgently need to replace scarce workers not on the List at a disadvantage.

“To make their needs heard, organisations must provide feedback proactively as the opportunity to comment becomes available,” says Jacobs. This will ensure the finalised list aligns with actual national business requirements.


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## PRPWarrior (Oct 12, 2020)

which page is the actual list..?


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## a4xiaoxiami (May 17, 2018)

Page 102 - 112 of the Report. However, the final list will be decided by DHA. This is just a candidates' list presented to DHA for further shortening.

I guess all the jobs in the red and all the jobs without a higher education degrees with be cut in the end.

Preliminary Critical Skill List 2021


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## oyingwenya (Dec 13, 2020)

a4xiaoxiami said:


> Page 102 - 112 of the Report. However, the final list will be decided by DHA. This is just a candidates' list presented to DHA for further shortening.
> 
> I guess all the jobs in the red and all the jobs without a higher education degrees with be cut in the end.
> 
> Preliminary Critical Skill List 2021


Lets just plan basing on this DHET provisional list folks, its most likely going to be adopted as it is by DHA just like in the 2014. The bad thing is that a lot of traditionally critical skills are removed to the detriment of many. But on the brighter side, more accounting occupations that were excluded in the current list are now included. Some occupations that were not clearly defined in the old list are clear now and most importantly, this may mean the opening for new PR applications may be sooner.


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## jollem (Nov 9, 2016)

I wouldnt make an important decision based on the proposed list or what Xpatweb says. The SA government takes incredibly long to enact anything.


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