A draft report entitled The demand for and supply of skills in library and information services, archival services and records management in South Africa was made available online in January 2010 by the Department of Arts and Culture. From May to October 2009, surveys were conducted by means of interviews with staff of universities and universities of technology involved in training, employers in the LIS, archival and records management sectors and professional bodies.
Sally Schramm from Cory Library attended the workshop hosted by the Eastern Cape Archives, King William's Town. Workshop participants were particularly concerned with the finding: "The vacancy rates for professionals such as archivists and librarians are exceptionally high and are indicative of shortages in the market or the inability of employers to effectively compete for and retain the skills of these professionals". Discussion also centred around the lack of practical training given during academic courses, and the difficulty of attracting students to the sector in the first place.
Subsequent workshops have been held throughout the country. A final report is expected shortly after March 2010.
For more key exerpts from the report, take look at the Archival Platform
.