Automation and labour demand : South African students’ awareness and beliefs

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.ENGLISH SUMMARY : The fourth industrial revolution is characterised by the integration of physical, digital, and biological technologies. We are in the beginning stages of this revolution where it is predicted that the capabilities of machines are predicted to rival and surpass some of the capabilities of human labour. It is predicted that many jobs will be automated during this revolution and human labour will need to acquire skills that will complement automation. The objective of this study is to understand the awareness of automation amongst undergraduate university students in South Africa when making career choices. With the already high unemployment rate in South Africa, it will be necessary to measure the awareness of the future of the labour market for automation. In addition to their awareness, the study investigates as to whether automation is a factor when students make their career decisions. This study is primarily exploratory and uses a quantitative research approach to gather data. A self-administered questionnaire was sent out to all undergraduate students of a research-intensive university in South Africa. The results indicate that students perceive themselves to be aware of automation, however, they do not consider automation when making career decisions. Additionally, the results indicate that external sources of influence do not significantly influence career decisions, students are primarily influenced by their interests and career-related factors.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Geen opsomming beskikbaar.Master