If you’re a professional in South Africa‚ or have any skills for that matter‚ the world is literally your oyster it seems. The Department of Higher Education’s latest list of occupations that are in high demand lists hundreds of positions for which it says there are either shortages being experienced in the labour market or which have either shown relatively strong employment growth or are likely to show growth in the future.Just for professionals alone‚ there are some 164 occupations listed – ranging from engineers in all fields to educators at all levels and judges. There are also the usual high number of medical or health professionals that are in high demand.ICT continues to remain a popular field where professionals are in demand‚ as does the business world. Managers and technically-skilled people are also highly sought after in almost every conceivable field.Some of the more unusual occupations in high demand in this category include archivists‚ astronomers and air pollution analysts.But it’s not just professionals who are much sought after. If you’re a skilled artisan like a bricklayer‚ plumber‚ toolmaker‚ painter‚ electrician or fitter and turner‚ then you’re also in big demand.The primary purpose of the List of Occupations in High Demand‚ according to the Department of Higher Education‚ is to support the planning processes of the department with respect to the post-school education and training system‚ particularly in relation to enrolment planning‚ resource allocations‚ career advice and qualifications development.Universities‚ colleges‚ education and training providers‚ employer bodies‚ employers‚ professional bodies‚ trade unions and other organisations are also expected to use the list to support their own decision-making processes‚ it says.“The need to identify skills needs is part of a process of developing a post-school education and training system that is responsive to the needs of individual citizens‚ communities and the economy‚ as well as in meeting the broader social developmental objectives2 of the country.“Information about occupations in high demand provides useful insights into the skills needs of the economy and mismatches between qualifications and occupations – a problem that is particularly important to address‚ given that the South African labour market is characterised by high unemployment on the one hand‚ and skills shortages‚ on the other‚” the department says...