RebeccaMorolong/SA-Talent-Demand-Predictor---ML-Engineering-Project

Build an end-to-end ML system that predicts talent/skill demand across South African industries, and investigates how degree requirements vs. skill-based hiring contributes to the unemployment crisis. # SA Talent Demand Predictor - ML Engineering Project # 🎯 Project Goal Build an end-to-end ML system that **predicts talent/skill demand across South African industries**, and investigates how **degree requirements vs. skill-based hiring** contributes to the unemployment crisis. > **Core Thesis:** South Africa's unemployment rate is partly driven by degree gatekeeping in job postings — not a shortage of skilled people. This project quantifies that gap and builds a fairer talent-matching system. > --- # 📌 Problem Framing Two interconnected problems to solve: 1. **Predictive Problem** - Which skills will be in demand in which industries over the next 6–24 months? 2. **Analytical / Causal Problem** - Do degree requirements in job postings correlate with longer vacancy periods, hiring discrimination, or unemployment rates in specific demographics? --- # 🗄️ Data Sources ## South African Government & Official Data | Source | What You Get | Link | | --- | --- | --- | | **Stats SA (QLFS)** | Quarterly Labour Force Survey - unemployment by province, sector, education level | stats.gov.za | | **DHET** | Graduate output by field, TVET college data | dhet.gov.za | | **SETA Reports** | Sector Skills Plans with demand forecasts (MERSETA, FASSET, INSETA, etc.) | Each SETA has its own portal | | **LMIP** | Labour Market Intelligence - occupation & sector data | lmip.org.za | | **World Bank Open Data** | SA employment, education, and economic indicators | data.worldbank.org | ## Job Postings (Scraping / APIs) | Source | Method | | --- | --- | | **LinkedIn** | API (with approval) or scrape - extract skills vs. degree requirements | | **Pnet** | Scrape - skills, degree requirements, location, salary | | **CareerJunction** | Scrape — industry, seniority, job descriptions | | **Indeed ZA** | Scrape - salary bands, time posted | ## Skill Taxonomy Reference - **ONET Online** (onetonline.org) - rich skill-to-occupation mappings, adaptable to SA context - **Kaggle** - search …