Basic Skills and Competences of Higher National Diploma Computer Science Graduates: An Analysis of Stakeholders Views

Abstract

This study was motivated by the general opinion or statements from the public and specifically from professional bodies and industries in the country suggesting that tertiary curricula currently being implemented by academic institutions in Nigeria do not provide what is needed by the industry or labour employer. The main objective of the study is to identify skill and competency gaps in the training of Higher National Diploma graduates of computer science or information technology in Nigeria and to provide recommendations on how the identified gaps could be address in the training curriculum. A three-round Delphi questionnaire where the respondents were asked to rate the items on the scale of their importance was used for the study. The results suggest that, there was significant difference in the views of academic and industry participants in the ranking of the skill and competency attributes based on the scale of preference. The current curriculum also aligned with the needs of the industry in terms of the generic skills. The study among others, recommend two generic skills (21 and 25) considered to be of importance by the industry participants be given serious consideration during review of curriculum to improve the employability of the graduates.

Keywords: Basic Skills, Curriculum, Employability, Computer Science

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-16-03

Publication date:June 30^th 2021