Work in progress - bridging the technology gap: An analysis of industry needs and student skills

Abstract

Discussions with individuals in industry and with students uncovered a potential disconnect in technological skills. The computer skills students are acquiring might not fully match up with the current needs in the workforce. As members of Engineering and Computer Science departments, the responsibility often falls on us to provide service courses in technology. But is this the correct approach, and if so, what should be provided? The goal of this research project is to detect any gaps in computer knowledge that might exist between academia and industry. To this end various PLNU alumni in diverse and distinguished areas of employment were interviewed and surveyed in order to discover the technological skills needed by professionals in their fields. Additionally, all undergraduate students at PLNU were given the opportunity to respond to a survey to determine their fluency with key computer skills. Suggestions are made regarding how to address the possible disparity between knowledge and need.