dc.description.abstract | The new technological landscape brings new opportunities and challenges that require skills to
manage and operate. Digital skill is a prerequisite for benefiting from technology, and advanced
digital skills are crucial because they allow people to use technology in a transformative way.
Local universities, training and vocational institutions continue to develop an ICT workforce that
is neither guided by policy nor well aligned to the industry needs, especially at the high end. The
graduates are underprepared to meet the demand of the modern workplace and are unable to
create effective solutions leading to a shortage of competent and skilled workforce required for
the national digital transformation. The study aimed to assess the advanced digital skills
development process in higher learning institutions, the reality of the process and identify
possible challenges leading to the digital skills gap. The study used an archival research strategy
and applied the design reality gap framework with its 'OPTIMISM' checklist of dimensions to
assess student enrollment, graduation, curriculum, staff, laboratory and equipment at the higher
learning institutions in Kenya that teach ICT programmes. The research findings reveal that
there is a low student enrolment in ICT programmes resulting in a low number of graduates
joining the industry. The demand for ICT skills continues to increase while the industry
complains that graduates are not well prepared to undertake projects from the industry forcing
the country to rely on foreign expertise. The curriculum used in the learning institutions is
mismatched leading to inappropriate competencies to be developed among the graduates.
Despite the existence of standards and guidelines from the university regulator, they are not
actively enforced due to challenges faced by the regulator and the institutions. A proposed
implementation strategy was developed which provides for bridging the digital skills gap in
Kenya among the government agencies, educators/trainers, and employers. The study focused
on skills development in higher learning institutions excluding the technology hubs and
complementary programmes offering training programmes for advanced digital skills. The study
confirmed that inappropriate competencies are being developed among the graduates which
makes them unqualified for meeting the demand of the industry and the country. The study
responds to the policies related to ICT workforce development in the country. The study will
trigger the development of new thinking and interactions among the government agencies,
learning institutions, academic staff/trainers, and employers to bridge the skills gap leading to
an empowered country capable of leapfrogging the economic growth. | en_US |