Jordan Times
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Universities, private ICT sector conduct industry needs analysis
AMMAN (JT) — The Information Technology
Association of Jordan —(int@j) organised a workshop earlier this week to resolve
ICT educational issues, and combine the efforts of universities and the private
sector to bridge the existing gap between academic curricula and corporate ICT
standards.
Jordanian academia and the ICT business sector alike are concerned about the
increasing rate of unemployment within the sector and the lack of critical
skills demanded by today's technology market, especially since qualified human
resources are what gives the Kingdom its competitive edge in attracting foreign
investments, said a statement released by int@j on Monday.
Attending the workshop, held under the patronage of Minister of Higher Education
and Scientific Research Issam Zabalawi, were the presidents of prominent local
universities, technology deans, the int@j board and members of its Human
Resources Development Committee.
int@j Chairman Marwan Juma stressed the importance of this event in initiating
collaboration between universities and the private sector to help graduates and
ICT professionals improve their technical and managerial skills and to instil a
lasting partnership between the two most crucial forces driving the success of
the country's hi-tech excellence.
Zabalawi commended the support provided by int@j and the private sector to local
universities to improve their training and technical services and to encourage
progressive partnerships and joint projects.
“In turn, our universities are always seeking to improve their facilities, staff
and academic programmes in order to stay up-to-date with industry developments
by advancing study plans, participating in conferences, seminars and workshops
and exchanging knowledge and information,” he said.
“Initiatives such as this will help analyse the problems faced by graduates and
proprietors alike, and will allow us to draw up suitable solutions to the
challenges faced by ICT students, including academic planning, research,
training and funding,” Zabalawi added.
The toughest human resources challenge faced by the sector today is the
increased supply of ICT graduates; disproportionate with the local industry
demand and recruitment capacity, and greatly discouraging to the growing number
of unemployed professionals, the statement said.
This problem demands developing academic plans and curricula that match the
business requirements of local and international markets, and commands
supporting educational programmes with hands-on training opportunities that will
further enable graduates to catch up with the great strides that the industry is
constantly taking.
The participants will also grow an extra root in recommending support skills in
the English language, management, leadership, presentation, and career
consulting, according to the statement.