IT Market Skill Needs Survey

1. “LINKING WITH PRIVATE SECTOR:
IT CURRUCULUM REFORM” PROJECT
Laith Kassis
March 2014

2. Project Overview
• Complies with the Quality Improvement Fund (QIF) content priorities
to target programs, which are relevant to labor market
needs, including human resource development and institutional capacity
building.
• The IT faculty in collaboration with The Center of Excellence for Learning and
Teaching (CELT), and PITA will redesign and implement 8 junior and
senior level courses from the computer information system
curriculum plan.
• The project methodology will include: 1) Market needs assessment
survey; 2) Capacity building for IT faculty in areas like problem- and project-
based learning methods; 3) Redesigning and implementing 8 junior and senior
course plans in collaboration with the private sector (PITA) so the courses will
provide the students with more authentic opportunities to learn by working on IT.

3. Assessment Survey + Study Methodology
Input from ANU
Desk Research +
PITA Study
Surveying PITA
Members (Market
Needs Assessment)
Benchmarking
Curriculum with
Stanford Uni
Conclusions /
Recommendations

4. Input from ANU on the CIS Program
• The Main Goal of the CIS program
• What the program enables students to attain, by the time of graduation
• A list of Courses to be taken by students enrolled in the CIS Program and its
Description:
• Algorithm and Programming Techniques. Artificial Intelligence systems.
Business and human behavior modeling and simulation. Computer
Graphics. Computer Networks. Computer Systems Security. Data Mining.
Data Structures. Database Administrations. Database design &
Programming. Discrete Mathematics. Distributed Systems. Elementary
Probability and Statistics. Entrepreneurship. Fundamentals of Object
Oriented Programming. Game Programming. Health Information Systems.
Heuristic Optimization techniques. Human Computer Interactions. Image
Processing. Information Retrieval systems. Introduction to Computer.
Introduction to Computer Architecture. Introduction to Multimedia systems.
Methods of Statistics I. New Trends in Programming. Object Oriented
Analysis and Design. Object-Based Systems Programming. Operating
Systems. Operation Research Applications. Palestinian Studies Principles of
Accounting & Finance. Principles of Programming & Problem Solving.
Scientific Research Seminar. Software Engineering. Software Project
Management. Software Testing and Quality Assurance. Special Topics in
computer information systems. Technical Report writing. Visual systems
Programming. Web programming I & II.

5. General Desk Research
• Similar Threads and Courses to CIS
• Similar Objectives and Intended Outcomes
• Skills – Learning Objectives
o Knowledge to be Acquired
o Skills Framework for the Information Age” (SFIA), which is used world
wide as a preferred way of describing IT skills in different categories

6. PITA Study – Palestinian ICT Labor Market Gap Analysis
• Generally, Negative Findings on:
– Finding Human Resource Skills - Graduates
– University Internship Programs
– Curriculum
– University Professors
http://www.pita.ps/sites/default/files/palestinian_ict_labor_market
_gap_analysis.pdf
Secondary Data Source
Offering Interviews with
Students and Professors

7. The Market Needs Assessment Survey
1 - Section 1: [Gauging Market Perceptions]
• An-Najah University recently updated Computerized Information Systems (CIS) curriculum and
• Program alignment to the IT Market Needs.
2 - Section 2: [Market Needs for IT skills] structured based on Desk Research of skills categories:
• Strategy and Architecture
• Business Change
• Solution Development and Implementation
• Service Management and Support
• Client Relationship Skills
3 - Section 3: [Additional Market Input on Skills, Tech Trends, Body of
Knowledge, Workforce Development]
• Other Soft Skills that are needed as learning objectives
• Specific Technology Trends that might create jobs
• Industry Functional Expertise that might be in demand
• Industry Training / Certification that might be in demand
Primary Data Source with
subsequent Gap Analysis on
Skills to be Acquired
for the Courses Currently
Offered
Primary Data Source

8. Survey Results – Section 1
• Nineteen companies have responded to the survey seeing relevancy of
the CIS Curriculum
Participants Recommendation on the CIS Courses
• More Strict Grading and Passing System
• Transition from Theory to Practice in All Courses incorporating Recent
Technology Trends
• More cooperation with the Private Sector
• More Methods and Tools

9. Section 2 - Strategy and Architecture Gap Analysis

10. Section 2 - IT Business Management Gap Analysis

11. Section 2 – SDLC Gap Analysis

12. Section 2 – Service Management and Support Gap
Analysis

13. Section 2 – Client Relationship Gap Analysis

14. Section 3 – Other Learning Objects
Presentations 18 12%
English language - Reading, Writing and Speaking 17 11%
Team work and interpersonal 15 10%
Critical thinking 15 10%
Problem Solving 14 9%
Creative thinking and visioning 14 9%
Decision making 12 8%
Active Listening 11 7%
Leadership and assertiveness 11 7%
Mathematical 8 5%
Arabic language - Reading, Writing and Speaking 6 4%
Conflict management 7 4%
Responsible risk taking 7 4%
Other 1 1%

15. Section 3 – Technology Trend
Cloud Computing 15 22%
Android Applications 13 19%
iOS Apple Applications 11 16%
Games Production 8 12%
Virtualizations 6 9%
VoIP Solutions 5 7%
Geographic Information Systems 5 7%
Imaging Information Systems 3 4%
Other 2 3%

16. Section 3 – Industry BoK
Enterprise Resource Planning 12 16%
Client Relationship Management 12 16%
e-Commerce Solutions 11 15%
Business Intelligence Reporting 10 13%
Health 7 9%
Supply Chain Management 6 8%
Accounting and Financial Modelling 6 8%
Government 5 7%
Islamic Financing and Insurance 2 3%
Commercial Banking 2 3%
Other 2 3%

17. Section 3 – Staff Training
Vendor Specific: Microsoft 8 13%
Project Management: PMI, Prince2 7 12%
Vendor Specific: Oracle 7 12%
Software outsourcing development including software testing 6 10%
None 5 8%
Process Methodology: CMM, RUP, ISO, Agile, RAD, Waterfall,
ITIL, SEI, BS7799
5 8%
Code Quality Assurance: Peer review, test plans, testing tools 5 8%
Vendor Specific: CISCO 5 8%
Version control: Source safe, PVC 4 7%
Knowledge Management: Lunch and Learn, Wikis, Library System 2 3%
Vendor Specific: VMWare 2 3%
Other 2 3%
Estimation methodology: SLIM, Effort Analysis, SEER-SEM 1 2%
Animation and Movies: Maya, 3DSMax, Rendering software, 3D
Autocad
1 2%

18. Benchmarking CIS to Stanford Uni
• Similar conclusion to the PITA research comparison with Birzeit University can
be drawn with regards to ANU CIS program. When we also compare the Winter
classes selection of courses, it becomes more apparent that Stanford CS Program
o Offers wider course selection than initially thought in the PITA research analysis
o Offers contemporary technology topics connected to real world situations such as:
Liberation Technologies, Modeling Biomedical Systems and Mobile Music as some
examples
o Gender specific in the case of the course: Understanding Women's Exper in High-Tech
Companies
o Connect curriculum work to corporate world: “Software Project Experience with
Corporate Partner” and gives the students a more real world experience and encourages
them to think about the benefits and functional use of technology to make them more
innovative and better users.

19. Main Recommendations
• Re-design several core CIS courses, in cooperation with the private sector, the following
courses have been identified as the priority:
1. Database design & Programming and integrate cloud architecture
2. Software Engineering integrating latest technology trends such as cloud
computing engineering and user experience design
3. Web Programming I & II for core competencies in latest technology trends
4. New Trends in Programming (to focus on core Mobile Application Programming
technical competencies e.g. for Android and iOS)
5. Software Project Management including the focus on standard methodologies
competencies adding soft skills such as Presentation, English language and team
work
6. Computer Systems Security
7. Software Testing and Quality Assurance with focus on standard methods and
tools
8. Introduce a new Technology Marketing and Sales course
• Provide hands-on training based in labs or projects such as:
• Principles of Accounting & Finance can add a practical part to let students practice
local vendors accounting systems
• Work on internship and graduation projects related and in cooperation with the
private sector

20. • Q&A

21. www.linkedin.com/in/laithkassis/
LaithKassis@gmail.com
LaithKassis
Thank You!
You Can Contact Me @
Laith Kassis