ICT Education and Employability in Yemen

As part of the Youth in Technology for Community Development project being developed by the Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF), the YLDF developed and conducted 5 surveys to assess the situation regarding ICT university education, job market requirements (with particular emphasis on civil society and Non Governmental Organizations – NGOs-) and employability of ICT graduates. Several interviews, workshops and data collection activities resulted in the collection of data from:

• 13 heads of departments and academic lecturers in ICT-related university departments;
• 100 final year ICT students (47 females, 53 males);
• 30 employees working in ICT;
• 5 NGOs;
• 19 private companies.

The results of this field research offer fascinating insights into the ICT job market, ICT university curricula and skills requirements in Yemen. This research has particular value and significance due to the severe lack of information in this field. While the study focused on Sana’a, the city was selected because it is considered to represent most other urban cities in the country.

The study shows that there are 5 ICT-related university degrees offered by public universities in Sana’a, and 2 degrees offered by private institutions. There also 3 year diplomas offered by a community college.

Final year students in ICT programs were asked about the reasons behind their selection of ICT as the field of study. 47% of the male respondents and 37% of the females cites their interest in ICT as a new technology field, followed by its potential for securing career opportunities. Few respondents referred to low grades in secondary school and family pressure as being the primary reason for enrolling in ICT programs.

In analyzing the characteristics of ICT education in Yemeni universities, the study revealed a considerable lack of practical learning in the programs offered by these universities. It found that a portion of 55-78% of all university programs is dedicated to theory, with public universities scoring lowest in incorporating practice in their curricula. Also, while universities do offer internships for their ICT students, access to these internships is based exclusively on personal connections. This leaves many ICT graduates with very little practical experience in their field when they enter the job market.

Female students seem to face considerable challenges in their graduation projects, mainly due to their lack of mobility and social pressure that prevent them from actively seeking interesting projects that will require interactions outside the university. Moreover, the lack of professional and expert support for students conducting their graduation projects usually results in projects that tend to be simple, repetitive and less creative.

ICT teachers and lecturers on the other hand complain about lack of specialization in the courses on offer, and the limited majors available to ICT students. The curricula is mostly outdated, and most textbooks and references are expensive, and available only in English. This constitutes a significant barrier to access to information among university students, most of which have limited English language capabilities. The teaching methods in universities do not help either, and tend to ignore the role and value of student participation in the learning process.

From the employers point of view, most ICT university graduates enter the job market with insufficient practical experience and with knowledge in courses that are outdated and are no longer in demand in the workplace.

All research respondents agreed that university programs should be radically changed to cater for the rapidly changing ICT market. Courses recommended to be added to these programs include soft skills, database management, web development and design, and specialized ICT skills with a sufficient practice component.

The researchers also interviewed 5 NGOs in Sana’a to develop and understanding of their use of technology. Management in the NGOs interviewed complained about the high costs associated with hiring and retaining experienced ICT talent. The researchers also observed weak utilization of ICT tools by NGOs in general, including, for example, email and other electronic communications mediums.

The study also revealed that female ICT graduates face greater challenges both during university education and when they enter the job market. Due to social restrictions, female ICT students tend to avoid participating in graduation projects that require mobility, interactions with fellow male students, long hours and work outside the university. The low numbers of PCs in university labs further restricts access to practice sessions inside the university as well. Female ICT professionals also struggle to gain trust and confidence in their technical opinions when they actively participate in the workplace. Gender-friendliness of the ICT workplace in Yemen is a serious concern that needs immediate attention so that female ICT professionals can have equal access to work opportunities as their male counterparts.

Based on the findings of this research, the YLDF is designing and developing a training program focused primarily on addressing the deficiencies in the traditional university ICT education, and bridging the gap between the job market requirements and the skills acquired by ICT graduates during their university studies. The project will then secure internship placements for the trained graduates in local NGOs and civil society organizations where they will work on solving local community problems through the use of ICTs. After the completion of the training and internships periods, the employability of the project participants will be measured and compared to the employability of other ICT graduates. This will contribute to answering the main research question: How relevant education on ICT can improve employability of university graduates?