Using job advertisements to inform curricula design for the key global technical challenges

Abstract

This paper introduces an experiment performed as part of the key global challenges design work package of the European Union funded SALEIE Project. It formally `tests' the value of considering job advertisements in the design of curricula and what employers are seeking in terms of technical, professional and generic skills. It presents the general methodology using results of job advertisements from the renewable energies sector that can be used for comparison against sample Higher Education curricula in the same technical area. A number of jobs advertised on the internet in the area of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) are used as the dataset for this experiment. The full text of each job advertisement has been manually downloaded into NVivo software. Amongst other things, job title and essential or desirable technical/professional and generic skills are coded. These declared essential and desirable technical skills are shown in matrix form across the range of job titles and together both show the required graduate attributes as well as within industry sector career development or progression pathways. Viewed as a sector whole, the analysis also shows those skills that cross sub-areas and hence may be better suited to foundation modules within a programme with the skills more specific to a sub-discipline being the optional or `programme aligning' modules. The results will help Higher Education develop curricula more aligned to industrial needs and will help different industries see the way skills are expressed in existing curricula. Through these two benefits the qualified graduate supply/demand balance may be improved.