How Do IT Students Stay Up to Date with Employers’ Skill Requirements? - Current Issues in IT Education - page 150

in use were explored using 2 tests, and differences in importance were explored using
independent sample t-tests. These factors had surprisingly little influence on patterns of use
and perceived importance of information channels.
The first demographic factor considered was gender. No significant difference was
found between the number of information channels used by male and female students. The
only significant gender difference was for the levels of use and perceived importance of
Internet sources. Male students used Internet sources more frequently [ 2 (1) = 6.98, p = 0.008]
and perceived them to be more important for keeping up to date with the skill requirements
of employers [3.85 versus 2.93, t(80) = -2.96, p = 0.004].
The possible impact of previous IT work experience was considered next. No significant
difference was found between the number of information channels used by those with and
those without previous IT work experience. The only significant difference in usage of
information channels was related to consultation with work colleagues and with other
students. Those with previous work experience not surprisingly consulted with work
colleagues more frequently [ 2 (1) = 17.97, p < 0.001] and appeared to consider work colleagues
a more important channel of information (2.73 versus 2.04, t(80) = -1.98, p = 0.051). Presumably,
those with previous IT experience would have received better quality information from their
work colleagues than would those without IT work experience who would have been
receiving information from a pool of people with perhaps limited direct IT experience.
Those without IT work experience consulted other students more frequently [ 2 (1) =
5.94, p = 0.015], but there was no difference in perceptions of the importance of other students
between those with and those without previous IT work experience (2.39 versus 2.48, t(80)
= 0.32, p = 0.753). As previously mentioned, this suggests that other students are consulted
because of their accessibility rather than their credibility as a source of information. Those
with previous IT experience have other accessible sources of more credible information and,
hence, do not rely so heavily upon other students.
The differences between undergraduate and postgraduate students were similar to
those between those with previous IT work experience and those without. This is consistent
with postgraduate students being more likely to have previous IT work experience than are
undergraduates (54.5% of postgraduates versus 22% of undergraduates have previous IT
work experience). Undergraduate students consulted other students more frequently [ 2 (1)
= 6.69, p = 0.010], but did not value their information more highly [2.63 versus 2.23, t(80) = 1.63,
p = 0.107]. Postgraduate students also consulted work colleagues more frequently [ 2 (1) =
4.59, p = 0.032]. However, they did not value their input more highly [2.68 versus 2.37, t(80)
= -0.987, p = 0.327]. This finding differs from the added importance given to work colleagues
by those with previous IT experience, but the means are in the same direction, and the result
may reflect the fact that 45.5% of postgraduates do not have previous IT work experience.
CONCLUSION
New graduates require marketable skills in order to gain good employment, but as the
IT industry is subject to rapid change, the skills most in demand change regularly. The project
reported on in this chapter investigated the means that a sample of IT students used to keep
up to date with employers' skill needs.