by Suwimon Vongsingthong Department of Information Technology and Management

1. Grappling the Critical Gaps in ICT Skills and e-Literacy of ICT Professionals by SuwimonVongsingthong Department of Information Technology and Management Krirk University, Bangkok, Thailand (suwimonv@yahoo.com) ICT2014

2. Outline Introduction Research Framework • Population • Sample Size • Data Acquisition And Validation • Methodology Results and Discussion Conclusion Grappling the Critical Gaps in ICT Skills and e-Literacy of ICT Professionals

3. Introduction

4. Introduction • ICTs have become an essential ingredient in effective supply chains. • Many stakeholders with a role to play in a country’s socio-economic development are not yet able to take full advantage of available ICT tools and offered solutions. • Most ICT deployment organizations feel that graduates from both the universities and the general education systems are not equipped with the right skills. • The gap between the supply and demand of ICT workers is increasingly critical and becoming urgent issue to address.

5. Literature Review

6. Literature Review • the need for ICT professional had deviated to demand more expertise in • database, • networks • system support. • more important attribute was the ability to recommend ICT solutions to users. • Crucial skills of ICT professionals has rated as • database development and administration • Programming • Networking • technical support • telecommunications, • web development

7. Literature Review • Pointed out that none of the courses produced by university could teach students to work outright after graduation • The content in the curriculum has not been tailored to teach students with sufficient knowledge, skills and ability to work. • the abilities to work as a team and to solve immediate problems are becoming more important. • Key attributes for success perceived employers are • communication skill • teamwork leadership • students perceived that • communication skill • system support

8. Objective • To create an opportunity to share experiences and insights on where the urgent issues to combat for ICT professional excellent are around. • To build a common understanding of what needs to be done in the near future and how to cope with those barriers to generate e-capacity, e-literacy and key ICT skills for ICT professional can be fulfilled

9. RESEARCH FRAMEWORK

10. Research Framework Concept and Theory Exploration Summarize factors relevant to ICT career Expertise opinions Feasibility and Model Analysis Denote knowledge and skills factors Tool Development Quantify sample size appropriate to SEM Identify population and sample group Create survey form & Test Reliability Test Data Accumulation Compose factors related to the success in ICT career Analysis Summary Qualitative Analysis to confirm Propose Critical ICT Qualification

11. Population • The population is ICT superintendents. • Evaluate their subordinates • less than five year experience • working in the positions of • programmers, analysts and IT supports. • These careers were observed because they were considered to be the most wanted ICT careers in Thailand (Labor Statistics of Thailand, 2011). Location • The sample was designated in Bangkok and metropolitan where most stakeholders reside.

12. Sample Size • Questionnaire sent out is 500 • The sample size passed through the validation is 399 • Statistical Analysis • the multivariate statistical analysis. • Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)

13. Data Acquisition and Validation • online • hands-on survey forms • distributed during September-December, 2012. • Initial validation was taken on each questionnaire. If any form was found incomplete, respondent would be asked to refill otherwise that form would be discarded and replaced.

14. Methodology-Quantitative Analysis • All questions composed in the questionnaire were verified by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). • Varimax was chosen as the rotation method. • This rotation is orthogonal and thus presupposes that the factors are uncorrelated with one another. • It was proven that these variables were the most appropriate factors to qualify ICT professionals according to the specific needs of stakeholders

15. Essential Factors for IT Success Fundamental of ICT Operating System Networking System Development Project Management • CFA was applied in LISREL 8.72 to determine the best measurement model for each scale. • Covariance matrix was prepared on “normal scores” and then path analysis was done with Maximum Likelihood method. Database Management Database Application Business System Support

16. Methodology-Qualitative Analysis • Interviews were conducted broadly with ICT superintendents by asking questions about the current and expected performance of ICT professionals under their custody. • Following by sub-questions of the research were derived from the key questions. • Those questions were intended to get precise perspective from supervisors but not trying to guide or change their opinions or beliefs. • The interviews were also conducted with ICT professionals to obtain another perspective and guidance.

17. RESULT/DISCUSSION

18. Enterprise Information Figure 1: Demographic Data- enterprises

19. ICT Professional Information Figure 2: Demographic Data-ICT

20. Result/ Discussion Table 1: Mean, Standard Deviation and interpretation of the critical factors

21. Result/ Discussion Table 2: Pearson’s correlation of the critical factors for ICT professionals

22. Result/ Discussion Table 3: Measure of the initial and final indices of the model

23. Result/ Discussion Fundamental of ICT 0.44 0.44 0.66 Operating System 0.66 0.61 Networking 0.61 0.69 Critical Skills of ICT Professional System Development 0.69 0.69 0.69 Project Management 0.71 0.71 Database Management 0.64 0.64 Database Application 0.81 0.52 0.81 Business 0.52 System Support Figure 3: Factor Analysis of Critical Skills of ICT professionals

24. CONCLUSION

25. CONCLUSION • a new paradigm of learning so called e-Learning becomes imperative for developing the ICT professional critical skills • learning where lecturers are only facilitators can assist students to improve their learning capability. • Motivating students by applying learning based doing can as well encourage students to develop the analysis thinking which is a desirable property. • a good coaching from schools can save both time and extra investment. • The changes occurring in ICT labor market is very fast, they should modify the course content as fast as the companies do. • Otherwise, the knowledge learned in university will be useless. • In addition e-Literacy is not only necessary for ICT professional but also for all majors of students.

26. End of Presentation Thank you for all your attention. ……………………… Your comment is appreciated.