Career outcomes and SFIA as tools to design ICT curriculum

Career outcomes are one of the major influencing factors when applicants are selecting their course. While theoretically, linking curriculum design closely with career outcomes might be an ideal situation, in practice, ICT curricula are in a constant state of flux and it is unclear whether the specified career outcomes for a course were part of the curriculum (re-)design process. SFIA provides a common reference model to communicate the value and relevance of a course to potential applicants and employers. This paper reports on the application of the ACS process for designing an ICT curriculum that is directly informed by the career outcomes relevant to both the local and national ICT industry and the necessary SFIA skill sets to attain those career outcomes. Using this approach we are able to illustrate to employers the capabilities of graduates and provide evidence to applicants that the course relates to the advertised career outcomes.