Relationship between knowledge and skills in the Nigerian undergraduate chemistry curriculum and graduate employability in chemical-based industries

Abstract

The knowledge and skills required of chemists in chemical-based industries were compared to those in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum in Nigeria to establish whether there were gaps between the two. In a questionnaire survey, 120 chemists in 20 chemical-based industries gave their views of the extent to which the chemistry curriculum reflected industry needs for knowledge and skills. The data generated were analysed using means and paired sample t-tests. The results indicate that the Nigerian university chemistry curriculum is broad-based and sufficiently relevant to meet the theoretical knowledge requirements of chemical-based industries, but that it fails to meet their minimal skills requirements. While chemistry graduates have greater knowledge than is required for work in chemical-based industries, their skills level is below the industry requirement. The curriculum therefore needs to be restructured so that its skills acquisition component is improved.