Abstract
This study aimed to explore the compatibility between the outcomes of academic interior design programmes and the needs of the labour market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to fill gaps and ensure sustainable development. The study reviewed nineteen academic interior design programmes in different regions, both public and private institutions, and distributed two questionnaires to graduates and employees that assessed seven stages related to the design process and project management. The sample in this study consisted of sixty graduates and nineteen employers in the fields of design or architecture who hire local interior designers. The results indicated that interior design programmes do not fulfill the needs of the market because some regions do not have interior design programmes or the programmes are limited to women, and the image of interior design professions is not clear in some regions due to limited information in the community. Some study plans need to be updated and reviewed based on the latest changes in the labour market. The results also showed that graduates had good knowledge of and skills in the field of interior design, with some shortfalls in the project management skills required in the labour market, such as budget calculations and writing work contracts, timetables, and reports. This limitation may be due to a lack of communication between institutions and the labour market and weak academic guidance for students when choosing elective courses that support these skills. Finally, it is clear that the graduates had good communication, negotiation, persuasion and decision-making skills. The result of this study should help administrators of interior design programmes develop curricula that fulfill the needs of the labour market and help enrolled students increase their knowledge and skills. Finally, the results can inform employers about the necessary training for their interior designers.
Highlights
In the past, the Saudi labour market has offered all graduates from higher education institutions many options for work, but the situation has changed in recent years for some specialties (Al-Otaibi, 2007)
This study aimed to explore the compatibility between the outcomes of academic interior design programmes and the needs of the labour market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to fill gaps and ensure sustainable development
The results showed that graduates had good knowledge of and skills in the field of interior design, with some shortfalls in the project management skills required in the labour market, such as budget calculations and writing work contracts, timetables, and reports
Summary
The Saudi labour market has offered all graduates from higher education institutions many options for work, but the situation has changed in recent years for some specialties (Al-Otaibi, 2007). The role of higher education is not limited to making, providing, and transferring knowledge; rather, higher education is one of the driving forces of economic growth (Hendy, 2018; Ahmed, 2017). This means that its role is not limited to providing students with knowledge but extends to how this knowledge is activated in the labour market (Ahmed, 2017). These institutions must be concerned with developing their programmes to ensure that their outcomes are compatible with the requirements of the labour market and community service, which are the reasons for their establishment (Dagher et al, 2016)
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