Fostering information technology students' internship program

Improving the King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Information Technology (IT) internship training program is critical for students. This internship is the only requirement in the current IT curriculum that attempts to build a bridge of connection for students. A solid bridge is expected to maximize the confidence of students in regard to discovering their future career opportunities in the Saudi Arabian market. The main objective of this research is to explore the skills gap between IT internship students and leaders in the IT industry. It is expected that by the end of the internship program, the students will have better perceptions of the needs and requirements of the Saudi Arabian IT market. The results reported in this study are based on a survey of the skills and knowledge required of new IT employees as perceived by 68 IT leaders and 133 IT internship students. The results report sixteen skills/traits that demonstrate a significant gap. Identifying this gap highlights the need for improving the students' training experience.