DACUM Approach for Integrating AI Competencies and Product Design Skills in Nigeria’s TVET Programs

The technological advancement that revolutionized the way industries operate requires reform and integration of emerging technologies skills in TVET programs worldwide. These lead to a significant skills mismatch between Nigeria’s TVET programs and the skills demanded from graduates by industries. This mismatch needs urgent action to bridge the gap between job market needs and TVET programs. Industry-directed curriculum design is required to enable graduates to seemingly fit in and become employable in the Industry 4.0 era. This paper aims to present a process for developing a curriculum or integration guide of AI competencies and product design skills in TVET programs in Nigeria that directly considers industry needs and expectations. DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) is a job-related assessment process that connects industry needs with educational institution programs. It was used within a two-day workshop with product designers from different industries around the Northwestern region of Nigeria. Duties, tasks, AI competencies, and product design skills were identified during the workshop. The eight primary duties include: (1) Research and analyze data, (2) Ideate concept, (3) Implement design, (4) Test and validate design, (5) Optimize design, (6) Detail and document design, (7) Present design, and (8) Collaborate with manufacturing engineers. Three to seven tasks were identified during the DACUM workshop for each of these main duties. To validate the results, a survey was conducted where product designers within industries and firms in the study area participated. The results of this study will be used to integrate AI competencies and product design skills in various TVET programs in Nigeria.