Many students studying in the ICT fields find it difficult to apply their knowledge in real-world situations.

This is mainly because they have little to no practical skills and often find it challenging to adapt to a working environment.

ICT practitioners are required to have a variety of skills, ranging from digital literacy to data management, software development, and cybersecurity.

However, many who graduated in these fields often lack the ability to apply their theoretical knowledge when carrying out their duties in a workplace, making it challenging to come up with solutions or innovative ideas.

Cybersecurity specialist Dominique Petrus says one of the barriers is the lack of resources, especially in rural areas.

"Students don't really have the necessary resources that they need, and this has really hindered them in terms of the job market because the jobs require people who are industry-ready with the correct skills, and these individuals do not get the correct exposure in terms of training as well as the need for certifications."

Petrus pointed out that although the current curriculum provides good foundational knowledge, it needs to align with industry standards to enable students to adapt to changes.

"Our current curriculum, which is across the board in different industries, is set up in a manner in which they only review each and every five years. In a field like tech, especially cybersecurity, we're looking at digital forensics; these are fields that rapidly change within five to six months. What is currently relevant may not be relevant again."

Petrus says that raising awareness of the issue will encourage students to be more innovative as well as grow Namibia's body of digital knowledge.