STEM education leadership and industry partnerships: Bridging the gap between educational institutions and industry

Abstract

In this research, we investigated how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educational programs meet the requirements of industries by studying STEM in Nigeria and South Africa. We examined how government entities, non-governmental organizations, and the industry collaborate to develop effective educational programs that connect academic institutions with industrial partners. As such, we employed a mixed-methods framework, collecting quantitative and qualitative information participants, including academics in the STEM domain, industry experts, and other education stakeholders. The research results demonstrated that neither country have the skills needed for practical problem solving and lack access to modern technologies and effective academic-industry partnerships. The comparative assessment showed that South Africa needs advanced cognitive and analytical skills, while Nigeria requires workers who have specialized technical abilities and domain-specific knowledge and can adapt from education to employment. Thus, we propose modernizing academic programs through real-world learning experiences that combine fields of study with improved industry partnerships and better resource distribution in areas with limited resources. The research findings demonstrated that Sub-Saharan African countries should improve their STEM education systems through industry partnerships to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).