CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY DESIGN STUDENTS TRAINED IN A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY DURING INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT

Abstract

Training in design related courses usually takes four years in the Kenyan setup. During this period, students are

taken through various facets of the design discipline in a bid to prepare them for the industry. Topics covered in

class include furniture design, history of art and design, interior architecture and space planning, in addition to

other relevant courses, depending on one’s specialization. In order to verify whether the students experienced

any barriers in their industrial attachment, a study was conducted targeting 40 design students. Data was collect

ed through focus group discussion, questionnaire and key informant interview. Despite the training given by the

lecturers, the students experience various handicaps when they go for industrial attachment. Challenges high

lighted include: lack of mastery of the computer aided design programs, design conceptualization and 3D mod

eling. The students noted that they overcame the design related problems by identifying a mentor who would

guide them through the problematic areas. The amount of time taken to overcome the barriers ranged between 4

weeks to 11 weeks. Some students suggested that the industrial attachment period should begin in first year.