Digital Intelligence Competency Explorer (DICE): Demystifying Employability Skills within Computer Science through a Systematic Literature Review

This study explores the employability skills & competencies identified in computing education literature as critical for preparing computer science graduates for contemporary professional environments. Employing a systematic literature review of 92 peer-reviewed articles from Computing Education venues across ACM and IEEE, 854 unique skill references were extracted, which were synthesised through thematic analysis into 54 distinct skill categories. These categories were subsequently organised into nine overarching competency areas, which represent competency areas within the Digital Intelligence Competency Explorer (DICE), a conceptual framework aimed at demystifying employability within the computer science discipline. Findings reveal a notable prevalence of non-technical skills, such as collaboration, self-management, and communication, over traditionally emphasised technical skills, despite the technical orientation of the discipline. This discrepancy suggests a misalignment between curricular emphasis and the broader skill sets valued in current workplace contexts. DICE offers a nuanced and granular representation of employability skills, addressing limitations in previous reviews that present overly generalised taxonomies. The implications of this research include advocating for integrated employability skills within academic programmes, enhanced teacher training, clearer recruitment language, and more holistic national curriculum frameworks. Ultimately, these findings advance the discourse on graduate preparedness in computer science and support the notion for evidence-based transformation of educational practices in line with evolving industry expectations.