Analyzing Workforce Demands in the Game & Esports Industries for Higher Education Curriculum Development in Thailand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65205/jcct.2025.2863Keywords:
Games & Esports Industry, Higher Education Curriculum Development, Analyzing Workforce DemandsAbstract
This study aimed to 1) analyze workforce demands and core competencies in Thailand’s game and esports industry; 2) assess the alignment of Thai Higher Education curricula with industry needs; and 3) propose actionable curriculum recommendations. We combined a systematic review with curriculum analysis of current program documents, policy texts, and competency standards; extracted and triangulated data using structured forms and a codebook; and binary-coded 12 target skills to compute curriculum and skill coverage indices (SCI_course, SCI_skill) and gap indices (Gap_course, Gap_skill), interpreted as high, moderate, or low. Findings indicated that: 1) industry prioritizes analytical thinking, followed by data analysis; teamwork, communication, and creativity are in moderate demand, with salient gaps in game design, development, project management, streaming/broadcasting, game marketing, and leadership; 2) Thai higher-education curricula show broad coverage but lack practice-oriented depth in game production and design; and 3) recommended actions include studio-based sequencing with critique, embedding target competencies in core courses, expanded fieldwork, mandatory internships, faculty–industry co-advising, and annual industry-partnered review to close skills gaps and strengthen graduate readiness.
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