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Archived News
2008
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The following letter to the editor appeared in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader February 5, 2007 Shortage of Information Technology Professionals Hurricane Katrina missed South Dakota, but can our information technology industry avoid a perfect storm? The supply of new information technology (IT) professionals with bachelor’s degrees may drop significantly. A recent Argus Leader article noted that, in the last three school years, the number of computer science majors at SD public universities dropped 25%. Maybe this drop is due to media reports of lack of information systems jobs. Don’t buy that myth. Get the facts. IT, including information systems, is a smart major for college students. Demand for IT professionals is increasing. Baby boomers are starting to retire in large numbers, including those in information technology. Five of the six fastest growing occupations that require at least a bachelor’s degree are computer-related. This is an official U.S. Department of Labor projection for 2004 to 2014. Pay for all five occupations is in the top 25% of pay for all occupations. The number of jobs for these occupations is projected to increase 38% to 55%. What’s the perfect storm? Demand for information technology professionals could easily outpace the supply of available workers. Some computer jobs will go overseas, but the projected U.S. job openings are strong even so. It would be sad if the students don’t major in technology because they’re misinformed of the job market. It would be sad if the shortage of IT graduates forced more computer jobs to go overseas. It doesn’t have to happen. Students can catch the wave of the increasing need for technology graduates. High quality, affordable, accessible IT education is available part-time or full-time in our state. For example, Dakota State University (DSU) offers various technology programs online, in Madison and in Sioux Falls. Dr. William Figg
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