More and better IT jobs await Informatics graduates
December 20, 2006
KOKOMO, Ind.—Despite the boom and later fizzle of 1990s dot-coms and the outsourcing of some information technology (IT) jobs, U.S. demand for college graduates ready to work in IT is strong and visibly growing, says Acting Assistant Professor of Informatics Andrew Kurtz of Indiana University Kokomo.
The demand is especially high for those who can offer a company more than purely technical abilities, he said, such as the graduates of IU Kokomo’s new Bachelor of Science in Informatics degree program. They will possess technical skills as well as other abilities that companies are looking for—planning, leadership, and data analysis and organization, Kurtz said.
Kurtz has developed and taught courses in human-computer interaction, database development, and Web design for Michigan State University and IU Bloomington's School of Library and Information Science. His research, writing, and software development work has focused largely on human–computer interaction. He is especially interested in how the appearance of computer interfaces can affect people's use of those applications. Kurtz came to IU Kokomo in fall 2006 to help launch the Informatics degree program.
The program allows students to choose one of several cognate, academic concentrations in specific professional fields ranging from biology or public affairs to new media. “Our Informatics graduates will not only understand information technology but will know how to use that technology to organize and evaluate data in ways that solve specific problems for their employers,” Kurtz said.
Companies want more than a computer geek who stays in his tech tower, unwilling to meet and work with others, he stressed. Candidates with knowledge outside of IT are valued because, “You don’t work in a vacuum,” Kurtz said. “You’re working for a company with goals beyond just generating new technology.”
Kurtz offered the following reality checks, dispelling five common myths about the future of IT employment in the United States:
Myth 1: There are no IT jobs.
The “glut” of IT professionals that existed in the 1990s is “fading now,” Kurtz said. “There’s been growth in IT jobs since 2002.” Last year, more than 35 million U.S. workers held IT jobs, and Dice.com, a job search site for technology professionals, listed 70,000 openings.
Myth 2: There will be no IT jobs when today’s university students graduate.
In its predictions of the 15 fastest growing U.S. jobs for 2002–2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics listed three IT careers as having the highest percentage of potential growth. The Bureau estimated that careers in computer engineering, computer/information systems management, and management of technology within the life sciences would grow as much as 36 percent by 2012. Technical support specialists ranked next highest, with a 21–35 percent increase predicted.
Ironically, enrollment in IT-related degree programs dropped in the early 1990s. Hence, Kurtz said, “Companies are worried about there being enough university graduates to meet their growing IT needs.”
Myth 3: All IT-related jobs are moving out of the United States.
Most IT jobs being outsourced to other countries currently are commodity jobs including technical support positions and some programming, Kurtz said. “The highly skilled jobs and ones requiring close business/customer contact will stay.”
Myth 4: IT Salaries are low due to cheaper overseas labor.
New bachelor’s degree graduates in IT-related fields can and do command some of the U.S.’s highest starting salaries, averaging $45,000–$51,000 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Myth 5: IT-related educational degrees are worthless.
One-tenth of all current U.S. IT workers—some 375,000 individuals—are baby boomers due to retire over the next decade. Add to that the current low enrollment in IT degree programs and the expected shortfall of skilled IT labor, and businesses will have to offer very competitive salaries to bring in available talent. “Use of technology is not going to decrease,” Kurtz said. “There will always be a need for people who can use information technology to solve business problems.”
Another given is that technology will continue to evolve, which also gives those with Informatics degrees a leg up, Kurtz said. “People working in IT must deal with changes in the technology and in the business context. A purely technical degree program might not give you the flexibility to change.”
In addition to some hands-on programming, the B.S. in Informatics core curricula includes courses in statistical analysis, business organization and processes, and social informatics. The latter looks at the interaction of technology and groups of people, Kurtz explained. “Introducing new information technology into an organization can change the organizations’ power structure,” he said. He gave the example of employees who, in the past, might have relied on an accounting department to gather financial reports. “Introducing new technology allowing employees from many departments to access financial information could weaken the accounting department’s power within the organization, thus making them resistant to the new technology.”
For more information on the IU Kokomo B.S. in Informatics degree program, contact Andrew Kurtz in the School of Arts and Sciences at (765) 455-9335.
