Have recent events like the attack on the World Trade Center and last year's recession harmed job prospects for information technology professionals?  This website examines a number of potential factors. Ohio University has six academic programs that prepare graduates for careers in the field of information technology (IT).  The OU Center for Information Technology Education (CITE) website lists them as: Communication Systems Management Computer Science Electrical Engineering Computer  Engineering Track Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Industrial Technology Management Information Systems Graduates of these programs have one thing in common: they will all use computer hardware and software to do their jobs.  Some workers will perform very specific tasks using IT tools while others will use information technology generally or provide support for its use.  Many IT professionals will secure employment with manufacturers of computer hardware and software.

What are the prospects?
 

Job prospects seem promising for IT graduates of 4-year colleges and universities as employers search for workers with business and technical know-how and experience.  According to the CITE website, there are serious shortages of IT workers in the US.  Roughly 850,000 positions are projected to remain unfilled over the next year.

What are some factors?
 

Despite Major major events like the 9/11 World Trade Center destruction and the economic recession of 2001, the economy seems to be on the rebound.  The priorities of business and government reflect an increased need for skilled IT personnel.  A May 7, 2002 Associated Press story by Jeannine Aversa cites productivity as, "a key ingredient to the economy's long-term vitality…."  She reports [first-quarter] US productivity increasing 8.6% in "the best performance in nearly 19 years." (Continued...)

What about inflation?
 

Aversa points out that productivity gains enable companies to increase salaries without passing costs along to consumers. This process stimulates growth without inflation.  She reports that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan remains bullish about the prospects of growth in spite of last year’s sharp cuts in equipment investment which contributed to the recession.  Speaking before Congress, Greenspan recently testified, "With the growth of productivity well maintained and inflation pressures largely absent, the foundation for economic expansion has been laid.''

What about high unemployment?
 

Encouraging news comes from a May 6, 2002 Reuters report.  "The outlook for hiring in information technology… was starting to improve even as the national unemployment rate touched its highest level in more than 7-1/2 years.  Hiring managers report they will attempt to fill 1.1 million information technology jobs in the next 12 months, according to the report by the Information Technology Association of America…."  The article quotes ITAA President Harris Miller, who said; "We’re coming out of a recession, and the lock that's been on IT spending over the last 12 months is beginning to become unlocked….  We were pleasantly surprised by the optimism of hiring managers….  It's been a tough year, but the worst is behind us."

What does the industry project?
 

An ITAA executive summary; Bouncing Back: Jobs, Skills and the Continuing Demand for IT Workers reports the number of IT jobs in the US falling from 10.4 million to 9.9 million in early 2002.  Factors including the failure of many "dot-coms" and the recession resulted in termination of 2.6 million workers. At the same time, 2.1 million were hired, creating a net loss of over 500,000 jobs.  Perhaps the elimination of those positions served to "remove dead weight," and leaves even more opportunity for entry-level candidates. Writing on CNET News.com, Tiffany Kary describes the same ITAA study, in which over 500 IT hiring managers responded.  Most said they thought they’d be unlikely to locate enough qualified personnel.  This is in spite of the fact there are currently about two million programmers in the US.  Kary writes that there has been a consistent 50% gap between "between supply and demand of IT workers" throughout the past three years.

What are some opportunities?
 

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) website informs readers of the DOJ approach to hiring IT professionals, in a page titled Information Technology Careers.  "We are the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Nation's premier law enforcement agency.  From the [FBI], and the [DEA],…to the Bureau of Prisons,…to the [INS] we need dedicated, talented information technology specialists in a wide variety of fields."

Might other goverment agencies need IT grads?
 

Searching postings on The Federal Office of Personnel Management website produces 219 federal agencies currently offering IT employment opportunities.  It’s impossible to find government agencies or major businesses that don’t employ IT personnel.  One branch of the government where IT workers are in demand is the National Security Agency (NSA).  Their website lists numerous IT employment categories at the NSA, for example: Information Assurance Directorate, Defense Information Operations, Security (Software or Hardware) Design/Development, Network Security, and (Hardware or Software) Exploitation.

What else might influence hiring trends?
 

A recent ComputerWorld.com article by Pimm Fox, entitled; Patriot Games: the IT Call-up illuminates another factor.  "Uncle Sam wants you - for work, not war. Within the next five years, approximately 45% of all federal workers will be eligible for retirement... IT positions will be hit hard as workers decamp for private industry."  Fox describes legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-Virginia), and passed by the House proposing the creation of the "Digital Tech Corps."  This creates a program where IT professionals work for the government for six months to two years, while retaining their corporate benefits and receiving the difference in pay from their permanent employer.  A reciprocal arrangement in the program would let federal IT employees take a parallel leave to work in the private sector.  "IT workers could gain valuable experience working for the government, and the government would get the benefit of highly trained private-sector workers." (Continued...)

What else might the government do?
 

Rep. Davis stated, "The legislation would permit a transfer of talent that will reap great benefits for the… people, as …government gets an infusion of IT talent to kick-start e-government initiatives and help fight the war on terrorism…"  In the aftermath of 9/11, there’s increased emphasis on IT security. News coverage points out how the “war on terror” and the terrorists have employed computer technology

Senate Bill 1993, proposed even before the 9/11 attacks, by Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) and Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), further illustrates the role of Information Technology in our nation’s defense.  The Government Information Security Act, Senate bill 1993 was introduced on November 19, 1999 and is summarized on the agency’s website: (Continued...)

"Government Information Security Act (S. 1993)  This legislation… is intended to protect Federal government information systems from cyber attack.  Among other things, S. 1993 would strengthen the Office of Management and Budget’s information security duties, consistent with its existing responsibilities under the Paperwork Reduction Act; establish Federal agency accountability for information security,...provide for the application of a unified and logical set of government wide controls by including national security systems within the application of the legislation; and require agencies to have an annual independent evaluation of their information security programs and practices."

The post - 9/11 demand for this accountability is crucial, considering the complex logistics involved.  Many impartial observers agree that the demand for skilled IT professionals is a continuing trend.  The steady public and private sector growth in the use of technology is expected to continue indefinitely.  With the demographics involved, information technology graduates have ample opportunities in today’s employment market. Bob Powers - Ohio University Net Writing - 2002

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