Students with Strong Technology Skills In Demand Amidst A Challenging Economy
by Diane Engelhardt

It doesn’t take more than reading the daily newspaper to know that the technology sector is in distress. We’ve seen headlines about companies failing as the stock market remains in a slump and funding sources remain on the sidelines. But does this obvious weakness among technology companies mean that there is no longer a demand for workers with technology skills? No. Actually, the opposite is true. Technology has become a pervasive part of virtually every type of business or organization. As a result, people who understand how to work with technology continue to be in demand.

Many employers, whether in healthcare or education or financial services or government, are actively seeking talented professionals to fill positions that require technology skills. In fact, the largest employers of information technology (IT) workers in the United States are non-IT companies. Non-IT companies currently employ 12 times more IT professionals than companies that have IT as their primary business focus, according to a December 2002 report by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA). For anyone considering pursuing an education in technology or weighing future career options in such an uncertain time, this is encouraging news.

ITAA’s report also indicates that IT industry hiring managers across the country will seek to fill 1,183,000 jobs over the upcoming months, increasing the total number of U.S. IT workers above its current figure of 10,129,000. So, while many businesses across the country have reduced their overall spending, they are still hiring skilled workers to fully utilize the technology they have invested in over the last several years.

In the New York Metropolitan region, employers are also increasing their use of and investments in technology applications—in spite of the economic downturn. New York City is an area that has experienced exceptionally turbulent times in recent years—both economically and culturally and it continues to possess a strong need for skilled technology workers.

DeVry Institute of Technology is seeing this demand first hand. On average, for the past year ending June 2002, 82 percent of DeVry graduates who actively pursued employment or who were already employed when they graduated, held positions in their chosen fields within six months of graduation. DeVry has been impacting the workforce of New York’s Metropolitan region for years. Our graduates are currently utilizing their skills in information technology, telecommunications, engineering, and computer information systems, among other disciplines, at local companies throughout the New York and New Jersey region, such as Canon, GE Medical, the New York Stock Exchange and Fordham University. Clearly, businesses nationally and in the New York City Metropolitan area need qualified college graduates armed with degrees in technology-related fields. At a time when competition for jobs is most fierce, the importance of having a strong technology background is greater. The candidates with the most to offer in this area will have a leg up on others. Those of us on the front lines of education also understand that in any environment, individuals who not only are technically proficient, but have a background and knowledge that will help them navigate a changing workforce, will have access to the most opportunities and be best positioned to succeed.#

Diane Engelhardt is President of DeVry Institute of Technology’s Long Island City campus.

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