Over the past several years, we have experienced a rather dramatic downward turn in demand for entry level information technology (IT) professionals. However, reports of trends at the end of 2004 indicated that job postings for IT workers reached their highest levels since 2001. This occurs at a time when the number of four year degree progtrams in IT has increased while the students interested in studying IT has decreased. The consensus among many recruiters is that there is a general lack of interest in pursuing an IT degree, and this will lead to shortages in qualified IT professionals.
This paper will examine the future of our technology-related educational programs as well as the projected employment prospects in the IT field. The paper will attempt to match competencies developed in our educational programs with projections for growth areas and shortages in the job market.
