Washington isn’t generating enough computer scientists and other technology workers to meet growing demand from industry here, according to this long Seattle Times story.
The state estimates that there will be 30,000 openings for computer specialists in the next decade, yet only a few hundred students graduate here each year with the necessary training, the story says. To meet the demand, tech companies want a series of educational reforms, including more funding for the the main research universities, creation of a new one to serve more students, and improved science K-12 education.
On the other hand, the head of WashTech, the state’s largest union of tech workers, seems to dispute the need. He’s quoted as saying that Microsoft and other powerful companies are trying to create an oversupply of workers to force down wages, and want to justify hiring foreign workers and outsourcing of jobs.
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3 responses to “State needs to meet demand for tech workers”
One could similarly say the head of WashTech just wants to maintain a cartel that produces higher prices for constrained labor supplies.
We should absolutely focus University development on career paths that yield a better return for the state. Why should we subsidize degree paths that lead to low earning careers. How about tuition thats inversely proportional to average earnings on graduation.
I could not disagree with Brian more. With his way, we would no longer have any teachers, socal workers and others that provide a services to society that do not have high paying wages.
By charging tution on a scale with how much the person will make once out of college will do nothing more but increase the gap between the rich and poor.
Poor people will no longer have the ability to use education to rise above the poverity level. Only the people with money will be able to go into high paying degree programs as the poorer students will not have the means to go into medical, technology, law and other high paying degree program as they will not be able to pay the cost of the education.
Sure this is finanical aid, but with the cuts Bush has made, it will not fill the gap as tutition for computer science, business other like majors sky rocket.
All education needs to be within the reach of everyone, not just the ones that can pay for it. While the gap between the have and the have nots is increasing, we have to find ways to close the gab, not make it wider.
I totally agree with the head of WashTech. If there was a true shortage of tech workers, the market would react by raising wages (old supply and demand). That’s not been the case in my experience as a former tech worker. I also think that more people would choose a tech career if the career prospects were as good as the Times article states. In the late 90’s a tech job meant high wages and career paths similar to other vaunted professions such as law or medicine. That’s definitely no longer the case for most people (coding superstars a.k.a. system architects are one of the exception).
I think companies just want the state to invest in tech education to create a large supply of qualified workers and keep wages low.