and analytic skills than on manual skills. Those with only a high school diploma will have fewer employment options. Education at the sub-bachelor level is very important and yet is not well funded. For example, The Brookings Institution in “The Hidden STEM Economy” ( http://www.brook- ings.edu/research/reports/2013/06/10- stem-economy-rothwell) notes there are many sub-bachelor STEM jobs, but only one-fifth of U.S. federal spending allocated for STEM education goes to sub-bachelor education such as two-year colleges.

The huge and growing demand for providing training in computer coding to young people ( code.org, codeacade-my.org, khanacademy.org, coderdojo. org, girlwhocode.com and more) demonstrates that coding is a sub-bachelor STEM skill in high demand and that young people are eager to learn it. Coding is the basis of many technician skills in IT. We are also concerned the current surge of interest in coding should not become a dead end, but open a path to the full set of principles making up computing science.

Investments in Training and
Continuing Education

Given the importance of finding qualified employees and keeping them from becoming obsolete, one would think that companies are investing in training of prospective employees and continuing education of onboard employees.

is being created without many workers; and for all but an elite few, work no longer guarantees a rising income.”

Technician Shortage

To begin, we acknowledge there is controversy around whether there is a shortage of IT workers. 1 The whole market of IT jobs does not worry us; just the segment we call technicians.

The U.S. Labor Department defines IT technicians as those who diagnose computer problems, monitor computer processing systems, install software, and perform tests on computer equipment and programs. Technicians also set up computer equipment, schedule maintenance, perform repairs, and teach clients to use programs. Technicians need strong knowledge of computers and how they operate, including a broad understanding of hardware and software, operating systems, and basic computer programming. Many technicians must be familiar with electronic equipment, Internet applications, and security. Technicians may also need good communication skills because they interact frequently with people who have varying levels of IT knowledge.

The U.S. Labor Department reported in September 2014 that 16 million mid- and low-skill workers had been displaced by automation and would presumably become employed if they could be retrained. If those people and the underemployed (people with part-time jobs seeking full-time employment) were counted in the unemployment figures, U.S. unemployment rate would have been 11.8% rather than 5.9% in that September. Even retrained workers have had difficulty finding employment. One reason is that employers prefer people with specialized knowledge of their systems. Another is age discrimination—people in their 50s have a much more difficult time finding employment in IT companies than those in their 20s and 30s.

For perspective see the accompany-
ing table, a map of the subdivisions
of the computing field (adapted from
the 2011 column2). The computing de-
partments in the universities are, of
course, focusing on the education in
the computing core disciplines. Simi-
larly other academic departments are
focusing on the computational part
of their fields. Who is focusing on the
third column, the computing infra-
structure technicians?
Not the computing departments
in four-year colleges. In fact, they
call that form of education “training”
and say they do not do training. They
leave the “training” to two-year col-
leges, career academies, and a grow-
ing number of private firms that offer
training certificates.
The Manpower Group (http://www.
manpowergroup.com/talent-shortage-
explorer) lists 10 jobs employers are hav-
ing most difficulty in filling. The top ones
globally include skilled trades, techni-
cians, engineers, sales representatives,
and IT staff. Many skilled tradespeople,
engineers, and IT staff fit our definition
of technician given in this column.
An example of a technician short-
age can be seen in the cyber operator
category. Cyber operators manage net-
works and provide for network security
The U.S. Department of Defense has
been looking for 6,000 cyber profes-
sionals since 2012. In 2014, they had
filled 900 and still hoped to fill them
all by 2016. Whether they can is an
open question. 4
The report “Job Growth and Edu-
cation Requirements Through 2020”
( http://cew.georgetown.edu/recovery2020)
says that 66% of job openings by 2020
will be sub-bachelor. Most jobs will re-
quire some post-secondary education
and will rely more on communication
Professional subdivisions of the computing field.

Computing-Core
Disciplines
Computing-Intensive
Disciplines
Computing-Infrastructure
Occupations

Artificial intelligence
Cloud computing
Computer science
Computer engineering
Computational science
Database engineering
Computer graphics
Cyber security
Human-computer interaction
Network engineering
Operating systems
Performance engineering
Robotics
Scientific computing
Software architecture
Software engineering
Aerospace engineering
Bioinformatics
Cognitive science
Computational science
Digital library science
E-commerce
Genetic engineering
Information science
Information systems
Public policy and privacy
Instructional design
Knowledge engineering
Management information
systems
Network science
Multimedia design
Telecommunications
Computer technician
Cyber operator
Database administrator
Help desk technician
Network operator
Network technician
Professional IT trainer
Security specialist
System administrator
Web identity designer
Web programmer
Web services designer