Volume 6

Volume 6, Number 18

February 20, 2008

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16 pages870 K bytes

Information Systems/Technology Employer Needs Survey: Analysis by Curriculum Topic


Thomas N. Janicki
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington NC 28403 USA

Terri L. Lenox
Westminster College
New Wilmington, PA 16172 USA

Robert Logan
Kent State University Salem
Salem OH 44460 USA

Charles R. Woratschek
Robert Morris University
Moon Township, PA 15108-1189 USA

Abstract: As the demand for Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT) graduates grows, it is imperative that the curriculum in IS and IT programs meet employer needs. At the same time it is important that these programs do not become ‘training’ programs but rather teach skills enabling students to learn new technologies as they evolve. IS and IT educators encounter a continuing challenge to insure that their courses and curriculum stay up to date with the technological changes in the field as well as being relevant to the business community. This research summarizes the results of an employer survey conducted at four different universities and their service areas. It is similar to other employer surveys in querying job-hiring expectations, but unique in that it queries the detailed job skills required for specific occupations. The paper also compares the results of a similar survey conducted in 2002/2003. Survey results indicated that Help Desk and Software Development occupations have the highest anticipated hiring levels in the surveyed areas for the 2007-2008 period.

Keywords: ACM curriculum, IS curriculum, IS education, IT employment, IT skills

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Recommended Citation: Janicki, Lenox, Logan, and Woratschek (2008). Information Systems/Technology Employer Needs Survey: Analysis by Curriculum Topic. Information Systems Education Journal, 6 (18). http://isedj.org/6/18/. ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2007: §2312. ISSN: 1542-7382.)