Education and Training for the IT Workforce

The U.S. Department of Commerce has recently released a new report on the Information Technology workforce. This is a must read for any of you working to upgrade or grow your IT workforce in either traditional or high-tech industries.

Here are some of the report's highlights:

* Jobs in the IT field are varied, complex, and specialized, as are the knowledge, skills, and experience required to perform them.

* Employers seek workers who possess a specific combination of technical skills and experience, often coupled with a college degree, soft skills, and business or industry knowledge. Typically, employers prefer job candidates with the exact skill fit who require no additional training.

* There is no single path to prepare a worker for a professional IT job.

* The IT education and training infrastructure has grown significantly in size and scope over the past decade. Today, there is a vast array of IT education and training opportunities, with different types of programs and curricula serving different purposes.

* The training landscape is complex and challenging to navigate.

Download the full report here.