Fewer Students Pursuing Computer Careers

A life working with computers conjures up images of sitting in a cramped cubicle hunched over a computer or fiddling with wires in a dimly lit room.

In the corporate world, those people are often known as "computer monkeys."

The perception is that it's a dull life, a geeky life, a life few people want.

There is also a perception that there are few jobs available in computer-related fields, which couldn't be further from the truth, said Jeffrey Vitter, dean of the College of Science and a computer science professor at Purdue University.

That view is showing up in the number of people studying computer science in college and entering computer-related fields. Although little can be done these days without the assistance of computer technology creating more jobs for those with computer skills, the number of people being trained to work in the field is dropping nationwide.

"The last five years, enrollments have dropped by half," Vitter said. "Nationwide, there are more jobs in the U.S. in computing than there ever have been, even at the height of the dot-com craze. The 10-year count for growth in new jobs is that there will be 1.4 million net new jobs over a 10-year period. That's the hottest growth area of any area at all in the science and engineering fields."

Vitter said the job growth presents a remarkable opportunity for students to get into a field where the starting salary is often $50,000 to $80,000 a year, but they have to be encouraged to explore computer-related fields.

"By far, the biggest reason that kids are not majoring in computer science is that their parents are telling them not to. Their parents think there are no jobs," he said. "What I would say to all the parents is, if you want your kids to tap into great jobs that are intellectually rewarding and financially rewarding as well, get them plugged into computer science or computer engineering or information technology. What you can do with those degrees is really mind-boggling."

The software engineering students at Indiana Tech know their friends think they're geeks, and their parents understand little about their future careers. But they also know they are the first people their friends turn to when they need help with technology a fairly frequent occurrence.

"I get a lot of crap from the guys on how much time we spend in (the computer lab)," freshman Tommy Rodda said. "If we're not doing homework because we have to, we're doing homework because it's fun."

Rodda has known for a long time that he wanted to do something with computers as a career.

"I couldn't get away from them," he said. Although he didn't know exactly what he wanted to study, he knew he was interested in video games, as well. Studying software engineering gives him the flexibility to enter any number of computer-related fields when he graduates.

Classmate Brad Taylor is interested in using his degree in medical technology or military systems. Freshman John Gallias is thinking about developing education software and working as a technology consultant with schools.

"Every job relies on a computer now," Taylor said.

Monique Anderson, director of software engineering at Indiana Tech, said most people don't realize the versatility that comes with a computer degree, particularly software engineering.

"You can do anything," she said. "You can go work for places like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, gaming, Mercedes-Benz. You can pretty much take it and spin it into anything you want to."

The fear that it will lead to a job sitting in a cubicle eight hours a day typing code is a turnoff, Anderson said. That is why schools such as Indiana Tech are trying to show students that working with computers isn't all about being condemned to isolation in a dark corner.

Classes include teaching students how to work in teams on long-term projects. And Indiana Tech is developing a degree program that will start in the fall in computer security and investigations, which blends criminal justice and information security.

Another turnoff to entering computer science programs is the impression that the work is too difficult.

"They're intimidated," Rodda said. "(They think) it's way too much work and not enough play. It's really the exact opposite."

Getting students interested in computer-related fields starts many years before they enter college, experts say. While children and young adults may have a natural interest in computers, that doesn't mean they realize they can tap into that interest and make a career out of it.

Part of the problem is schools don't integrate technology into the way students are taught, said Robert Appelman, associate professor in the Instructional Systems Technology Department in Indiana University's School of Education.

"There seems to be a sense in the curriculum in K-12 that technology is still PowerPoint and the Web," he said. "It's not a curricular issue in terms of courses they need to provide high school students or even middle school students."

Appelman said schools need to do a better job of integrating technology into all classes, much as they do with reading.

"It's a general attitude that the K-12 environment, except for vocational (programs), pretty much categorizes anything to do with a computer to the tacky, geeky side," he said. "They completely ignore art and design that fuel all the other industries."

East Allen County Schools is working to make sure students are exposed to computer careers, whether they think they might be interested or not. All students are required to take a computer course before graduating, and those who know they are interested can take in-depth courses, including training on Cisco computer networks, said Andy Melin, assistant superintendent for secondary education and technology.

"What we're trying to do in our school system is if people feel computer science is something only computer geeks do, they have to understand that the whole world is going to computer-based technology to conduct business," Melin said. "For just about any job you have is going to require some level of computer knowledge."

But not all schools are at that point, yet.

Rodda and Taylor said they had only one higher-level computer class in school, and they often had to help their teachers with the lessons.

Girls, especially, tend to think that a future in computers is not what they want, because they don't realize there are opportunities to work in teams on interesting challenges, Purdue's Vitter said.

"We've got to get the word out to parents and especially young kids," Vitter said. "This is not just working in an office and rebooting computers."

By Krista J. Stockman, The Journal Gazette