FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2006
Report Dispels Myths of Offshoring; Renews Call for Focus on Computer Science Education
IT Jobs are Plentiful; Rigorous Coursework Must be Made Available to Prepare Future Workers
New York, NY — With all the misinformation that exists about the availability of computer science-related jobs today and in the future, a new report from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) that dispels the myths of offshoring is welcomed by the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). Computers play a ubiquitous role in
society, and ACM’s Globalization and Offshoring of Software report confirms that computer science will remain a major opportunity for future careers. “We know that parents and guidance counselors are trying to provide students with the best possible information about future careers, and we hope the findings of this report will help them understand that the opportunities for careers in computer science and its related fields are increasing , not shrinking,” said Chris Stephenson, executive
director of CSTA.
Globalization and Offshoring of Software is the result of a year of effort from a committee of internationally recognized computer scientists, industry leaders, labor economists and social scientists convened by ACM. Citing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the study found that more computer science jobs are available
today in the U.S. than at the height of the dot com boom, despite a significant increase in offshoring over the past five years.
In fact, U.S. computer science employment in 2004 was 17 percent higher than in 1999. The BLS data reveals that computer science jobs are predicted to be among the fastest-growing occupations over the next decade. The report also concluded that educational policy designed to improve a country’s ability to attract, educate and retain the best computer science talent is necessary to foster innovation and remain competitive in this global environment.
“This is where CSTA comes in, as we are working at the K-12 education level to provide computer science teachers with the resources necessary to offer high-quality courses in their schools,” said Stephenson.
CSTA has launched several initiatives that provide vital resources to sustain computer science education in the nation’s schools. The Java Engagement for Teacher Training (JETT) program (http://jett.acm.org/) is a partnership with The College Board, university faculties and students to deliver Java knowledge to high school computer science educators. CSTA also created the widely endorsed Model Curriculum for K-12 Computer Science Education, which provides a framework for state departments of education and school districts (http://www.acm.org/education/k12/curriculum_promo.html).
The complete Globalization and Offshoring of Software report is available at http://www.acm.org/globalizationreport.
The Computer Science Teachers Association is a membership organization that supports and promotes the teaching of computer science and other computing disciplines by providing opportunities for K-12 teachers and students to better understand the computing disciplines and to more successfully prepare themselves to teach and to learn. http://csta.acm.org/
ACM, the Association for Computing Machiner, is an educational and scientific society uniting the world’s computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest
standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.
http://www.acm.org
