Tuesday, June 14, 2011

California Community College EWD Industry Study: Mobile Media Implications for Workforce Demands

"Mobile media software development is one of the fastest growing segments of the technology industry; Information Technology (IT) professionals expect application development for mobile devices to surpass the software development for all other media platforms by the year 2015. According to a 2010 IBM survey, mobile access to the Internet exceeded desktop access for the first time in 2008. A recent report released by the Center of Excellence (COE), hosted at Mt. San Antonio College, examines the emergence of mobile media and its implications on workforce demands.

"A notable feature of mobile media development is the wide variance in the educational requirements of the workforce, as well as the entrepreneurial nature of this fast emerging field. At the upper end of the education spectrum are software engineers with advanced degrees and years of experience with developing software, systems, and technical capabilities. At the other end of the spectrum are self-taught computer technology experts, who are developing applications in their home offices and selling or licensing them to mobile media companies and vendors. Employers interviewed for the study emphasized the demand for people with "specific skill sets", regardless of a degree, that enabled them to create mobile websites, or new applications, using multiple platforms or programming languages.

"As the field is still emerging, information on the number of jobs and occupations is yet to be fully identified, which makes it challenging for community colleges to develop programs that will groom the workforce pipeline. In an effort to further understand the demands of the mobile media segment, the COE will conduct a more comprehensive employer survey. The new survey results will be available later this year, and will provide detailed data on labor market and employment projections, as well as recommendations for comprehensive educational programs designed to prepare students to meet the growing workforce and training requirements.

"To view the current study, please visit www.coeccc.net. Colleges, industry partners, foundations, or workforce organizations that have inquiries or partnership interest in customized labor market research studies should contact Elaine Gaertner, COE statewide director, at elaineg@cccewd.net."

MPICT is collaborating with this effort.

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