Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Nevada ICT Focus Group Report Available Free

A new "Nevada Information and Communications Technology Focus Group Analysis Report" is now available for review.  It can be downloaded free here.

"The purpose of this research is to support the College of Southern Nevada (CSN), Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) and Western Nevada College (WNC) initiatives by reaching out to employers and other organizations to describe knowledge and skills needed by information and communications technology (ICT) workers; describe the current and projected employment opportunities for technicians; describe industry perceptions of colleges and community college graduates as potential employees; and to provide an update of the 2007 Nevada Information Technology Education (NVITE) Workforce Study report...  

"This research consists of primary data collected during two face-to-face, community outreach focus groups held on May 17 in northern Nevada and May 18, 2012 in southern Nevada.  Focus group sessions lasted two hours.  A total of 84 participants attended the focus groups, and the sessions were held in the following locations:

·         Reno, Nevada, 29 participants
·         Las Vegas, Nevada, 55 participants

"Several employment opportunities and skill needs emerged from this research including mobility, cloud, big data and convergence of technologies.  Focus groups found community colleges to be a valuable resource in preparing the workforce.  However, industry participants found candidates to be only somewhat prepared for employment and would like additional preparation to include a broad understanding of ICT in addition to specialized skills and improved communication, teamwork, writing, and problem-solving skills. 

"In addition, focus group participants indicated a desire for the community college sponsors of the study to follow up on ICT certifications and portable credentials, particularly in project management and services management.  Further development of internship programs, with more information on procedures to implement them, would be welcomed by industry partners."

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