Demand for IT Grads Is Driving Up Supply, Recent Study Finds

NextGov.com (05/14/13) Brittany Ballenstedt

 The high demand for information technology (IT) professionals is driving up the number of college students pursuing IT-related degrees, according to a Dice.com report, which says the number of IT-related bachelor degrees and associate's degrees rose nine percent and 16 percent, respectively, between 2010 and 2011.

The report also says the number of associate's degrees increased 36 percent over the past four years. "As the growing demand for tech workers meets a growing supply--a higher number of new two-year and four-year graduates entering the workforce--the result may well be more competitive pressure for job applicants and a tougher fight among the best and brightest for coveted jobs on the enterprise side of the tech world," the report notes.

One major trend in IT-related degrees is an increasing emphasis on two-year degrees, as 19 states in 2010 and 2011 conferred more two-year degrees than bachelor's degrees.

 "Ask the leaders of top-drawer institutions, the mid-majors, and community colleges about creating [return on investment] for students, and they all talk about creating a range of payoffs for their graduates--empowering their passions, giving them current, saleable skills, and helping them navigate the pathway to fulfilling employment," the report says.

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