Why IT Now

The zing is back in Information Technology (IT) and jobs in the U.S. are on the rise. To that end, the WhyITNow.org initiative was established to:

• Raise awareness of the opportunities and jobs in the field of IT
• Provide valuable resources for students, parents, educators, government and industry professionals
• Promote community and diversity within IT
• Dispel some common myths and to provide the facts about opportunities within IT
• Provide a linkage between the IT industry, education and government

Five IT specialties are among the 25 fastest-growing jobs anticipated by 2016, according to a new forecast from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Positions in network systems and data communications analysis will increase 53 percent between 2006 and 2016, the highest rate of growth of any occupation. Computer software application engineers will see the fourth-highest growth, with an increase of 44 percent.

Computer systems analysts (29%), database administrators (29%) and computer systems software engineers (28%) also rank in the top 25 jobs in terms of job growth.

Other IT occupations expected to see increase growth include network and computer systems administrators, computer and information research scientists, computer information systems managers and computer support specialists.

The downside for IT? Computer programming positions are expected to decline by 4 percent, the 22nd biggest loss overall. Overall, job growth in the next 10 years is expected to increase slightly less than it did between 1996 and 2006. The Bureau attributes the small drop-off in growth to the aging and retiring of the Baby Boomer generation. “As a result, the need to replace workers who retire or leave the labor force for other reasons—called replacement needs—is projected to create a significant number of additional job openings,” the report states.

For more on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ workforce projections, click here.

The WhyITNow.org is a non profit organization supported by a consortia of IT companies, professional and trade organizations, educational institutions and practicing IT professionals.

Here’s a partial list:

*Adobe Systems Inc.
*Cisco Systems
*Microsoft
*The World Organization of Webmasters (WOW)
*The WOW Technology Minute
*Hundreds of high schools, colleges and universities
*IT training companies

If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor or an affiliate please contact us at: WHYITNOW.orgg

If your in high school or college and you would like to learn more about careers in IT I have great news.

Thanks to the support and contributions of some incredible organizations including the U.S. Department of Education, we’ve published a number of IT career pathway documents that outline the specific topics that need by hundreds of IT workers.

These pathway documents are available today are:

•Free
•Easy to follow easy to read
•Vetted by industry, professional and trade organizations nationwide.

If you would like a copy please contact us at info@whyitnow.org