California Jobs Available Now
In his Jan. 8, 2010 Sacramento Bee “Capitol and California” Opinion Column, Dan Walters cites Arnold Schwarzenegger declaring that ”the worst is over for California’s economy“ and predicted happy days ahead.
“Not so fast”, according to Walters. “Schwarzenegger once again has allowed his characteristic optimism — or hubris — to cloud what should be his better judgment. While our universities remain a stellar plus and Silicon Valley continues to lead in technological innovation, we are ill-positioned to attract good-paying, middle-class jobs.”
California has already lost automotive assembly and aerospace plants and the agriculture industry is in big trouble.
Governor Schwarzenegger says that California is “well positioned to take advantage of the future.” “Not by a long shot, says Walters. “Unless we get our act together quickly, we’ll be only well-positioned to become the next Michigan.”
California Jobs Available Now
Leading Information Technology (IT) organizations, businesses, industry and education professionals have come together to collaborate on a new initiative that will help support IT education and enable California businesses to become more IT savvy.
Considering that, despite the state’s unemployment rate, hundreds if not thousands of good paying IT jobs in California remain available today due to a skills and talent shortage, the state needs to move quickly and strategically to implement education programs that will provide California with a competitive advantage.
Business Growth Threatened
Andy Vaughan, Director of Strategic Programs for Monster, Inc., agrees, “A new shortage of skills and talent in IT and business is threatening business growth and many industries are facing large-scale retirements with no one to fill those jobs. Traditional technical IT skills will not suit the burgeoning demand for developing IT and business together.” Vaughan said, “Education and training are the key to the solution and we’re pleased to be involved with a statewide initiative to promote jobs in California.”
Nationwide, IT sector jobs in information and media support, (which includes all aspects of New Media and Information Technology including the Web, network and digital communications, programming and systems development) are on the rise in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, IT employment is expected to increase significantly the next few years. In its Dec. 10, 2009 report, the DOL noted that, “Three of the 10 detailed industries projected to have the most employment growth are in professional and business services: management, scientific, and technical consulting and computer systems design.”
In the United States and abroad, information technology is utilized in almost every company and a majority of jobs, from health care professionals utilizing IT to homeowners utilizing new media resources for information and business transactions on the Web.
Introducing the Why IT NOW Initiative
To address the growing IT skills and employment gap and the need for increasing the efficient use of IT among businesses in California, the newly created Why IT Now initiative addresses California’s critical need to address a shortage of qualified technology professionals.
To accomplish its goals, the WhyITNow.org organizers support California by working closely with leaders from education and those that hire IT professionals to improve collaboration between K-12, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, business and government. The group also advocates building upon and promoting IT literacy into general education curriculum in order to equip all graduates with these basic skills.
Later in the year, the group will introduce and coordinate job shadow programs, internships and IT apprenticeship programs, as well as promote Why IT Now is good for California business, commerce and competitiveness.
California’s Economic Engine Depends on IT
“What makes the WhyITNow.org’ initiative unique is that it promotes jobs in California while improving upon the quality of education resources. The initiative bridges collaboration between business and industry, education and government while promoting the value proposition of IT to small businesses where 80 percent of the jobs exist,” said Bill Cullifer, Executive Director of the World Organization of Webmasters and Chair of the WhyITnow.org initiative.
Industry knows what it needs to prosper in the future, and California educators know how to inspire students to connect with the resources and skills they need to succeed. Bringing these two groups together builds a foundation for California’s future.
Like no other initiative, WhyITNow.org supports California’s IT Job market pipeline through the creation and support of an advanced, sustainable information technology ecosystem.
California has a long history of innovation. To continue that reputation and to prevent the state from losing more of its tax base, we need a concerted effort to ensure that California is able to refresh itself with creative thinkers, IT-savvy workers and entrepreneurs. Efficient use of IT has proven to increase productivity and profits as high as 20 percent and that’s a compelling business case for Why IT Now in California.
