Career College Central

Subscribe at careercollegecentral.com 9 We think it's time to drop the narrative of robots stealing our jobs. Yes, there are many manual tasks and processes that are now automated (and many, many more on their way) but that simply frees up human time to focus on what we do best—connect, innovate, problem-solve, and facilitate. Sure, you may book travel, buy groceries, pay bills, and meet people online, but oen, the platforms and applications allowing you to do so are connecting you with real people on the other end. Plus, the platforms and applications need regular maintenance, updating, and modernization. So while a recent World Economic Forum report suggests that more than 75 million jobs may be lost to automation by 2020, it also suggests that 133 million new jobs will emerge concurrently, "as businesses develop a new division of labor between people and machines." Many of these new jobs will be created in the computer and information technology field, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects to grow by 13%—faster than average for all occupations—adding about 557,100 new jobs by 2026. e World Economic Forum report says that this industry growth will be driven by technological advances in four main areas: more widespread high-speed mobile internet, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and cloud computing. However, these same advances creating opportunities are causing a problem in the information technology job market: a significant IT skills gap. ere are 17% more job openings than skilled workers available to fill them, and 70% of executives say their current employees lack tech and computer skills needed to do their jobs effectively. Aaron Skonnard, CEO and cofounder of enterprise technology skills platform Pluralsight, says "from security to the cloud to AI and machine learning, the global skills gap is ubiquitous. is has a significant impact on companies as they try to scale, innovate with new products and services, and compete in the global marketplace." By 2020, there are projected to be 5 million positions unfilled due to this skills gap, a shortage that could cost the economy $160 billion every year. Sixty percent of IT professionals surveyed by Spiceworks said they plan to stay in the field for the rest of the careers. at's enough people to show that most people who get into IT enjoy it, but enough people planning to move on that the opportunities for people with up-to-date IT and computer skills could end up being even greater than projected. So what's the best way to get started on the path toward a career in information technology? While Spiceworks found 30% of tech workers don't have a college degree (and are potential cases of "accidental IT workers," those who fell into their roles simply by being the most tech- savvy people in their organizations), the vast majority of professionals have degrees in the field. Secondary education is also the quickest, most efficient path toward an IT career for those who are eager to get started. Take a closer look at: Information technology career options Career colleges and technical schools around the country offer a variety of degree- and non-degree-granting programs that help meet the surging demand for skilled workers in the computer, soware, and IT fields and help students begin on the path to fulfilling careers. Here is just a sampling of the fast-growing career options available: Computer Network Architects Entry-level education: Bachelor's degree or five years' experience in a related occupation Median pay (2018): $109,020 annually Job outlook, 2016 to 2026: Growing as fast as average (6% projected growth) with a projected employment change of 10,500 jobs On-the-job training: No What they do: Most computer network architects work in full-time designing and building communication networks including Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), and Intranets. ey mostly work in offices but may work in server rooms as well so they can access the hardware that makes up an organization's network. According to the BLS, "Network architects must have extensive knowledge of an organization's business plan to design a network that can help the organization achieve its goals." Computer network architects: • Create plans and layouts for data communication networks • Present those plans to management and explain why they are in the organization's best interest • Design networks focused heavily on information security • Upgrade routers, adaptors, network drivers, and more to support computer networks • Research new networking technologies to make sure networks are scalable for the future Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Network Architects Computer Programmers Entry-level education: Bachelor's degree Median pay (2018): $84,280 annually Job outlook, 2016 to 2026: Declining (-7% projected growth) with a projected employment change of 21,300 jobs On-the-job training: No What they do: Most computer programmers work full-time in offices, writing and testing code that causes computer applications and soware programs to function properly. Programmers usually work alone but can work with other specialists on large projects and collaborate with other stakeholders to understand their needs for apps and programs. e BLS says that "computer programmers write and test code that allows computer applications and soware programs to function properly. ey turn the program designs created by soware developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can follow." ey posit the reason for the decline in employment is because "computer programming can be done from anywhere in the world, so companies sometimes hire programmers in countries where wages are lower."

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