Title: Addressing the Urgent Declining Enrollment Issue Short Abstract (it’s purposely in past tense):
This workshop was co-sponsored by IBM, Industry Canada, the Information and Communication Technology Council (ICTC), and Ontario Ministry of Economic
Development and Trade. It brought together leaders from across Canada in government, academia, education, and industry to examine data on the large gap between the current size of the computer science education pipeline and the size that would meet the current demands of industry and enhance Canadian international competitiveness in the future.
Given the magnitude of the gap, a clear consensus developed that a concerted and coordinated effort by all stakeholders is required. Ministers of education joined with teachers and principals, university faculty and administrators, and industry practitioners and recruiters in establishing short and long term objectives and plans for addressing the most important impediments to increasing the number of post-secondary graduates in computing and information sciences nationwide.
Workshop Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2007; After CASCON keynote for the full day.
Organizers:
• Craig Boutilier, Chair, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
• Dave Scott, IBM Canada
• Elaine Leung, Manager of ICT unit of MEDT in Ontario with Erfon Mendoza and Carolina Botera
• Jacob Slonim, Dalhousie University
• Julia Kranjac, RIM
• Karen Klink, RIM
• Kelly Lyons, IBM Toronto Lab
• Kevin Schneider, Chair, Department of Computer Science, University of Saskatchewan
• Paul Swinwood, Information and Communication Technology Council (ICTC)
• Stephen Perelgut, IBM Toronto Lab
• Tamer Özsu, Director, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo
• William A. Aiello, Chair, Department of Computer Science, UBC Long Abstract (available on-line for attendees to review)
the current size of the computer science education pipeline and the size that would meet the current demands of industry and enhance Canadian international competitiveness in the future. Given the magnitude of the gap, a concerted and coordinated effort by all stakeholders is required. Ministers of education will join with teachers and principals, university faculty and administrators, and industry practitioners and recruiters in establishing short and long term objectives and plans for addressing the most important impediments to increasing the number of post-secondary graduates in computing and information sciences nationwide.
This is a full day workshop. The results of this workshop will be a set of specific action items, owners and resources for, and commitment to follow through with those action items. Plans for follow on meetings will also be established.
There will be a report prepared after the workshop that will be shared with all participants.
This workshop is being organized by the following people:
• Craig Boutilier, Chair, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
• Dave Scott, IBM Canada
• Elaine Leung, Manager of ICT unit of MEDT in Ontario with Irfan Mandozai and Carolina Botera
• Jacob Slonim, Dalhousie University
• Julia Kranjac, RIM
• Karen Klink, RIM
• Kelly Lyons, IBM Toronto Lab
• Kevin Schneider, Chair, Department of Computer Science, University of Saskatchewan
• Paul Swinwood, Information and Communication Technology Council (ICTC)
• Stephen Perelgut, IBM Toronto Lab
• Tamer Özsu, Director, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo
• William A. Aiello, Chair, Department of Computer Science, UBC Agenda:
• 10:00 to 10:45 Jacob Slonim will present data and results of the ICTC Report which includes:
o Numbers of CS students from universities across Canada o Problems identified by people interviewed
o Suggested Solutions and Recommendations
• 10:45 to 11:00 Paul Swinwood will present the state of demand in Canada for IT
• 11:00 to 11:15: BREAK
• 11:15 to 12:00: We will then break into groups where each group will include representatives from industry, academia, high schools, fed. Gov’t, prov.
Gov’ts;
o Each group will identify ~5 recommendations or will pick the top ones from what was suggested in the opening presentation
• 12:00 to 1:00 LUNCH
• 1:00 to 2:00 Report back from first break out session:
o Go around the room group by group and iterate until all Recommendations are presented:
o One group will report a top Recommendation from their list
o Any other groups which have similar Recommendations, will report them at that time
o The result will be 5-10 top Recommendations
• 2:00 to 3:15 The Groups (same groups) will then break out again and each group will take 1-2 of the top Recommendations and come up with concrete actions and owners for those actions
• 3:15 to 3:30 BREAK
• 3:30 to 4:30 Report back from the second break out session:
o Each group will present recommendations, actions, and proposed owners to the workshop participants for discussion and feedback.
o There will be a panel of key stakeholders (decision makers from industry, high school, governments (fed and prov), academia) who will also provide feedback and who are ultimately responsible for
providing resources / commitments to the recommended actions or revised actions.
o In this way, we guarantee that there will be follow-up and work carried out after the workshop.
Resources and Links to Related Material:
• Survey reveals 'sobering' IT skills shortage: A new survey shows that a growing shortage of IT skills has put upward pressure on salaries as employers choose experienced workers over graduates. The organization behind the numbers says failing better recruitment, a myriad of Canadian businesses could suffer. IT World Canada Inc., an online resource for IT job seekers and employers, says a continuation of what it calls a "sobering trend" will hurt economic growth and productivity "across all industries." The survey released on Monday shows 61 per cent of responding companies that use information technology expect to hire new staff this year. Managers in that group said the number of IT workers on their payrolls, on average, is expected to increase by 21 per cent. Overall, the survey results show a demand for 12 per cent growth in IT staffing levels in 2007.
"Information technology is central to the effective operation of most businesses and government and key to greater productivity," Andrew White, president of IT World Canada, said in a news release.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/07/16/skills-shortage.html
• Science, Tech Advocates Eye Increased Federal Resources National Journal's
struggle. "The budget request contained the first meaningful increase for the National Science Foundation's education programs in many years, something the STEM ed community has really made a high priority," says James Brown, co-chairman of the STEM Education Coalition. While the House and Senate are working to significantly boost funding for NSF STEM education programs, Brown says the two chambers could also hammer out their differences this summer on legislation to improve the competitiveness of the country. Sen.
Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, also says a comprehensive higher education bill could be passed this year, adding that it would help improve technological competitiveness. The Education Department recently awarded $22 million in grants to help prepare qualified individuals to teach math, science, and other core subjects in high schools. Education also awarded $3.5 million to improve the prospects of employment in science and technology for ethnic minorities.
http://govexec.com/dailyfed/0707/071307tdpm1.htm
• Sharp Drop in Extended Mass Layoffs in IT Industries Since 2001 CRA Bulletin (07/16/07) Vegso, Jay Although the information technology industry struggled with layoffs like the rest of the economy at the turn of the century, reaching a low point in 2002, ever since the industry has seen a dramatic drop in the number of layoffs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the decline has been dramatic, with the number of layoffs lasting more than 30 days and involving more than 50 people in the four subdivisions of the IT industry down as much as 91 percent in 2006. In comparison, layoffs for all other
industries are down 36 percent, and the number of workers who have lost jobs is down about 41 percent. In 2001, all four subdivisions of the computer industry had a total of 1,021 layoff events and 203,561 separations. Last year, there were 123 layoff events and a total of 23,787 separations. http://www.cra.org/wp/
• Behind the Decline of Women in IT, CIO Insight (06/07)No. 82, P. 24; Cone, Edward, A 2005 ITAA survey concluded that women and other minority groups had a worse time finding IT work than white males during the IT downturn and rebound because their initial hold on such jobs was flimsy, and disadvantages women faced at the beginning only compounded and perpetuated the difficulty of finding new jobs when the downturn struck. There is little concrete proof to support this hypothesis, and a professor of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School theorizes that "In boom years, employers are much more open in terms of who they are interested in hiring," but the accommodations they make (such as flexible work scheduling) to increase the jobs' attractiveness to a broader category of worker disappear when the labor market once again softens. The professor believes a future upswing will likely support a higher percentage of female IT workers. Issues he thinks could be contributing to the decline in the female IT workforce include work experience quality, with "work/life balance issues getting better in the boom and worse later." Other possible contributing factors include women's limited access to informal networks in tech jobs, few mentors and role models, and gender-based stereotypes, according to a Catalyst study. Catalyst associate Kate Egan cites the tendency for diversity programs that advance women in IT to be scaled back or rescinded in periods of difficulty. KVH
Industries CIO Kelly Heitmann opines that the move toward outsourcing has reduced the attraction of IT careers to women. Former head of IBM's diversity program Ted Childs warns that the United States will lose its advantage in terms of technology know-how unless more women and minorities are tapped for the IT workforce. http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1397,2149170,00.asp