In the U.S. alone, 150,000 computing jobs open up each year, according to the
New York Times. But fewer than 40,000 American grads earn bachelor’s degrees in computer science.
What does this mean? North America is simply not producing enough computer science grads to fill industry needs — not by a long shot. In today’s tough job climate, it’s a paradoxical situation.
This dearth of technical talent has led to an international feeding frenzy on qualified developers and software engineers. Silicon Valley is wooing new grads with
six-figure salaries. Demand is so high that big tech companies have taken to lobbying for looser immigration rules in order to tap into additional overseas talent. This spring, Mark Zuckerberg and executives from Google, Yahoo and LinkedIn
joined forces as FWD.us to push for comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S.
Yet, this doesn’t get at the root of the problem. Importing foreign engineers may offer a temporary fix, but it does little to nurture a homegrown and enduring tech scene. A lasting solution has to start in high schools, colleges and universities. North American students need to be exposed to formal computer education early and to understand the kinds of fulfilling career opportunities that tech offers.
Right now, that’s not happening. In the U.S. for example, colleges and universities continue to train young people for jobs that simply aren’t in demand. Youth unemployment
hovers at an abysmal 16%—double the country’s overall unemployment rate. Hundreds of thousands of recent university grads are
unemployed or underemployed. Last year it was reported that 60 percent of college grads
were unable to find work in their chosen field.
Meanwhile, companies are struggling to fill entry-level engineer and developer positions. In a climate of global recession, well-paid tech jobs are sitting vacant. Something is deeply wrong with that picture.
This training gap isn’t just a handicap for the tech industry. Without workers with the right skills, the nation as a whole can’t remain competitive.
What we need is a better way to connect eager, talented students with the kinds of jobs that provide stable and rewarding careers. I’m a hacker at heart — confident that enough hustle, ingenuity and late nights can fix almost any problem. There has to be a solution out there for this one.
Reaching high school students with career guidance before they get to university seems a logical first step. Considering where the contemporary economy is headed, it’s time we launched a renewed push in secondary schools toward science and math fields. In particular, students need to see that computer science is relevant, rewarding financially and even fun. This may require getting a little creative. Microsoft engineers in Seattle, for example, recently began
teaching high school classes on a volunteer basis, offering instruction to students who might not otherwise have access to computer science courses.
At the university level, we need more connections between industry and academia. The formula has proven highly effective in Silicon Valley itself. At Stanford, executives from Google, Intel, YouTube and other leading companies
sit in on classes and serve as mentors for aspiring developers and entrepreneurs. In an effort to do our part, my company has recently developed
a program that provides real-world educators with free resources they can use to teach students some of the digital skills needed in today’s workforce. These “
Professor’s Toolkits,” consisting of assigned readings, videos, assignments, and projects, are currently being used by hundreds of institutions globally, including the Columbia School of Journalism and NYU Stern School of Business. Educators building bridges with industry creates a critical feedback loop. Students get real-time perspective on what jobs are in demand. They learn the skills needed for contemporary careers. And they cultivate relationships with forward-looking companies for after graduation.
Finally, it’s up to us tech people to do a better job correcting outdated stereotypes of software engineering as tedious, mechanical work. Engineering done right is a highly creative pursuit—one that rewards inventiveness, playfulness and experimentation. Developers and engineers are as much a part of today’s creative class as artists, musicians and writers. Not to mention that tech is sexier and more visible than ever–Smartphones, tablets and social media have brought computing into the limelight. It shouldn’t be hard to sell people on careers that shape one of the most central aspects of our lives.
I’ll admit that I do have a vested interest in all of this. I want to
make my city Vancouver into a real Silicon Valley North. The
new Facebook office that opened up here this year will have come and gone in a year’s time, but I’m here for the long haul. My colleagues and I want to grow our social media platform,
HootSuite, into a billion-dollar company right here in Vancouver, then go on to fund a whole new generation of tech ventures in the city. We’ll have the capital and the experience to make a real run at turning Vancouver into a legitimate high-tech center.
But without homegrown talent, it’s never going to happen—neither here or anywhere else in North America. High schools and colleges need to funnel students into engineering programs now and send the message that the jobs of tomorrow are in tech. Rewarding, creative jobs with great compensation and long-term prospects are waiting to be filled. Isn’t it time we nurtured some of the talent in our own backyard and steered the next generation to tech?
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