In 2015 and beyond, the technology sector will be the driver of job growth in Connecticut. In Connecticut, we will be happy to keep our defense and financial services jobs steady, while we see a steady growth in technology jobs. However, there is a big cloud on the horizon that will be the largest impediment to job growth in the technology sector. That cloud is the availability of a qualified workforce for our technology companies. The lack of available skilled workers is already leading to companies deciding to expand or start in other locations.
The Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) conducted a survey in May of this year of our member companies and the results were both compelling and concerning. Most importantly, 98 percent of the survey respondents said they would be hiring in the second half of 2014 and in 2015.
It is always dangerous to extrapolate from a survey, but if we look at the average number of new hires expected and assume it is representative of the 3,000 tech firms in Connecticut, there will be a demand for 12,000 new hires. What was most surprising was that this hiring was not only for entry level positions, but also an equal number of mid-level hires. Troublesome for us is that the companies said the hiring was necessary, even if the location was not Connecticut.
The problem is that there is all this demand, and dwindling supply. This demand isn’t short term, nor is it isolated to Connecticut. Globally, there is a shortage of software engineers. Some jurisdictions like Great Britain have accepted that this is a long-term problem and have implemented a curriculum for all of their public schools that begins teaching coding skills in kindergarten, and in eighth grade the student can decide to focus on a career in software development and get into more intensive courses. When fully implemented, all eighth graders in Great Britain will be proficient in coding.
What about us, particularly in this global economy where the location of an IT-based company will be more and more dependent on where the workforce is? We have some forays into making a difference, but they are independent and restricted in what they can accomplish. Let’s shine a light on two of them:
The P-TECH program has its first partnership in Norwalk between IBM, Norwalk Community College and the Norwalk public schools. Ninth grade students who choose to enter into P-TECH will be trained in software development, mentored by IBM personnel, and will graduate high school with an associate degree along with a high school diploma. Based on a successful partnership that IBM piloted in Brooklyn, this is serving as the model for future programs in Connecticut. Already plans are underway to implement the P-TECH model in advanced manufacturing in the southeastern part of the state.
A-100, based in New Haven, trains university software development students in practical application of their academic derived skills and knowledge. Offering a two-month training course followed by a paid internship that works on real-life projects, A-100’s goal is to have available workforce for the emerging technology companies that are starting up in Connecticut. This is a model that is scalable and could become a great resource for small-and medium-sized companies as well.
The good news is that people are working hard to find ways to meet the demand. Unfortunately, the demand is far greater than will come out of these programs. Much more needs to be done if we want to keep our current companies growing in Connecticut and encourage new companies to start. It is time to think at the scale that Great Britain is thinking. It is the key to Connecticut’s job growth that everyone is hoping for, and needs to be addressed.
Bruce Carlson is president of the Connecticut Technology Council.
