America's need for top talent in information technology and computer science is a longstanding problem. However, as the pace of technological change accelerates, the demand for skilled information technology and computer science workers is reaching critical levels while the supply of skilled workers remains well below the needs of the nation's…

The aim of this paper is to illuminate the exciting world in which "white hat crackers" operate and to suggest topics that can help prepare students to enter this high-demand field. While currently there is extraordinary demand for graduates to fill these positions that have relatively high starting salaries, employers find it difficult…

The purpose of the study was to identify the perceptions and needs of students with disabilities with respect to Information Technology (IT) training. Results emerged from a survey of 324 college students with disabilities from 17 universities in South Korea. Survey questions were divided into two sections: (a) perceptions about the relevance and…

Corporate learning environments have undergone disruptive changes over the last 20 years due to the explosion of information technology, globalization of the workforce, and shrinking travel and training budgets. Those disruptions are accelerating with the introduction of new technologies such as social media. Potentially the most disruptive change…

The use of computers has become part of everyday life. The high prevalence of computer use appears to lead employers to assume that university graduates will have the good computing skills necessary in many graduate level jobs. This study investigates how well the expectations of employers match the perceptions of near-graduate students about the…

In 1983, when "A Nation at Risk" appeared, it offered recommendations in the areas of content, standards and expectations, time, teaching, and leadership and fiscal support. The growing use of technology was addressed briefly in the section dealing with "indicators of risk," which listed examples of deficiencies in education as compared to the…

"I am shortlisting a candidate with GCSE in English and another with Level 2 in Literacy; does it mean they have the same skill at the same level? Also what is Key Skills in Communication? I am confused!" There are many different qualifications available in the lifelong learning sector and it is not always easy to see how they relate to…

In the past, many children knew little of the world outside their neighborhoods. It was the job of education to enlighten children, to lead them out of ignorance into knowledge. Today's students are different. They grow up connected to the world through their computers and mobile devices. Instead of embracing students' technology-infused lives,…

Responses to an Illinois survey by 19 human resource managers and 26 university and 71 community college information systems instructors rated the importance of workplace and technology skills for entry-level information services and support personnel. Both groups ranked nontechnical/soft skills and information technology certification as…

Responses from Canadian personnel managers (265 women, 148 men) indicated that women spent more time using computers; both men and women used information technologies (fax, voice mail, modem, scanner, copiers, etc.) extensively; and women used computers more often than men for word-processing tasks. (SK)

A survey of 42 information technology graduates with social science backgrounds and little prior computer experience found they not only acquired computer skills but also found relevant employment. Equipping social science and humanities students with specific vocational skills can thus result in satisfaction with schooling and positive employment…

This document presents skill standards for technology occupations. An overview describes national context, changes in the updated "Millennium Edition" of the skill standards, trends in information technology, and curriculum informed by skill standards. Skill standards are presented for eight career clusters in information technology (i.e.,…

Responses from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Britain (n=81), Poland (n=30), and Portugal (n=69) identified current levels of information/communications technology use and training provided and needed. Despite high demand, training is not provided regularly or effectively. Extent of e-commerce adoption influenced level of training.…

In this article, the authors discuss the importance of building a technological infrastructure and of creating educational opportunities for Native Americans that focus on information sciences in order for them to keep up with quickly changing technologies and to close the information gap, and present a research that focuses on the specific…

Data from various national farm surveys suggest that computers on farms are used predominantly for bookkeeping and financial analysis. Computers are not fully exploited to integrate information from diverse aspects of farm operations and therefore, may not help users develop the "systems skills" important in off-farm employment. Implications for…