10 September 2001
Source: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
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[Federal Register: September 10, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 175)]
[Notices]
[Page 47016]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Technology Administration
Announcement of Public Meeting on Existing Public and Private
High-Tech Workforce Training Programs in the United States
AGENCY: Technology Administration, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a public meeting will be held on
Tuesday November 20, 2001, 10:00 a.m. in the Technology Administration,
Technology Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 4813. Sections
115(a) and 115(b) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First
Century Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-313) require the Secretary of
Commerce to conduct a study and prepare a report to Congress on
existing public and private high-tech workforce training programs in
the United States. In connection with this study and report, this
public meeting is intended to provide an opportunity for individuals to
offer comments on information technology (IT) workforce training.
The study and report will focus on the education and training paths
and programs through which workers prepare for highly skilled IT jobs,
and maintain the skills needed in an ever-changing IT environment. The
study and report will explore: IT worker demand in terms of education
and skill requirements, employer role in IT worker training, the IT
education and training program landscape, including what education and
skills various models of IT worker training program provide; and key
elements for program success. Interested parties may include employers,
IT workers, education/training providers, state and local governments,
and area/regional training partnerships.
DATES: Tuesday, November 20, 2001, 10 a.m.
ADDRESSES: Technology Center, Technology Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Room
4813, Washington, DC 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Individuals who wish to attend this
public meeting should contact Carol Ann Meares, Technology
Administrations, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 4823, Washington, DC
20230. Telephone (202) 482-0940, or e-mail [email protected].
Dated: September 4, 2001.
Bruce Mehlman,
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy.
[FR Doc. 01-22632 Filed 9-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-18-M
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[Federal Register: September 10, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 175)]
[Notices]
[Page 47016-47019]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10se01-39]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Technology Administration
[Docket No. 010626163-1163-01]
Notice, Request for Comments on Existing Public and Private High-
Tech Workforce Training Programs in the United States
AGENCY: Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Request for comments on existing public and private high-tech
workforce training programs in the United States for Congressionally-
mandated study and report to the Congress by the Secretary of Commerce.
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SUMMARY: On behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, the Technology
Administration (TA) invites interested parties to comment on existing
public and private high-tech workforce training programs in the United
States. Sections 115(a) and 115(b) of the American Competitiveness in
the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-313) require the
Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study and issue a report on this
subject. In connection with this study and report, this Federal
Register notice is intended to solicit comments and reply comments from
the public in paper or electronic form. All written comments submitted
in response to this notice will be posted on the TA website
(www.ta.doc.gov/ittraining), and may be used in a report to Congress.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments no later than
November 9, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Carol Ann Meares, Office
Technology Policy, Technology Administration, Room 4823 HCHB, 1401
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20230. Paper submissions should
include an electronic copy of the comments on a diskette in ASCII,
WordPerfect (please specify version) or Microsoft Word (please specify
version) format. Diskettes should be labeled with the name and
organizational affiliation of the filer, and the name and version of
the word processing program used to create the document.
In the alternative, comments may be submitted electronically to the
following electronic mail address: [email protected]. Comments
submitted as attachments to electronic mail should be submitted in one
or more of the formats specified above.
Another alternative method for providing comment is an Internet-
based form that can be completed and submitted online. The URL for this
notice is www.ta.doc.gov/ittraining/form.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Ann Meares, Office Technology
Policy, telephone: (202) 482-0940; or electronic mail:
[email protected]. Media inquiries should be directed to the Office of
Public Affairs, Technology Administration, at (202) 482-8321.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The development and application of new information technologies
across virtually every segment of the American economy has resulted in
rapid, sustained growth in demand for highly skilled information
technology (IT) workers. Accordingly, between 1983 and 1998, the number
of high-skilled IT workers increased from 719,000 to 2,084,000--an
increase of 190 percent, more than six times the overall U.S. job
growth rate during this period.
Rapid growth is expected to continue into the foreseeable future.
The
[[Page 47017]]
Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) most recent ten-
year employment projections indicate that the number of core IT
workers--computer scientists, computer programmers, computer engineers,
systems analysts, computer support specialists, and database
administrators--will rise from 2.2 million in 1998 to 3.9 million in
2008. Another 300,000 will be needed to replace those leaving the field
during this period. As a result, BLS projects more than 2 million new
core IT workers will be needed during this ten-year period. In
addition, the five fastest growing occupations in the U.S. economy
during this period are all core IT occupations--database
administrators, 77.2 percent; systems analysts, 93.6 percent; computer
support specialists, 102.3 percent; computer engineers, 107.9 percent;
and ``all other computer scientists,'' 117.5 percent. These growth
rates compare to a projected increase of 14.4 percent for all
occupations during this period.
The jobs represented by these broad occupational classifications
are varied, complex and specialized, as are the knowledge, skills and
experience required to perform them. There is no single path to prepare
a worker for a core IT occupation. Most get their education from four-
year colleges and universities. Other paths include two-year degree-
granting community colleges, special university/community programs
designed to upgrade the skills of the current workforce, a growing
number of private sector certification programs, in-house company
training, short courses and self-study.
BLS's Current Population Survey indicates that two-thirds of the
current core IT workforce have four-year college degrees, a quarter
have less than a bachelor's degree but more than a high school diploma,
and the balance have a high school diploma or less. In addition to
formal education, many IT workers hold one or more technical
certifications. Of those with four-year college degrees, 46 percent
have IT degrees, minors or second majors; 86 percent have a degree in a
science or engineering discipline.
This study and report will focus on the education and training
paths and programs through which Americans prepare for these jobs and
maintain the skills needed in an ever-changing information technology
environment.
The Office of Technology Policy, an agency of the Commerce
Department's Technology Administration, has conducted research and
produced reports on the Nation's challenge in meeting the high U.S.
demand for skilled IT workers. These reports can be downloaded for
review at: http://www.ta.doc.gov/reports.htm
II. Statutory Language Requiring a Study and Report to Congress
The statutory language requiring the Secretary of Commerce to
conduct a study and submit a report to Congress on existing public and
private high-tech workforce training programs in the United States is
found in Sections 115(a) and 115(b) of the American Competitiveness in
the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-313), and is set
forth below:
Sec. 115(a) STUDY--The Secretary of Commerce shall conduct a
review of existing public and private high-tech workforce training
programs in the United States.
Sec. 115(b) REPORT--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit a
report to Congress setting forth the findings of the study conducted
under subsection (a).
III. Specific Questions
The Department seeks comment on the following specific questions.
Parties need not address all questions, but are encouraged to respond
to those about which they have particular knowledge or information.
A. Questions for Employers
Please provide some information about your company/organization to
provide a context for your comments (e.g. type of business, georgraphic
location, size of total workforce, size of IT workforce).
1. What types of IT workers does your company/organization employ
(.e.g. development, application, support; occupational/technical skill
type; entry-level, mid-level, senior)?
2. In making IT workforce-hiring decisions, what priority do you
place on:
Graduate degrees?
--Four-year IT degree (e.g. computer science, computer engineering,
management information systems)?
--Four-year technical degree (e.g. math, science, engineering)?
--Four-year business degree?
--Four-year liberal arts degree?
--Two-year associates degree?
--Technical Certification(s)? Which certifications does your company
rely on?
--General technical experience?
--Experience with specific applications, operating systems, programming
languages, hardware, etc.?
--Industry-specific Experience?
3. What types of education/training programs (e.g. certification
programs, private IT schools, short courses, seminars, community
colleges, universities) provide newly hired IT workers with the skills
needed?
4. What types of education/training programs (e.g. certification
programs, private IT schools, short courses, seminars, community
colleges, universities) provide current employees with the skills
needed to be successful in their jobs, career progression, and to adapt
effectively to changing technology?
5. Does your company/organization undertake efforts to keep the
skills of your IT workforce current? What types of education/training
programs (e.g. certification programs, private IT schools, short
courses, in-house training, contract trainers, vendor training,
seminars, community colleges, universities) does your company/
organization use to provide current IT employees with the skills they
need? What are the strengths and weaknesses of these programs?
6. What barriers inhibit investment in the education/training of
current IT employees (e.g., cost, time from the job, fear of losing
employee, uncertainty about future skill needs)?
7. Is your company/organization engaged in any partnerships (with
industry, government, academia, training providers, etc.) to develop IT
workers? What are the strengths and weaknesses of these programs?
8. What factors are considered in deciding whether to fill an IT
position (or class of IT positions) by providing training and education
to upgrade the knowledge and skills of current employee(s)
(``making''), or by hiring employees who already have the skills from
the open labor market (``buying'')? What are the characteristics (e.g.,
skill level, experience requirements, area of expertise) of IT position
that your company/organization fills by making? By buying?
9. How important are ``soft skills'' (e.g., oral and written
communications skills, teamwork, problem solving) for an IT worker?
Which ``soft skills'' are most important?
10. How quickly do the IT skills needed by your company/
organization change? How are these changing IT skills requirements met?
What impact do changing skills requirements have on your IT workforce?
11. Are you aware of or been involved in any U.S. Department of
Labor-sponsored or support IT workforce training programs in your area?
Have you hired or considered for employment any employees trained
through U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored or supported IT training
workforce programs? If so, what is your assessment
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of the value of the training of these employees received? How well did
the skills of the graduates of these programs meet your company's IT
skill needs?
12. Does your company/organization train non-IT employees for IT
jobs in the company/organization? If so, what types of education and
training programs are provided for this purpose?
13. For IT managers: When announcing a job opening, do the
education/skills/experience articulated by your company/organization as
required for specific IT positions accurately reflect the education/
skills/experience required to be successful in the positions?
14. For human resource officials: Do the education/skills/
experience articulated by your line managers as required for specific
IT positions accurately reflect the education/skills/experience
required to be successful in the positions?
15. What types of credentials would substitute for technical job
experience for entry-level jobs? For more advanced jobs?
16. Does your company/organization, either directly or through
another organization, provide information regarding your IT skills
needs to local educational and training providers to help them tailor
their curricula/instruction to your needs?
17. Aside from the education/training investment in your current IT
employees, what types of investments does your company/organization
make in developing the U.S. IT workforce (e.g. financial contributions,
scholarships, internships, work study, hardware/software donations,
employee mentoring of students, adopt-a-school, other)?
18. Of the IT education/training programs that you have experience
with, which do you consider effective?
B. Questions for IT Workers
1. What types of education and training programs (e.g.
certification programs, private IT schools, short courses, seminars,
community colleges, four-year colleges, graduate schools) provide the
most immediately marketable skills for obtaining an IT job?
2. What types of education and training programs provide the most
valuable IT or other skills for success in the long run in the IT
field? Career progression in IT? Ability to adapt to changing
information technology?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the IT education/
training program(s) you attended in terms of their providing valuable
knowledge and skills for the IT job market?
4. What barriers do current/potential IT workers face in obtaining
IT education and training (e.g., cost, availability, scheduling,
meeting prerequisites)?
5. In your experience, what types of programs provide the highest
quality of IT education/training? Best value? Most effective?
6. What barriers have you faced in obtaining IT jobs (e.g., lack of
education, certification, experience, specificity of skill
requirements)?
7. Have your employers supported your efforts to obtain IT
education/training/skills upgrading? If so, how (e.g., paid for
training, provided training on-site, provided time away from work to
attend classes)? What barriers did you face in getting your employer(s)
support?
8. How do you keep your skills up-to-date (programs, cost, time)?
9. How important is formal training versus experience gained on the
job?
10. In your experience, do you believe that employers' stated
requirements--in terms of education, skills, and experience--closely
match the actual requirements of the jobs advertised?
11. Are you aware of any U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored or
supported IT workforce training programs in your area? Have you
participated in any U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored or supported IT
workforce training programs? If so, what is your assessment of the
value of the training provided by these programs?
C. Questions for Education/Training Providers
Please provide some information about your company/school/
institution to provide a context for your comments (e.g., contract
trainer, private IT school, community college, college, university;
number of students; type of IT programs offered; duration, cost, type
of client served).
1. In your IT education/training programs, is there any tension
between providing fundamental knowledge and skills that are broadly
applicable, and providing IT skills (perhaps proprietary) that will
make your graduates immediately marketable? If so, how do you deal with
the tension?
2. Are you finding that students in your programs arrive with the
fundamental skills to be successful in IT careers? What are the
characteristics of students who are most likely to succeed in your
programs? What are the most significant barriers your students face in
completing your programs? What are the most significant barriers your
students face in finding employment after completing your program?
3. In an era of rapidly changing technology, how flexible is your
institution in adapting its curricula to meet the changing technical
skill needs of students and employers? Other changing needs of students
and employers (e.g., soft skills, business skills, hands-on training,
internships)? What are the barriers to adapting to these changing
needs?
4. Does your institution provide placement services for your
graduates? What level of success do your students have in securing IT
employment after receiving training/education from your institution?
What barriers to securing IT employment do your graduates report?
5. How do you develop connections between the program (what is
taught) and employers' needs?
D. Questions for State/Local Government Agencies and Area/Regional
Partnerships
Please provide some information about your agency/partnership to
provide a context for your comments (e.g. type of institution, when
established, phase of development, scope of activities).
1. Does your organization have a strategic plan for developing the
IT workforce in your area or region? What are the elements of your
plan?
2. Who is involved in your plan (e.g. government agencies,
companies, education/training providers, workforce investment boards)?
3. Who do your programs target for training (entry level, career
changers, disadvantaged groups, special communities, current IT
workforce--both staying current (retooling) and getting ahead
(upgrading))? What are the barriers to providing this training
(aptitude, lack of knowledge/skill needed to participate in training,
interest, lack of available workers, lack of time in students' lives,
employer resistance)? How do you attract students/clients to your
programs?
4. Approximately how many people have received training through
your programs (please include the timeframe)?
5. Which institutions (governments agencies, IT companies, non-IT
companies) are financially supporting this effort? Do employers
participate in supporting this effort?
Which IT training providers (e.g. contract trainers, private IT
schools, community colleges, universities) participate in your effort?
6. What types of training programs (certification, community
college, 4-year colleges, graduate schools) do your students
participate in under your programs?
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7. With respect to those you are training for IT jobs, besides the
technical IT training what other kinds of education, training and
employment-related services are available through your program?
8. How successful have your programs been in placing students in IT
jobs? What are the barriers your program participants face in getting
IT jobs after completing their training?
9. What feedback have you received from employers on the strengths
and weaknesses of your programs?
10. Does your state/jurisdiction offer incentives (tax, financial,
other) to employer or employees for IT education and training? How
effective have these incentives been?
Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to penalty for
failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
Dated: September 4, 2001.
Bruce Mehlman,
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy.
[FR Doc. 01-22633 Filed 9-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-18-M