Another semester wrapped

Finals are over, graduation is done, students are gone, grades are in. We've put the wraps on another semester. Holidays are around the corner. It goes faster and faster every time! Hopefully there were both good teaching and solid learning. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

Another email today from a company looking for computer science graduates who don't already have jobs. Those would be as rare as hen's teeth. These calls come in almost every week. The market for CS, IT, and IS majors of all types is still remarkably hot ... with no letdown in site. The latest info out of the feds about employment and job trends continues to suggest even stronger demand. One pertinent quote about job growth through 2016:

"Computer scientists and database administrators are projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the next decade. Strong employment growth combined with a limited supply of qualified workers will result in excellent employment prospects for this occupation and a high demand for their skills." Bureau of Labor Statistics

One of the reasons is that all the old dudes (aka "baby boomers") are about to retire, and the legacy systems they've been babying all these years won't go away. Does anybody still teach COBOL? FORTRAN? They're not dead just yet, either fortunately or unfortunately, depending on one's perspective. An interesting trick will be getting at least some of these bright kids to bite on the "old" stuff. That's a tall order when the alternatives are games, ipods, and other whiz-bang techno-gadgets.

That brings us back full circle to the season that is upon us. In fact, it's about time to head to the mall and see what new e-toys the end-of-year budget will bear. So, gotta get going before all the good stuff is gone. Happy holidays to all of you everywhere from out here in ACU-land.