Employers' Perspectives on New Information Technology Technicians' Employability in North Florida

Autor/inn/en	Hollister, Jonathan M.; Spears, Laura I.; Mardis, Marcia A.; Lee, Jisue; McClure, Charles R.; Liebman, Elizabeth
Titel	Employers' Perspectives on New Information Technology Technicians' Employability in North Florida
Quelle	In: Education & Training, 59 (2017) 9, S.929-945 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0040-0912
DOI	10.1108/ET-02-2017-0019
Schlagwörter	Employer Attitudes; Employment Potential; College Graduates; Information Technology; Paraprofessional Personnel; Geographic Regions; Career Readiness; Semi Structured Interviews; Coding; Job Skills; Experiential Learning; Knowledge Level; Business; Programming; Problem Solving; Certification; Skilled Workers; Skilled Occupations; Qualitative Research; Florida + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Arbeitgeberinteresse; Arbeitsmarktbezogene Qualifikation; Beschäftigungsfähigkeit; Hochschulabsolvent; Hochschulabsolventin; Informationstechnologie; Laienhelfer; Codierung; Programmierung; Produktive Fertigkeit; Experiental learning; Erfahrungsorientiertes Lernen; Wissensbasis; Business studies; Wirtschaft; Betriebswirtschaft; Problemlösen; Abschlusszeugnis; Zertifizierung; Facharbeiter; Fachangestellter; Qualitative Forschung
Abstract	Purpose: In response to recent calls for research relating to employers' perceptions of the workplace readiness of new graduates in a variety of fields, the purpose of this paper is to report North Florida employers' perceptions of information technology (IT) program graduates' workplace readiness. These findings are relevant to stakeholders in growing technology regions. Design/methodology/approach :Researchers conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with IT employers in North Florida. Data were deductively coded with codes derived from national standards. Interviewee verbatim was also inductively coded by theme. Findings: While employers valued a blend of technical and general skills and hands-on experience, they also sought new professionals who possessed fundamental understandings of business and computer programming to tailor their problem-solving skills to the specific company environment. Research limitations/implications: This research represents a limited number of employer viewpoints in one representative community. Practical implications: Ongoing industry input into curricula and expanded experiential opportunities may ensure that graduates are prepared to address current and future IT developments. Because the region under study was typical of many regions with growing technology sectors, these findings may inform partnerships, curriculum, and program design. Originality/value: Given the rapid growth and constant advances of the IT sector, institutions with IT degree programs are challenged to ensure that their curricula are current and meeting the needs of employers. This study's findings may offer timely insight into elements of workforce preparedness. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01