Techies must nip growing scorn in bud

Willie Brown
Updated 2:35 pm, Sunday, November 24, 2013  SF Gate


This photo shows the sign outside of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Monday, Nov. 4, 2013. As Twitter prepares to complete its initial public offering of stock this week, the San Francisco company's history of losses totaling nearly $500 million is raising questions about its ability to turn a cultural phenomenon into a sustainable business. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

There's a war brewing in the streets of San Francisco, and a lot of people could get caught up in it if the tech world doesn't start changing its self-centered culture.

Every day in every way, from rising rents to rising prices at restaurants to its private buses, the tech world is becoming an object of scorn. It's only a matter of time before the techies' youthful lustre fades, and they're seen as just another extension of Wall Street.

And when that happens, tenant advocates, community activists, labor unions and Occupy types are going to start asking why we're giving away the city to all these white-male-dominated businesses that don't even hire locals.

At which point, the politicians will do what they always do - count votes. And by my last count, for all of their hype and money, tech types were still a decidedly small part of the vote. If they even vote at all.

What the tech world needs to do is nip this thorny plant in the bud. They need to come off their high cloud efforts to save Africa or wherever they take adventure vacations and start making things better for folks right here.

They need to start helping in Hunters Point and in Chinatown.

Most of all, they need to start hiring locals.

Otherwise, the next time it comes to a tax measure or a vote at the Planning Commission, they could find themselves getting skinned.

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Is the tide turning? Women filled 60% of tech jobs created this year

womenwhocode

November 20, 2013 4:02 PM

Rebecca Grant   Venturebeat


Dec. 4 - 5, 2013
Redwood City, CA Tickets on Sale Now

Could America finally be making progress toward getting more women into the tech industry?

New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests we might be.

Of the 39,000 jobs created in tech this year, women filled 60 percent of them. Tech career Hub Dice found that this is the first time women have represented a majority of new hires in the past decade.

The tech industry undoubtedly has a gender problem, and the topic of women-in-tech topic has been debated for years. Women make up less than one-third of all employees in the tech sector. Only 3 percent of tech startups have women founders, and tech companies employ an average of 12.33 percent female engineers. Women contribute to just 1.2 percent of open source software and 5 percent of patents.

These numbers are dismal, but at last it seems that women are making gains.

Part of the improvement could stem from Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, who have been vocal about the need for a more women in tech and a corporate environment where they can succeed.

Research has shown the benefits of a diversified workforce, and American women are highly active on the Internet. They make up 70 percent of both Snapchat’s and Pinterest’s user bases, and women are more likely to use Facebook and Twitter than men. Nielsen estimates that women’s spending power in America ranges from $5 trillion to $15 trillion and that they will control two-thirds of consumer wealth over the next decade.

The notion that women don’t like technology or aren’t interested in technology is absurd, and building a tech community with a more equal gender distribution is long overdue.

Yes, getting girls interested in STEM education is critical to achieving this goal, and yes, creating flexible work policies for employees with children is important for keeping women in tech as well. Sexism and sexual harassment need to stop, and women need to support each other.

But all of these efforts are moot if companies aren’t interested in hiring women in the first place.

The BLS numbers don’t differentiate between full- and part-time jobs and “computer system design, and related services” doesn’t mean that these hires are for technical positions. Furthermore, the number of women getting hired didn’t increase this year, but rather the number of men getting hired decreased, so all that really shifted was the ratio.

These numbers don’t mean that the tech industry is emerging from its period of gender stagnation, but I prefer to be an optimist.

Also watch this video for ‘lets get girls in tech’ awesomeness.

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Talent Shortage May Impede New Hiring by Technology Companies, Second Annual TECNA Survey Reveals

Nov 12, 2013  CompTIA

Survey of 1,700-plus executives offers national, regional views on business conditions, investment plans, policy concerns

Downers Grove, Ill., November 12, 2013 – Technology companies plan to hire new staff over the next 12 months, but are concerned about a persistent shortage of tech talent, according to the second annual National Survey of Technology, Policy and Strategic Issues released today by the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA).

The survey by TECNA, a non-profit trade association of regional technology organizations which serves as a leading voice in growing the North American technology economy, reveals that nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the 1,700-plus C-level executives surveyed say they intend to hire new staff over the next 12 months. Small companies (74 percent) and medium firms (72 percent) are the most optimistic on hiring.

At the same time, 69 percent of executives perceive a shortage in the quantity and quality of tech talent available to them. One-quarter say the shortage is “significant.”

“Companies are feeling better about business conditions, but the talent shortage issue has the potential to sidetrack growth,” said Steven G. Zylstra, TECNA chairman and president and chief executive officer of the Arizona Technology Council.

The talent shortage perception is present across all regions of the country. In the Midwest and West, 72 percent of respondents say there’s a shortage. The Northeast (67 percent) and South (65 percent) were slightly lower.

“The survey substantiates our efforts to champion policies such as STEM education, tax and regulatory reform and access to capital for innovators and start-ups,” Zylstra said. “From Capitol Hill to state capitals, and from legislative committee rooms to city halls, TECNA members continue to serve as the voice calling for a technology-based, pro-growth, business-focused agenda.”

The second annual TECNA survey provides current and future technology trends locally, regionally and nationally. The survey was conducted in partnership with CompTIA, the non-profit association for the IT industry.

Other Key National Findings

• Government should act on dollars-and-cents issues and STEM education: Access to capital is the top area where government policy action should focus, according to 46 percent of executives. Two other monetary issues appear in the top five: taxation and/regulatory reform (40 percent) and access to state and local funding for innovation and startups (37 percent). Support for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education at the K-12 and higher education levels is cited as a policy priority by 41 percent of respondents.

• Lukewarm assessment of federal government representation: Asked how well the federal government is representing the interests of the tech sector, 45 percent of executives said poorly or very poorly. Another 41 percent said “just okay.” The comparable numbers for state government are 38 percent, just okay; and 25 percent, poor or very poorly.

• Business sentiment is on the upswing: The survey reveals improving sentiment about overall business conditions, with the biggest jump occurring in feelings about the overall economy. It’s at 56.4 on a 100-point scale, compared to 46.3 a year ago; and with expectations of more improvement – albeit modest – over the next six months

• Many businesses plan to increase investments: In addition to hiring plans, 59 percent of executives say they’ll invest in new products or business lines over the next six months, with small (65 percent) and medium companies (62 percent) leading the way. About half of all companies expect to boost expenditures on marketing and advertising and on technology.

• Concerns about the economy are the biggest threat: A general lack of confidence or economic paralysis is the biggest threat to business activity, according to 44 percent of executives. Government regulation is next at 42 percent. Concerns about lower margins or downward pressure on pricing took a big jump – from 22 percent in the 2012 survey to 38 percent this year, placing it third on the list of concerns. Medium (51 percent) and large companies (50 percent) are most concerned about margin and price issues.

“Efforts to increase tech sector representation with the federal government, in particular for small and medium sized businesses, are central to TechVoice, our advocacy partnership between TECNA and CompTIA,” said Bob Moore, CAE, TECNA executive director. “Tax and regulatory barriers to tech entrepreneurs, advancing a skilled and career-ready 21st century workforce, and Internet governance are the major policy topics currently being addressed throughout TechVoice advocacy efforts.”

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7 Ways to Find the Best IT Jobs

• by Linda Christensen, Robert Half Technologies
• November 21, 2013

 

Top tips for finding the best tech jobs

From software engineer to mobile apps developer, systems analyst to database administrator — there’s little doubt that technology jobs are hot! But where do you start when you’re ready to begin your job search?

A few simple guidelines can help ensure that you’re on the right track to finding the best IT jobs.

1. Build and maintain your personal brand online. This doesn’t mean just posting your resume online anymore. Today’s employers are using a variety of online tools when recruiting for IT jobs. In addition to using the right keywords in the resume that you are uploading to IT job search engines and job boards, you should do the same in your LinkedIn profile. You can also synchronize all of your social media profiles so hiring managers can find you more easily. Just be sure that all of the details on your social media accounts are professional and appropriate for potential employers’ eyes.
2. Develop a target list of companies that you’d like to work for. There is an abundance of information available online, well beyond company websites. Once you identify the companies in your market that interest you, do your homework – check out Glassdoor and Yelp reviews for additional insight and be sure to follow the companies’ Facebook and LinkedIn pages, as well as their Twitter feeds.
3. Review postings on the search engines and job boards that feature IT jobs such as DICE and CareerBuilder. Keep your searches tight using keywords that match your interests and the location where you want to work. Narrowing your criteria will lead to more targeted and relevant job listings and less weeding through non-relevant job listings.
4. Focus on your social network. Maintaining an active network is critical at every stage of your career, whether you’re seeking a new IT job, looking to advance in your current role or developing your skills. Social media channels allow you to easily leverage existing contacts who can help you find new ones. Because you can see who members of your network are linked to, you can ask for introductions. These channels also give you access to groups with similar interests and career focuses.
5. Once you secure the interview, make sure you do everything you can to ace it! Employers expect candidates to come prepared. Thoroughly research the company in advance and be prepared to answer frequently asked interview questions. Follow-up is also key in securing an IT job. Send a personal thank-you note within 24 hours to thank the interviewer (and anyone else you met with) for taking the time to meet with you. This will help differentiate you from other candidates while providing an opportunity to reiterate your interest in the position.
6. Work with a tech recruiter.  A specialized recruiter can introduce you to the right tech opportunity and help accelerate your job search. Recruitment firms have well-developed relationships with employers and are very familiar with workplace trends and the specialized skills that are currently in demand. Perhaps most importantly, specialized technology recruiters frequently know about jobs that have not yet been advertised.
7. Stay positive. We all know searching for a new job can be stressful. But if you feel negative or unenthusiastic, it could come across when you are meeting potential employers and have a negative impact on your prospects. Keep in mind that a positive attitude goes a long way during the job search. As an IT professional, you are working in one of the fastest growing industries around and that in itself is something to feel positive about!

— Linda Christensen

Linda Christensen is the senior director of field marketing and public relations for Robert Half Technology. She has worked in the recruiting industry for 18+ years, focusing primarily on local public relations and marketing strategies. Linda is well-versed in career search trends and frequently tapped by friends for job search and career advice.

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New Milestone for CompTIA Troops to Tech Careers Initiative: 16,000 Veterans Certified for IT Skills

Nov 08, 2013  CompTIA


Downers Grove, Ill., November 8, 2013 – CompTIA, the non-profit association for the global IT industry, said today its Troops to Tech Careers initiative has reached a new milestone in the number of military veterans certified in the skills that can lead to post-military careers in IT.

Some 16,000 veterans have earned nearly 22,000 CompTIA certifications between the launch of Troops to Tech Careers in October 2011 and Veteran’s Day 2013. In the last year, the number of participants has doubled.

“Veteran’s Day reminds us how important it is to support our nation’s veterans as they transition from active duty to civilian life,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA. “Critical to this transition are creating opportunities for veterans to find meaningful employment in careers that offer long-term options for advancement and growth.”

The IT industry is one in which veterans with the right mix of business, communication and technical skills can find rewarding careers.

During Q3 2013, there were 615,192 core IT job openings in the U.S., according to Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights. This at a time when unemployment for post-9/11 veterans continues on an upward trend – 10.1 percent in September, compared to the nationwide unemployment rate of 7.2 percent.

“This is unfortunate, because veterans know what hard work is and frequently enter or re-enter the civilian workforce with sought-after skills,” Thibodeaux noted. “We established Troops to Tech Careers to signal CompTIA’s commitment to our veterans and encourage our members and the broader IT industry to join us in this effort.”

Troops to Tech Careers offers veterans a way to hone their existing talents and fill in any gaps through training and certification in the IT skills most sought after by employers.

CompTIA Security+ is currently the most sought after certification among Troops to Tech Careers veterans, with some 9,700 earning the credential. CompTIA A+ is next, with 6,670 veterans certified; followed by CompTIA Network+ (4,490). Veterans have also attained certifications in project management, server technologies, green IT, Linux and storage.

CompTIA is a participant in the White House’s IT Training and Certification Program, a public-private partnership that will enable thousands of service members to earn industry-recognized IT certifications before they transition from military service.

CompTIA also participates in the Department of Defense Information Assurance Program and contributes to the Wounded Warriors Project through its foundation, Creating IT Futures.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. Visit www.comptia.org, http://www.facebook.com/CompTIA and http://twitter.com/comptia.



Contact:
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
630-678-8468
smostrowski@comptia.org

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CTI: Tech Leaders Warn IT Talent Shortage Could Curb Hiring Plans

Technology companies are looking to hire more employees over the next year, but worry that there will not be enough qualified IT jobs candidates to fill the vacancies.

By Kenneth Corbin CIO
Thu, November 14, 2013

CIO — In an economy marked by conflicting indicators, technology companies are looking to hire more employees over the next year, but worry that there will not be enough qualified candidates to fill the vacancies, according to a new survey from the trade group Technology Councils of North America.

TECNA's poll of more than 1,700 technology executives highlighted the contrasting views of the business climate that have marked the shaky economic recovery. Broadly gauging sentiment about the overall business conditions today, the survey reported a score of 56.4 on a 100-point scale, up from 46.3 a year ago. At the same time, respondents cited a lack of confidence and economic paralysis as the biggest impediments to business activity.

"Mixed economic messages have been the pattern for several years now. A few indicators will show positive improvement, while a few will show weakness," says Bob Moore, TECNA's executive director.

"Consequently," Moore adds, "it can be difficult to reconcile conflicting signals."

Where Are All the Tech Pros?
Amid that tepid optimism, tech leaders fret over shortfalls in the talent pool that could stall their hiring plans. Sixty-three percent of respondents said that they intend to add staff in the next 12 months. That figure was even higher among executives at small and midsized business, segments in which more than 70 percent of respondents are looking to expand their workforce.

But 69 percent of the respondents bemoaned a "shortage in the quantity and quality" of workers with technology skills.

The results of the survey come as the latest argument advanced by tech sector groups in favor of policies to boost the labor force, including efforts to further education in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and math, andreforms to the immigration system to bring in more skilled foreign workers.

Moore stresses his group's support for comprehensive immigration reform, "in particular the high-skilled aspects that increase H-1B visas for STEM workers."

"We strive for reform either as one large package or through piece-meal legislation that is put together down the road," he says, calling the current system "broken."
Would Immigration Reform Help?

Immigration reform appears stalled at the moment in Washington, however. The Senate has passed a comprehensive bill, but on Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner said that he would not consider the legislation, saying that "we have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate bill."

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Robert Half Technology 2014 Technology Salary Guide and Calculator

2014 TECHNOLOGY SALARY GUIDE

THE VALUE OF INNOVATION

Robert Half Technology

Open doors with our 2014 Salary Guide. Discover the latest IT salary data and trends.

Get started with your free 2014 Salary Guide or access our IT salary calculator now.

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5 Technology Jobs That Didn’t Exist 5 Years Ago

by Jamie Carpen  Robert Half Technology
November 15, 2013




Check out these 5 fresh technology jobs. 

My firstborn turned five earlier this year, and this rite of passage prompted me to think of how technology – and the world – has changed in the past five years.

There were no iPads (gasp!), smartphones had just hit the scene, and while social media was around, it wasn’t nearly the life force it is today.

Of course technology constantly changes the world we live in, but it’s also driving the creation of new technology jobs every day. Many of today’s most in-demand positions, such as mobile applications developer, were just a twinkle in someone’s motherboard five years ago. And in the past year, entry-level salaries for mobile app devs grew 7.8 percent, according to the 2014 Salary Guide by Robert Half Technology.

I recently turned to my IT recruiter colleagues to get insight on five new technology jobs that didn’t exist five years ago. (A caveat here: Some of the programming languages or technologies required for these jobs may have existed five years ago, but they weren’t scalable or reliable enough at that time to generate demand for the positions listed below.)

Here’s what we found and what’s driving demand for these skill sets:

1. DevOps Engineer / DevOps Manager – DevOps allows emerging companies to save money and headcount on engineers who can maximize system uptime and application performance, according to David Knapp, metro market manager of Robert Half Technology in San Francisco. Having a dedicated DevOps manager on staff helps ensure that applications are continually improving on the systems. Also, the emergence of Linux as an accepted enterprise technology for scalability over windows has helped drive demand for DevOps.

“The rise of DevOps reflects the continuous deployment strategy of fast-paced environments,” added Phil Gates, division director of Robert Half Technology in Seattle.

2. JavaScript Engineer – JavaScript engineers work with scripting languages that enhance the interactivity of web pages. These professionals focus on simplicity and developing cutting-edge, beautiful user interfaces and user experiences (UI/UX). “JavaScript is hot because it’s the foremost language in UI development for its simplicity, easy of use, customization and creating interactive UIs,” said Knapp. “The creation of customized JavaScript libraries (such as Bootstrap or Backbone) has heavily added to its growth potential.”

3. Ruby Developer – Ruby is a popular open-source language which lends itself especially well to object-oriented programming for the web. “Ruby provides a large open-source community to bounce ideas off of,” said Knapp. “Also, the framework of Ruby on Rails has created an ability to launch it in web apps, instead of a stand-alone, PC-based software /scripting language.

At Robert Half Technology, we’re finding increased demand for Ruby developers across the board, due to Ruby’s simple syntax and ability to run on any system, which makes it a no-brainer for most start-ups.

4. Big Data Engineer – A big data engineer combines the skills of computer science, IT, design and cognitive psychology to store, study and analyze the enormous amounts of complex data available to companies today. “It’s the result of a larger web footprint and ever-increasing amounts of data created by users via sites such as Facebook, Google and Twitter,” said Dakin Gunn, Director of Permanent Placement Services at Robert Half Technology in San Francisco. A big data engineer works with databases such as Hadoop and NoSQL to collect and store this data, and later study it to gain insights that can drive growth and revenue.

5. API Platform Engineer – The platform engineer bridges both hardware and software, writing code and ensuring the hardware is doing what it’s supposed to do. Many companies now have platforms they run their applications on, or other companies can use to run their business. “A good example is Zynga using Facebook’s platform to catapult itself towards popularity and an eventual IPO,” said Gunn. “Platform engineers are responsible for creating usable application suites that other developers can use to plug and play.

In addition, platform engineers allow companies to integrate heavily with each other, as well as share data and code.

As with any IT career, the key to landing one of these hot technology jobs is to specialize, specialize, specialize. Identify your direction and then do everything you can to become an expert in the field, including reading industry publications/blogs, attending conferences and local user groups and mastering the skill sets involved.

This is good advice for all technology jobs, in fact. As the pace of technology accelerates, IT professionals must be nimble and innovative in order to maintain a competitive edge.

For more information on technology jobs in demand, check out the 2014 Salary Guide by Robert Half Technology.

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IT budgets, headcount set to grow in 2014: study

Companies are increasing IT spending, yet economic uncertainty remains a concern, SIM reports.

By Ann Bednarz, Network World
November 12, 2013 08:13 AM ET

A majority of IT leaders are reporting modest growth in budgets, salaries and headcount, according to the latest survey data from the Society for Information Management (SIM).

Companies are still concerned about the economy, but that hasn’t stopped them from funneling more of their revenue to the IT department this year than they did in recent years, SIM reports. In 2013, the average IT budget was 4.95% of corporate revenue. That’s only a marginal increase from 4.94% in 2012, but it’s a full percentage point higher than the average rate of 3.96% measured over the past nine years.
SIM, which counts 4,500 CIOs and IT executives among its ranks, is hosting its SIMposium conference in Boston this week. The organization’s annual IT survey includes these highlights:

Most IT leaders expect budget increases. Looking ahead to 2014, 65% of survey respondents say IT budgets will increase, 23% expect to see a decline, and 12% are forecasting no change. The average increase is projected to be 1.48%.

Headcount increases outnumber reductions. Nearly half of companies (47%) reported an increase in internal IT employees in 2013, while 23% said staff numbers declined. The average increase was 1.10% in 2013. Next year, 55% of respondents anticipate growing headcount; 18% expect reductions.

Raises are the norm. A decisive 89% of respondents said average IT salaries climbed in 2013, while only 4% reported decreases. The average pay increase was 2.24% in 2013. Next year, 90% expect to boost salaries by an average of 2.45%; 4% expect reductions in pay.

Staff turnover is accelerating. After stalling for a few years, staff turnover increased among IT pros this year. The rate of turnover hit 6.58%, up from 5.23% in 2012, 5.51% in 2011, and 5.5% in 2010.

Training budgets are rebounding. In 2013, companies allocated 4.68% of their IT budgets for education and training -- a sizable increase from 2012, when 2.87% of budgets went to training.

Most IT monies are spent internally, domestically. IT leaders allocated 73.2% of their 2013 budgets to in-house, domestic spending. Another 22.9% was outsourced (17.2% outsourced to domestic providers, 5.7% outsourced offshore). The remaining 3.9% was allocated to in-house offshore spending.

On-time delivery matters. IT leaders ranked the most-used metrics for measuring IT success, and on-time project delivery placed first, followed by: projects delivered on budget; increased customer or client satisfaction; SLA targets; and productivity improvements.

Analytics rule... Survey respondents were asked to rank their largest or most significant IT investments in 2013, and analytics/business intelligence was the clear standout, cited by 42% of respondents. Other popular priorities include: CRM (19.5%), cloud computing (18.6%), and ERP (16.6%).

… yet analytics are worrisome. IT pros were also asked about their greatest concerns, and analytics/business intelligence topped the list of worries. Security ranked second among IT concerns, followed by disaster recovery, cloud computing, and BYOD.

The forecast is cloudy. SIM’s survey found that 81% of organizations use the cloud. On average, 26.5% of all IT services are cloud‐based. Among those, 54% are provided by a public or external cloud, and 46% are provided by a private or internal cloud.

Business alignment remains an imperative. When asked about the most important IT management concerns for the organization, the most pressing issue cited is a familiar one: alignment of IT with the business. IT pros also said the organization is concerned about business agility, business productivity, business cost reduction/controls, and IT cost reduction/controls.

Similarly, when IT pros were asked about their own IT management concerns, IT/business alignment also ranked first. But priorities shifted after that. The next most worrisome issues for IT pros are security, followed by talent shortages and business continuity/disaster recovery.

Economic uncertainty is still taking a toll. While the majority of respondents reported positive gains in IT spending and personnel, not everyone did. To recap, 27% of respondents cut IT budgets this year, 23% trimmed IT headcount, and 4% saw reductions in average salaries.

Ann Bednarz covers IT careers, outsourcing and Internet culture for Network World. Follow Ann on Twitter at @annbednarz and reach her via email at abednarz@nww.com.

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New CompTIA Mobility+ Certification Addresses Skills Needed in Mobile Environments

Nov 05, 2013 CompTIA

Downers Grove, Ill., November 5, 2013 – CompTIA, the non-profit association for the global IT industry, today introduced CompTIA Mobility+, a new industry-built, internationally-recognized skills certification for the fast-growing arena of mobile technologies.

CompTIA Mobility+ covers the knowledge and skills IT professionals need to deploy, integrate, support and manage a mobile environment, including mobile device management, troubleshooting, security and network infrastructure.

“Accommodating mobile devices and apps and optimizing the mobile experience for customers and employees alike are top priorities for virtually all organizations,” said Terry Erdle, executive vice president, skills certification, CompTIA.

“But the various facets of the mobile ecosystem present many challenges for IT professionals, who must balance user expectations with requirements for availability, reliability and security,” Erdle continued. “CompTIA Mobility+ will identify IT professionals who possess the validated skills to deploy, integrate, manage and secure mobile devices and platforms to optimize performance and mitigate risks and threats.”

Potential candidates for the CompTIA Mobility+ credential include mobility architects, mobility engineers, network administrators and security administrators. The certification is best suited for individuals who are CompTIA Network+ certified or have equivalent working knowledge; and have at least 18 months of work experience in the administration of mobile devices in the enterprise.

Complete exam objectives are available on the CompTIA Certification website.

This is this second mobility-related certification introduced by CompTIA in 2013. In October, CompTIA Mobile App Security+, a credential aimed at raising security awareness and preparedness in the mobile app development universe, was launched.

Courseware, Training Available
CompTIA Authorized Learning Content Partner Logical Operations offers its CompTIA Mobility+ courseware available through the CompTIA Marketplace and Logical Operations’ e-commerce store. The courseware’s instructor and student editions support a 32-hour, expert-facilitated class that can be taught in varying periods of time. Online assessments and eBook versions of the student manual are available through Logical Operation’s CHOICE learning platform.

Mobile Comply offers its “Mobility Plus for the IT Professional: CompTIA Mobility+ Certification Training,” both as an instructor-led offering and as a 14-day or 5-day online training. By mid-November, Mobile Comply will offer a print version of its Mobility Plus for IT Professionals curricula.

In addition to certifications for individual IT professionals, CompTIA offers other mobility-specific initiatives, including training for IT channel companies involved in or interested in offering mobility solutions to their customers; the CompTIA Mobility Community, a group of industry thought-leaders who are shaping the mobility market; and leading market intelligence and research on mobility topics and trends.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. To learn more, visit www.comptia.org, http://www.facebook.com/CompTIA and http://twitter.com/comptia.

Contact:
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
630-678-8468
smostrowski@comptia.org

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Bay Area Computer User & Network Support Marketplace, Sept13, 2013

December 13, 2013, please join the Computer User & Network Support Marketplace - a convening of Bay Region employers with Bay Region community colleges - to better prepare the future workforce!  Please also share this invitation with your faculty contacts, advisory group members, business and industry contacts and social media! 
 

 

 

The Computer User & Network Support Marketplace is an event for Bay Region employers and community college representatives to meet and develop clear, common understanding of computer user, help desk and network technical support workforce needs, so students have efficient and effective pathways to those jobs, and employers have access to the quality workforce they need to support strategic ICT users and infrastructure. 


It will be a valuable use of your time and energy!  Please join us:

Friday, December 13, 2013
9AM-2PM (Breakfast served at 9:00 a.m. Meeting starts at 9:30 a.m.)
Ohlone College (www.ohlone.edu/core/mapsdirs/)
Fremont Campus, 43600 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539
Building 7, Admissions and Records - ROOM 7101
Link to Campus Map
Agenda and Parking permit forthcoming (will also be posted at baccc.net)

Breakfast and Lunch provided

Please RSVP by populating this link:  RSVP 12/13/13

This event is being co-convened by:

• the Bay Area Community College Consortium, a strategic collaboration of 28 Bay Area community colleges
• Bay Area Region ICT Deputy Sector Navigators
• The Mid-Pacific ICT Center (MPICT)

California Community Colleges (CCCs) and Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) have identified Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as an important strategic sector for California and Bay Area economies.  As part of the CCC Doing What Matters for Jobs and the Economycampaign, Bay Area community colleges are coming together to proactively, strategically, efficiently and effectively meet ICT economic and workforce development needs in the greater Bay Area.  This marketplace meeting is part of that effort.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is an umbrella term, widely used outside the U.S. and in the United Nations, to encompass all rapidly emerging, evolving and converging computer, software, networking, telecommunications, Internet, programming, information systems and digital media technologies.

Thank you for all you do to improve ICT education and workforce!

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Microsoft and Facebook offer bounties to bug hunters

BBC

Responsible hackers are being asked to track down bugs

Rivals Microsoft, Google and Facebook have joined forces to offers bounties to "friendly hackers" who can hunt down web bugs.

The tech giants have put their differences aside in pursuit of a "safer internet".

Dubbed Hackerone, the bug bounty programme offers cash rewards between $300 (£186) and $5,000 (£3,110) for discovering security holes.

The size of the reward will be determined by a panel of employees.

It may go higher if the discovery is deemed important enough.

Anyone is eligible to enter the competition, except those from countries with which the US has trade restrictions, such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria.

Children are also welcome to join in although they will need to claim their bounties from their parents.

The bounties will be paid by Microsoft and Facebook with Google supplying a member of staff to sit on the panel.

The team has suggested areas that people may want to look at.

It includes some of the key pieces of software that make the web work as well as offering a category simply labelled "the internet", which comes with a minimum bounty of $5,000.
Image flaw
Tech firms are stepping up efforts to battle hackers and ensure the internet is safer.

Microsoft has its own independent bounty programme and it recently raised the prize fund to $100,000.

The need for such bounty hunters was illustrated as Microsoft announced on the same day that a brand new security hole in Windows could allow criminals to get control of users computers via malware-injected image files.

The flaw means that anyone opening a malware-filled TIFF image could find malicious code installed on their computer without them knowing.

The bug is a so-called zero-day vulnerability, which means that it was not known about until real-life instances of attacks became apparent.

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ICT jobs in California ripe for the picking

November 01, 2013 by Matthew Grant Anson  California Economic Summit



(photo credit: Mike Poresky)

Mike Rowe knows a thing or two about skilled work. For a decade he’s jumped headfirst into all sorts of skill-heavy modes of employment for Dirty Jobs, and his time embracing the dirty has resulted in some economic wisdom.

“The thing I hear over and over and over and over again from small business owners and entrepreneurs is how hard it is to find workers with the combination of the right skills and willingness to work their butts off,” he told Inside Edition back in August.

Although Rowe was talking about skilled workers like mechanics and plumbers, this quote rings just as true in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT). The rapid growth of the ICT field is the California economy’s best kept secret, but the California Workforce Association and the California Workforce Investment Board are looking to change that.

The first step in getting the word out was an October 30th webinar, which was the first of many bringing together economic big-shots from across the state to talk about what ICT is and how the skills involved will be the lifeblood of the California economy for years to come.

“We’re living in a changed world today,” said James Jones, executive director of the Mid-Pacific ICT Center. “Twentieth century economies were dominated by transportation and energy and manufacturing, while 21st century economies are increasingly dominated by information knowledge and innovation. ICT’s a paradigm shift that a lot of people have not yet gotten their heads around.”

First, a bit of clarification: The difference between ICT and IT is virtually negligible. They are mostly interchangeable, but while IT is a somewhat generic term, ICT stresses “the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications.” What’s important, however, is that these jobs in computers, software, and programming are exploding in a way that benefits the economy at large.

“ICT workers were responsible for 75 percent of US productivity growth from 1995 to 2002, and its workers contribute three to five times more productivity than non-ITC workers,” Jones said. “From 2001 to 2011, ICT jobs increased by 22.2 percent. [The sector] grew 95 times faster than employment as a whole, and its workers earn 74 percent more than the average worker.”

And therein lies the problem: the jobs are there, but there aren’t enough bodies to fill them. Despite the fact that each ICT job creates 4.3 more in the economy and ICT workers earn double the median wage in California, over half the companies in California report difficulty finding appropriately skilled ICT workers.

“That’s completely messed up in this period of high unemployment,” Jones said. “The situation is going to get worse because a large proportion of the existing ITC workforce is getting ready to retire.” Translation: it’s already hard to fill these jobs now, and the situation for employers is about to get worse. If people were properly trained, the unemployment rate would likely plummet in the coming years at the hands of the ICT sector alone.

So, how well is California getting its citizens trained for a chance at one of these jobs? The answer is troubling. San Francisco and the Bay Area at large may be the fastest growing ICT job market in the US, but 50 percent of the high schools there do not offer a single ICT-related class option for students.

Additionally, what is offered in California is far from standardized, as what is considered compulsory teaching in one program may not be in another. Jones stressed that 3 out 4 employers say a common training framework for ICT education is paramount.

Tim Rainey, executive director of the California Workforce Investment board, put the litany of data and figures into some context. “We’re in a retraining economy,” he said. “To be successful today, people need to have broad-based and employable skills. It no longer works to train people for a specific job or occupation.”

It’s simple wisdom – diversify and thrive – but that’s what makes it powerful. The California Economic Summit has made creating the next-generation workforce one of its seven Signature Initiatives. The Workforce Action Team will emphasize careers in high-demand fields through CTE partnerships and STEM career pathways.

Moving California forward isn’t just about creating new industries, but taking advantage of the opportunities in ones that are already here. That’s why California Forward, in partnership with the California Stewardship Network, is going all in on the California Economic Summit. Just one week away (!), the Summit will set an economic path down which California can move fluidly and confidently.

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Joint Workforce Development, CBO and MPICT Webinar Recording: ICT, a New Kind of Sector that Affects Almost Everything

Please feel free to share with organizations and people you think may be interested in the topic.

The next webinar will be live-cast from the California Workforce Association Youth Employment Conference, January 28 - 30, 2014.  We will have a webinar that includes both in-person and online participation.  Registration information for the webinar will be available in December.

We look forward to learning with you again soon!

Bob Lanter, Executive Director

California Workforce Association

Tim Rainey, Executive Director

California Workforce Investment Board

Barrie Hathaway, Executive Director

The Stride Center

Jennifer Riggs

California Emerging Technology Fund

James Jones, Executive Director

Mid-Pacific ICT Center (MPICT)

www.mpict.org

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WSJ: Profile of an IT Worker

Profile of an IT Worker
Forget the stereotype. For one thing, most of them don't have college degrees in computer science, technology, engineering or math

By Michael Totty Wall Street Journal

Oct. 20, 2013 4:59 p.m. ET

Who are these employees who install new computers, keep the corporate network running and help other workers reset their passwords? Cultural stereotypes about nerds with pocket protectors aside, what do we know about the people who keep the bits flowing and the digital lights on?

For instance, the IT guy—and they're about three times more likely to be men than women—doesn't necessarily have a computer-science degree. About a third come to IT with degrees in business, social sciences or other nontechnical fields. More than 40% of computer support specialists and a third of computer systems administrators don't have a college degree at all.

View Graphics

For this profile, we mainly focused on two job categories as defined by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics: network and computer systems administrator, and computer support specialist. One way to think about these two groups is that systems administrators are charged with the upkeep of a company's back-office computer systems—servers, routers and the software to keep them working—and the support specialists are the face (or, increasingly, just the voice) of IT, who make sure other employees have the technology they need.

Demand for both administrators and support staff is expected to grow over the next decade. Jobs for systems administrators, for instance, are expected to grow 28% between now and 2020, twice the expected average growth rate for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "That's an indicator that the position is still pretty relevant in the business world," says Tim Herbert, vice president for research and market intelligence at CompTIA, a technology industry trade group.

Mr. Totty is a news editor for The Journal Report in San Francisco. He can be reached at michael.totty@wsj.com.

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Free October 30th ICT Sector Workforce Webinar

 

The California Workforce Association and the California Workforce Investment Board invite you to join a webinar on:

 

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

A New Kind of Sector That Affects Almost Everything 

 

Wednesday October 30, 2013

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

 

Presenters Include:

• Bob Lanter, Executive Director, California Workforce Association
• Tim Rainey, Executive Director, California Workforce Investment Board
• James Jones, Executive Director, Mid-Pacific ICT Center (MPICT)
• Barrie Hathaway, Executive Director, The Stride Center

Agenda

• What is ICT & Why's It So Important to Economic Development and Workforce?
• Perspectives from the Field: WIBs and EDD, CBOs, Higher Education
• Promising Practices
• Next Steps

This is the first in a series of webinars that will explore Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Workforce. Other webinar topics may include:

• Workforce Readiness - Digital Literacy, the New Basic Skill
• ICT Employment Marketplace Challenges
• ICT Education and Training Pathways
• Engaging on ICT with and within the Workforce System

Register Here:

 

http://calworkforce.org/ict_in_workforce_webinars.html

 

Learn Why ICT Is Important To What You Do!

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CA Career Cafe: Join a Professional Association

CA Career Café

"The way of the world is meeting people through other people.”

• Robert Kerrigan

Did you know?

Joining a Professional Association while still on campus can help students learn about their prospective career paths and offer a wealth of experiential and networking opportunities. Professional organizations exist for almost every profession from artists to zoo keepers. These non-profit organizations host meetings, conventions, and virtual workshops. Introduce your students to Professional Associations via the California Career Café where students can access Cool Connections, a Professional Association database.

Try this…

• Ask your students about Professional Associations…

What is a Professional Association?
Can you name some Professional Associations?
Why join a Professional Association?

• Share your own Professional Association experiences.
• View video.
• Access this Professional Association database and identify associations related to your discipline.
• Distribute the Student Activity, review the directions, and complete.
• Discuss the possibilities and power of networking cards.

Add an Experience!

Have students try the Connect to a Professional Association student lesson on CaCareerCafe.com. Encourage students to make a personal connection via phone, email or in person using their networking card as part of their introduction.

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The Anatomy of the IT Industry Workforce

The IT industry workforce is a complex ecosystem. Contrary to popular belief, IT employees are not limited to the large technology firms or 24/7 in-front-of-a-computer-screen workdays. This growing field of diversely talented professionals operates in every industry of the economy. Check out this informative infographic to learn more.

 

Thanks, CompTIA

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Free ICT Workforce Webinar - October 30th

The California Workforce Association and the California Workforce Investment Board invite you to join a webinar on:

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

A New Kind of Sector That Affects Almost Everything 

Wednesday October 30, 2013

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Presenters Include:

· Bob Lanter, Executive Director, California Workforce Association
· Tim Rainey, Executive Director, California Workforce Investment Board
· James Jones, Executive Director, Mid-Pacific ICT Center (MPICT)
· Barrie Hathaway, Executive Director, The Stride Center

Agenda

· What is ICT & Why’s It So Important to Economic Development and Workforce?
· Perspectives from the Field: WIBs and EDD, CBOs, Higher Education
· Promising Practices
· Next Steps

This is the first in a series of webinars that will explore Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Workforce. Other webinar topics may include:

· Workforce Readiness – Digital Literacy, the New Basic Skill
· ICT Employment Marketplace Challenges
· ICT Education and Training Pathways
· Engaging on ICT with and within the Workforce System

Register Here: 

http://calworkforce.org/ict_in_workforce_webinars.html

Learn Why ICT Is Important To What You Do!

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U.S. Agencies Revamp Standards for Cybersecurity Program

Chronicle of Higher Education (09/30/13) Megan O'Neil 

The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are releasing new curriculum standards for the joint National Centers of Academic Excellence cybersecurity program. The designation currently covers 181 cyber­-security programs at colleges and universities, and the overhaul will require institutions to reapply for the program. "Every cybersecurity professional that comes out of college and takes a job is a win for the government, whether they work for John Deere, Boeing, or Target," says DHS cybersecurity­-education awareness branch chief Robin Williams, noting that global cybercrime costs $388 billion annually. "We are losing intellectual property. We are losing our nation's work and our nation's vision and our nation's ingenuity because we are not able to protect it." The Centers of Academic Excellence label carries prestige for colleges and universities, helping attract students and federal scholarships and grants. However, the program's former training guidelines, the Committee on National Security Systems standards, were criticized for recommending that students learn how to execute specific technical functions. In addition, critics argued that too many programs received the designation, thereby lessening its value. NSA and DHS have changed the standards to include new knowledge units with a core curriculum and additional, optional units that colleges can implement to promote specialties.

View Full Article

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