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SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) -- After a 45-minute discussion about computer programming with a group of high school students, the sales pitch begins.
LSU-Shreveport assistant professor Marjan Trutschl switches the slide on his presentation. Pictures of an iPhone, a Blackberry and the Google logo with the words "try to imagine a world without programs" are projected on the screen in front of the classroom.
"If I haven't convinced you that computer programing is important, imagine your life without this," he said, pointing to the screen.
The students perked up. Trutschl continued, presenting a video about the advances in science because of a super computer, a story about one of his student workers who started taking classes at 12 years old and a handout detailing the top 10 reasons to major in computing.
"If you want to make a difference, this is one of the ways to make a difference in the world," Trutschl said. "You can expect to make a good living."
The sales pitch is designed to get students interested in jobs in computer science to help buck a national trend. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs related to computer science and networking are the fastest growing careers; however, nationally, there are fewer students entering college programs.
John Sigle, a professor and chairman of LSUS' computer science program, has seen the trend at the university. Since the 2002-03 academic year, the number of degrees conferred by LSUS in computer science has decreased steadily. In that academic year, 22 degrees were awarded. By 2006-07, the latest year for which information is available, eight degrees were conferred.
Other universities have experienced similar patterns. University of Louisiana at Monroe conferred six computer science degrees in 2002-03 and three in 2006-07. Louisiana Tech in Ruston conferred 25 in 2002-03 and 20 in 2006-07, after a yo-yo-ing in the number of degrees.
The nation has seen a 50 percent drop in computer science enrollment programs since 2001, Sigle said. He helped establish an annual summer event, CSI: Careers in Science Investigations, in part to help combat the problem.
"Not enough students are entering the major. We're just doing what we can. We'll call it a success if we get a handful of people in the major that we didn't have before."
The dot-com bust of 2001 probably soured people on the idea of computer-related careers, Sigle said. He also cites the outsourcing of computer jobs overseas.
But those explanations, he said, only go so far. "While there is a fair amount of outsourcing, there is so much need that there still is a shortage."
Trutschl offers another theory about why students are not entering computer science programs. "They flock to nonscience majors because it's easier. They don't understand that with work up front, you can see the fruits of their labor later."
Trutschl, who oversees one of the computer labs on campus with student lab workers, said the demand for computer science majors should make students want to at least consider it. "Our guys are getting hired before they graduate."
Students' theories differ from their professors. Phillip Kilgore, who just received his undergraduate degree in computer science and will return in the fall for the master's program, said the reason more students don't enter computer science programs is they're ill-prepared.
"Students at the high school level aren't being equipped for the college lifestyle," he said.
Trey Wessler, a senior computer science major, agrees, adding that retaining students in the program also is a problem.
"Even though enrollment is low, that isn't the worst," Wessler said. "The dropout rate is high. They go and get a liberal arts and business degrees. It's a very difficult thing to stay with the program."
Sigle recognizes student retention is difficult but said it is part of a natural weeding out process. Not every student is cut out to be in computer science, he said.
"We not only want to get people in (who) want to get in, but we want to get people out (who) need to get out," he said. "We want students to succeed. I'm sorry to say that we get people (who) would not be good at it."
Sigle hopes that through programs like CSI, students will think about computer science as an option.
At a recent CSI class, Correa Mayo, a 16-year-old junior from Caddo Magnet High School, said he joined the program because he enjoyed computers and the classes sounded fun.
"I wanted to look into software programing," he said. "I think it's cool. It's something I could get a degree in, something I could excel in."
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Information from: The Times, http://www.shreveporttimes.com
Jun 24 00:00
By JOELLE TESSLER
AP Business Writer
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- High-tech companies are rapidly adding jobs and paying workers more than other industries in metropolitan areas stretching from New York to Seattle, according to a new study looking at the nation's top "cybercities."
In a report being released Tuesday, the American Electronics Association found 51 of the top 60 U.S. cybercities -- those with the most technology workers -- added high-tech jobs in 2006. The report also found the average technology industry wage was 87 percent higher than the average private sector salary.
Members of the American Electronics Association include Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., Google Inc., Intel Corp. and Yahoo Inc.
Although the AeA report is based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2006 -- the most recent year available -- the industry continues to experience robust growth even as much of the rest of the economy slows, said Christopher Hansen, president and chief executive of the trade group.
"The tech sector is not laying people off," Hansen said. "If anything, the industry is having trouble getting enough people with the right credentials."
Although the trade group publishes an annual Cyberstates report, "Cybercities 2008" is the first examination of the industry's health in the nation's biggest cities since 2000, before the high-tech bubble burst.
Recent data show the tech sector is "climbing back to 'pre-bubble-bursting' levels of employment and activity," Hansen said. The bubble of the late 1990s was the product of "an exuberance of investment" in companies that often lacked solid fundamentals, but the current growth is being driven by a more stable industry that has become integrated into the broader economy, he added.
Among the report's key findings:
-- Seattle led the nation in technology job growth in 2006, adding 7,800 positions.
-- The New York metropolitan area had the most high-tech employees in 2006 with 316,500; followed by San Jose, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley, with 225,300 tech workers; and Boston with 191,700.
-- Silicon Valley had the nation's highest concentration of high-tech workers with 286 industry employees for every 1,000 private sector workers.
-- The Washington, D.C., region led the nation in technology job growth between 2001 and 2006, adding 7,500 workers.
But not all cities added jobs in 2006, with Detroit and Miami-Fort Lauderdale in Florida among those that shed high-tech workers. What's more, hubs including Seattle and Silicon Valley, still don't have as many tech workers as they did before the bubble burst.
The AeA report stresses that continued tech sector growth is not guaranteed in today's global economy. To remain competitive, U.S. cities need to improve the quality of elementary and high school education -- particularly in math and science -- support research universities, and invest in broadband networks and other critical infrastructure.
AeA argues that federal policymakers also need to invest more in research and development, while allowing more skilled foreign workers into the U.S. and promoting open trade policies.
Jun 24 13:29
By DAVE CARPENTER
AP Business Writer
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CHICAGO (AP) -- Sam Glenn followed some wise counsel when he found himself in a bad job situation -- his mother told him, first, don't quit. And second, to have a frank chat with his boss at the small computer communications firm where he worked.
Feeling trapped in an unhappy work environment is sending many people in search of solace and advice. With the economy sputtering and unemployment on the rise, these workers are trying to make the best of a bad situation rather than not have a job at all.
Experts say it's critical at such a time to not burn bridges with an employer.
"No matter how unhappy you are, it's important to come in to work with your game face on so that you can be sure of retaining your current job while you're thinking about finding another one," said Mary Crane, a Denver-based consultant to Fortune 500 companies and law firms.
In fact, she says, it's advisable to even think about arriving early or staying late, acting eager and excited even if you feel the opposite. "Make yourself the one person that every manager would hate to lose," Crane said.
Glenn, 37, of Naperville, Ill., relied on his mother's wisdom to survive a difficult first job out of college. Stuck with an overbearing, short-fused boss, he set up a meeting with him and asked if he could have someone else supervise him.
"I said, 'Look, if you want me to do better here and get you the sales you want, I need a different supervisor. I don't do well when I'm being micromanaged,"' Glenn said. "And No. 2, sometimes you yell a lot, and I don't do well with people who yell at me."'
That might sound risky, but it proved a sound strategy. His mom sold him on the idea by comparing it to a tactic he'd used successfully in junior high: Challenging the school bully to a fight in front of the principal.
Just as the bully backed down and stopped bothering him, so did the boss. Inspired by that success, Glenn went on to become a workplace consultant and motivational speaker focusing on attitudes in the workplace.
Bad managers may be even more abundant in today's conditions.
"There's so much stress, anxiety and fear because of the economy," Glenn said. "The sad thing is, all these managers feel all this pressure to keep their business in the green."
Distressed workers e-mail Glenn about their workplace plights.
A woman named Susan who worked in insurance claims at a Fortune 100 company said her doctor told her that her breast cancer was likely caused by all the stress put on her by a boss who mistreated employees. After taking a medical leave to undergo chemotherapy, she had to decide whether to return to a bad work situation just for the health benefits.
Another woman, who works for a Miami company that sells refurbished copy machines, said her employer used fear as a motivational tactic and wrote people up if they didn't produce at a certain level every week, or even if they were 10 minutes late. She broke out in hives and could only focus on not losing her job, not on performing well.
The advice for both: Consult the company's human resources department for professional recommendations.
Susan ended up retiring early after getting assistance from HR. The Miami woman chose to become more realistic and to work harder, Glenn said, realizing she wasn't in complete control of whether she lost her job and had an opportunity to shine if she didn't.
"Instead of going to a job you hate every day and living with all the stress and anxiety, you need to sit down and address it with the powers that be," he said. "Nobody's going to get done what you've got to get done while there's an elephant in the room. You've got to kill it while it's small."
Crane's dos and don'ts for those dissatisfied with their current positions includes one that may be tough to follow: Don't let co-workers know how unhappy you are -- word might get back to the bosses. That means not mentioning it in conversations, text messages or e-mails.
Another tip is to build a professional network so you can obtain mentoring and support outside your office and learn of job opportunities.
Some old-fashioned advice also can be helpful: Focus on a job's upside.
For example, Crane says she constantly is asked how she deals with a job that requires her to be on the road 90 percent of the time. Downplaying the inconvenience, she tells people she is "the luckiest person in the world" because she gets to go in, solve a problem and move on.
A recessionary economy isn't new and won't last forever, she notes, so people shouldn't worry excessively. But they shouldn't be surprised if they are unhappy in a job, and may have to simply hunker down and take it.
"The reality is that work is work, and it's not always fun," Crane said.
Jun 24 16:01
By ERIN CONROY
AP Business Writer
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FUTURE WORKPLACE TRENDS: Four-day workweeks and no more cubicles -- could this be the future of the workplace?
Job placement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. recently released a list of workplace predictions that reflect the evolution of technology and rising cost of health care and energy.
They include:
-- The end of business travel. Rising airfares and pressure to become environmentally responsible could drive corporations to opt for teleconferencing rather than sending employees on frequent business trips.
-- Four-day workweeks. Given the rise of gas prices and the availability of portable technology, four-day weeks could become a new standard for corporate America.
-- Saying goodbye to corporate headquarters. Real estate costs and environmental pressures may force companies to reconsider massive corporate complexes. Instead, they may rent out smaller office spaces with easier access to employees.
-- No more cubicles. Employers are increasingly replacing confined cubicles with common areas, conference tables and community workspaces to promote interaction and teamwork. With employers using laptops and moving space to space, flexible designs will also benefit telecommuters who work in the office sporadically.
VIRTUAL WATERCOOLER: Nothing beats chitchatting with colleagues around the watercooler. But as companies go national and global, and employees increasingly telecommute from home, the conversation hub may run the risk becoming extinct in some offices.
That's why outsourcing and consulting firm Accenture Ltd. has just launched a virtual watercooler that it hopes will serve as a model for other companies, according to the company's director of corporate programs, Armelle Carminati.
The online forum allows employees to upload dialogue, personal pictures and videos, and work-related projects. It's accessible only from within the company but is similar to online social networking Web sites. So far, the site is geared specifically for women, Carminati said.
"This is a great way for people from around the world to get to know one another and talk about the things that matter to them -- not just personal things, but career questions and insights," Carminati said. "In some ways it may be better than standing around an actual watercooler, because these may be topics that would not naturally come up in conversation necessarily."
Available @ Amazon |
YOU'VE BEEN SWAYED: Why do rational people do irrational things, like keeping plummeting stock or staying in a doomed relationship?
Brothers Ori and Rom Brafman examine the psychology behind such behavior, in business and in life, in their recently published book "Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior."
The book looks at extreme examples of inexplicable behavior, like a veteran airline pilot who attempts to take off without control tower clearance and collides with another plane. The book also focuses on group dynamics, in which visual perception is distorted by the opinions of others. In one study, a participant is coaxed by others in the room to believe that a rope is a shorter length than another, despite its appearance.
People are most often swayed because of roles they are ascribed, especially in the workplace, according to Ori Brafman. This affects their performance.
"There have been studies in which people perform better on tests when their managers think they are more intelligent, regardless of how intelligent they really are," Ori Brafman said in a phone interview. "Obviously this happens in all of our relationships, but it's something we don't realize we do. It's amazing how easily people are drawn into irrational decisions without even being aware that it's happening."
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