EDUCATION THAT WORKS: CREATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF TECH LEADERS.

AuthorReed, Aaron
PositionSILICON SLOPE

Over two decades ago, after graduating from college with a degree in computer science, I launched my career at a local software company. On day one, I was escorted to my new office. My "office" was actually a closet with some brooms, a small desk, a computer and a stack of books. Despite my eagerness to jump into some code and change the world, I was told that now it was time for me to learn. I was confused. I had already learned; I had a degree to prove it--I was wrong. The small, individual assignments from textbooks and outdated tech I had learned in college left me woefully unprepared to work in the real world. Luckily I was a fast learner, and I found myself in full-on code monkey mode in a matter of months.

A lot has changed since then. Al Gore brought us the internet. Mark Zuckerberg brought us insight we never knew we needed by helping us see what our neighbors eat for breakfast. But far too little has changed about the way we educate students in computer science. Ask anybody who's hired a computer science graduate right out of college, and they'll share similar stories of having to pay people to learn on the job.

We are all aware of the statistics concerning the computer science worker shortage. Computing Research Association predicts that 65 percent of STEM job growth will be in computing through 2022. There are currently more than 4,860 open computing jobs in Utah and more than 500,000 in the United States. The nation's employers are desperately seeking talented tech workers, but are unable to find qualified candidates.

After a decade in the software industry, I joined Neumont and found my passion: educating tomorrow's computer science professionals to help rectify this worker shortage. Neumont's sole focus is to prepare students for careers in technology. Our goal is that when graduates leave Neumont, they are immediately ready to work on large-scale, critical projects for their employers--perhaps even in an office with a window (or at least without a broom).

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