The Utah talent dilemma why tech companies matter in education.

• Author: Goetz, Tamara
• Position: SILICON SLOPES

If you are reading Silicon Slopes magazine, it is a good guess that you are familiar with the Utah technology community. It is also likely you have heard, more than once, that there is a shortage of talent for Utah companies. You may even feel the pain in your own company as you struggle to find qualified computing talent. Perhaps you have come up with creative hiring or in-house training strategies. Or maybe you have given up and are just dealing with it. But have you given any thought about why this problem exists?

You pay well, there are plenty of jobs and companies continue to grow. You solve cool problems and yes, some of you have super cool billboards. The future is bright for the Utah technology industry. So why are we facing this talent issue?

THE EDUCATION LANDSCAPE

A snapshot of computing education is a good place to start in our search for answers.

* Nearly half of Utah high schools do not offer computer science courses

* Of the nearly 200,000 public high schools students in Utah, only 100 students took AP Computer Science in 201516 and 230 students in 2016-17

* Only 7 percent of Utah high schools that offer AP courses include the Computer Science course; there are fewer AP exams taken in computer science than in any other STEM subject area

* There is a shortage of qualified computer science teachers

* There are few resources that allow K-8 students and teachers to explore and gain exposure to how computing intersects all areas of study and interest

It is clear that we are not getting enough students excited about taking computing courses, let alone pursuing computing career pathways. The issue is compounded by the fact that we also have a shortage of teachers who are able to teach computing courses.

Many believe that basic computing skills should be treated as essential, elevated to the level of math or reading. Regardless of the prevailing opinions on whether computing is as important as math or reading, it cannot be argued that computing skills integrate across all disciplines and impact every career choice. We also know that other states are moving forward, and with a sense of purpose and urgency, to address the lack of access to computing education.

A CALL TO ACTION

Utah companies and the state legislature--in partnership...