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© 2005 PROVIDING PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVLOMENT FOR IT LEADERS © NCC
Wither Computer Science?
Michael Gough Msc CEng FIET FBCS CITP
CEO, National Computing CentreCPHC Conference, Birmingham
20th April 2007
© NCC
Some questions
• Do UK employers need Computer Science graduates?
• Do UK employers need graduates so badly that they would be prepared to co-fund to their development?
• What about ‘academic engagement’ by employers?
© NCC
Wither Computer Science?
• We no longer have a high demand for computer programmers? Cost effective development resources exist elsewhere in the world.
• “All the code we ever needed for business applications has already been written” … a ‘Russell Group’ CS Prof.
• Legacy systems everywhere, stifling innovation. Complexity is a key issue. CS/SE opportunity?
© NCC
Wither Computer Science?
• Growing number of SMEs; shrinking number of mid-sized companies in the UK – supply chains are broken.
• No requirement for a ‘licence to practice’ hence IT not viewed as a profession, BUT, increasing compliance requirements
• The ‘computing’ career path is not obvious.
© NCC
Graduate employment?
• Large number of graduates chasing small number of ‘management trainee’ vacancies
• Only large employers taking training/development seriously; SMEs can’t afford it.
• Graduate psyche - ‘Nintendo Generation’• Employers will invest in accreditation and
skills development, but unlikely to co-fund academic qualifications
© NCC
Recruitment 2006-7
• 2006 was a buoyant year across all sectors. 2007 is shaping up to be exactly the same!
• Despite recent interest rate rises, business confidence appears to be high and organisations are almost universally in growth mode.
• Business imperatives for more effective business processes whilst costs are simultaneously reduced. Hence …
• … continued emphasis on moving to shared services, outsourced and off-shored delivery.
© NCC
NCC Staff Issues Survey 2007
• Staff retention improving• 48% of organisations expected IT
headcount to increase over next 2 years
• Perception of skills shortage has reduced, but developers with Web technology skills are in short supply though
© NCC
CIO Agenda
• CIO moving to ‘Managing Director of IT function’
• CIO typically not on the Board• Where IT is represented on the Board it
is in combination with another function (HR, Operations, Finance)
• IT Directors don’t, therefore, necessarily have an technology background
© NCC
What IT Skills are required?
• … Management• Service delivery
– telecommunications and network infrastructure
• Development– Internet technologies; .NET, Java, ‘web tools’
• Information management (informatics)– business services
• Help desk/user support
© NCC
IT Management Skills
• Programme/project management (business projects not IT)– trend for application development into the offshore
arena
• Managers of outsourcing, offshore, and shared services provisioning (IT management)– some signs of re-establishment of in-house strategy
functions
• Vendor management (commercial management)• Architecture (strategy)
© NCC
IT Management Skills
• Change & ‘transformation’ management (HR)
• Compliance & risk management (audit)– Significant emphasis on information
management
• Business engagement (marketing, communications)
• Telecommunications & network infrastructure (delivery)
© NCC
The missing ‘technology’
• Problem identification• Solution conceptualisation• Communication: demonstration of
understanding• Engineering:
– re-use, patterns– standards –v- standardisation
• Business value translation• Personal ‘agility’ and ‘leadership’
qualities
© NCC
Employer Engagement
• Let the employers lead – define requirements? Do they know what they need??
• Avoid vendor vested interests, but recognise reality
• Seek channels for consultation:– Corporate end-users: NCC– Corporate vendors: Intellect
© NCC
NCC Employer Engagement
• NCC – a trusted third party; the UK’s largest and most diverse membership organisation serving corporate, vendor and government communities.– Research – surveys, opinion, advisory boards– Networking – sectors, vendors, functional roles;
problem sharing/solving, best practice– ‘Community research’ projects
• IS Management• Enterprise Architecture / Systems Engineering
– Accreditation• Standards compliance• Corporate accreditation
© NCC
Academic Engagement• Academia needs to offer more immediate help to
commerce and industry if it is to be a ‘business partner’
• Adopt / legitimise best practice as well as pursuing research.
• Develop applied ‘computer science’ within other disciplines (sector specific, with new name); i.e. CS – an applied not a theoretical science.
• Work with the ‘institutions’ to create a true IT profession:– ‘licence’ to practice– Career model (not a job family framework)– Integrate learned society, employers, professionals
© 2005 PROVIDING PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVLOMENT FOR IT LEADERS © NCC
Questions?