Offshoring Presentation - SIGCSE 2006

William Aspray

School of Informatics

Indiana University - Bloomington

Possible national responses

• Labor action

• Consumer boycotts

• Policy initiatives

• Educational initiatives

Policy: High-Wage Country

• Protectionist rules and tariffs• Safety net for workers and communities• Level playing field (tax, currency)• Visa• Innovation

– Foreign students and workers– Enhance education system– Promote indigenous careers– R&D funding

Limitations to JMTF Educational Recs.

• Limited time

• Generalist task force, not curriculum specialists

• Not want to overstep province of ACM Education Committee or joint society model curricula

• General level recommendations

Challenges of Educational Response

1. Many different occupations.

2. Multiple degree programs.

3. Large alternative education/training system.

4. Multiple career paths.

5. Multiple application domains.

Challenges (cont.)

6. Mismatch in transformation speed between universities and technology

7. Centralized planning of supply and demand.

8. Competing goals of education

9. Changing nature of offshoring.

10. Lack of data on relationship between education and career.

THEN - curriculum reform.

Educational Response 1

• Identify national goals for which IT jobs to protect, and set educational system accordingly– Low/high skill– Operational/strategic work– Loss to automation as well as other

countries

Educational Response 2

• Evolve computing/IT education, irregardless of offshoring– Less computer-specific (compilers)– More large applications– Standard tools and platforms– Reusable software– Teamwork, communication skills– Model curricula reform– Embedded SW vs. SW products

Educational Response 3

• Prepare students for the global economy– Different languages and cultures– Internships in another country– English language

Educational Response 4

• Teach students to be innovative and creative.– Not rote learning– Research experience for students– Not only the role of research universities

Educational Response 5

• Balance current business and industry needs with foundational knowledge

• Listen to business/industry in terms of current skills

• Continue foundational education to cope with rapid change

• Expect life-long learning

Educational Response 6

• Good technology, curriculum, teachers– PCs and broadband available, affordable– Model curricula available, internationalize,

more types of training (KPO)– Teaching the biggest issue

• India low salaries, research, 100K schools• US - high schools, seed corn