Download - Wither Computer Science?

© 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


• 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


• 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