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I thought the demographer who spoke at the ASTC Conference was so good! This was on the BBC today, and they are misinterpreting the decline in IT majors/graduates too--just as we are in the U.S. They are speculating that the cause may be teaching, when the decline is due to the number births in the years leading up to this stage of schooling for people. The UK population stats are almost exactly like the US after WWII with the big Baby Boom, a dip with Gen X, and an Baby Boom echo early in Gen Y and then another dip. That is right were we are now with college-age kids. So shortages are not due to traditional IT and engineering students not choosing the major, but that that pool itself is simply smaller. Makes those engineering and IT program for  girls even more important! Isn't that interesting?  That was one of the most useful presentations I have heard in a long time. Kudos ASTC Program Committee. 

Here's the link to the story. 

** Computer industry 'faces crisis' **
The computer industry faces a skills crisis, the president of the British 
Computer Society tells BBC News.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/technology/6155998.stm >


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