[BushCountry]

Just would like some input from the experts @ Freerepublic. Thank you in advance.

[af_vet_rr]

This is just a general comment, but the biggest problem in this country, are people who want the IT jobs, they go and read a few books, pass the Microsoft tests and voila, are instantly certified, regardless of how little experience they actually have.

Coming out of the military into the civilian world I've noticed this a lot more than many do. I have come across too many who on paper look qualified for the jobs they hold, but in reality, have less of a clue than somebody who has been working in IT or around computers for years and never got the certs or degrees.

[Im Your Huckleberry]

Don't bother. All these jobs will be in India or Russia in another five years.

[Captain Beyond]

Bump

[firewalk]

bttt

[bobwoodard]

Seems more than a little scattershot; you're trying to cover too many disciplines.

User support and cost-benefit analysis??? I'm not sure the guy who's into supporting remote users is the same guy who knows how to design a spreadsheet for IT labor costs and benefits.

I'd rather have a person who is great at a limited number of skills, versus someone who can list off 2 pages of proficiency.

[PFKEY]

I would make a mandatory course on "The Work Ethic".

[nutmeg]

.

[Centurion2000]

Add another class : Fundamentals of networking I and II.

I: Covers IPv4 and IPv6 protocols, addressing and subnetting; Overview on switching and routing technologies; basic firewall principles and NAT translation. Network topologies and the principles of the data network stack (OSI and IP network reference models)

II : Basic overview of various LAN/WAN technologies; basic cisco switch/router configuration (industry standard tech); basic firewall implementation technologies (Checkpoint, rule contruction and syntax)

[PFC]

As someone who teaches computers in a two-year college, maybe I can explain some things. "Introduction to computers and computing," is usually a pre-requisite for any degree these days. They are offered an opportunity to test out of it.

What you fail to consider is that there do exist students entering 2 year degree programs who have virtually no computer skills. Maybe they can send an e-mail and do some things on the Internet. They don't really know what happens but they know where to click. And many who may know some basic skills but not others. I'd say the vast majority don't know the difference between an operating system and an application. A good many don't know how to save e-mails, basic word processing. Very few have worked at all with spreadsheets, databases, etc. The difference between memory and disk storage, absolutely no idea. That's the reality of many of the students walking in the doors in my college. You really think I should start with network security when the students don't know how to properly create, save a Word document and be able to find it again later?

Granted those going into IT should know these things, and most do. For those students it's an easy A or they can place out of it. But you have to remember that that course is nearly always a campus-wide pre-req. And many of the students do need to know the very basics of how to use a computer.

[samuel_adams_us]

Need some electives, way more math, some C,C++, Java and .Net development classes with labs, and about 2 more years added on.

[krunkygirl]

bump to share with my son

[Revolting cat!]

The best IT people I have worked with had higher degrees in: Philosophy, Psychology (Ph.D), Accounting. The worst one had a degree in "Information Technology." Oh yes, he knew his IT soup du jour, whatever it was at the time, html or Pascal, or SQL. One CEO of a big corporation said in an interview I read a few years ago in Forbes that the best education one could get was a degree in Latin. Expertise in some trendy computer language, which uses like the rest of them the three or four fundamental algorithms, is trivial knowledge, in my opinion.

[JoeSchem]

Regarding math, I read something today where a teenage girl asked, "When am I ever going to square binomials?" She's an actress, but I'm an electrical engineer with fifteen years in the business, and my moment never came.

The point is, there's a lot of math out there that gets overemphasized. Too much emphasis on the mechanics, not enough on concepts. Though some concepts like 'fibonacci numbers' are overhyped. I like the idea of more emphasis on set theory and logic.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Basic electronics
Digital Circuits
Processors
Modern Component Architectures and Design
Machine Code/Assembly


For a start.

[stainlessbanner]

Good responses from all on the thread - I'll weigh in with some thoughts.

1. Students need to be taught the basics - how to read/write/basic math. Many students reach senior level courses without basic comprehension skills.
   
2. Teach methodology and process; perhaps how to think and approach problems. Technology changes so quickly, it's tough to teach a student specific software/hardware versions.

On the courses, I like the human behaviors/humanities requirement. Good sys analysts will pay attention to human behaviors when designing systems (perhaps that is why so many IT systems fail?). Unversitities and the DoD are keying in on human engineering right now. I would keep those.

Aside from the basic skills comprehension, the other issue some folks had on the thread was the alignment of IT and Business goals. You might consider more business courses - every IT person should know about the effects of markets, business drivers, competition, etc.

Some of my comments may be better suited for a 4-year degree. Just my .02

Are you an instructor, BC?

 

[stainlessbanner]

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