Computing Professionals

Surprisingly little is known about the people responsible for advancing the science, technology, and application of computing systems, despite their critical roles in the U.S. economy. As a group, they can be referred to as "computing professionals." But that label masks an unusually wide range of occupations. To add to the confusion, the nature of these occupations is changing rapidly in response to dramatic advances in technology. Building from discussions at a workshop, this book explores the number, composition, demand, and supply of computing professionals in the United States. It identifies key issues and sources of data and illuminates options for improving our understanding of these important occupational groups. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary Introduction Data and Taxonomy: Computing Professionals are Hard to Count Demand Crosscurrents: Emerging and Disappearing Jobs Supply: Who Enters the Profession? Training, Retraining, and More Retraining Conclusion and Next Steps Appendix A: Comparison of Data Sources and Data Appendix B: U.S. Degree Programs in Computing Appendix C: The Demand for Human Resources and Skills in the 1990s Appendix D: Workshop Program