By Andy McFarlane on Mar 27, 2009
The issue of how we adequately prepare the IT workforce of tomorrow is an important one for students and teachers of computer science around the world. Students may wonder whether they are gaining the necessary skills through their courses to compete effectively for jobs. And academics understand the complexities involved in readying students for employment. But how can industry and educational institutions work together to build the knowledge economy workforce?
I took part in a panel that discussed this very question. You can watch the session below. We explored how companies such as Sun and SAP work with universities to deliver industry skills to students, and looked at why communities - such as the Sun OSUM groups on campus - are important elements of that strategy. But are students cynical about companies like Sun that offer things for free? Does the IT industry suffer from an image problem? And how can we inspire more people to develop their ICT skills? Find out below.
- Gary Serda - Strategic Education Marketing Manager (Sun)
- Dr Helmut Krcmar - Academic Director of SAP Competence Centre (University of Munich)
- Andrew McFarlane - Sun Campus Ambassador at Edinburgh University (UK)