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