The Community College Research Center (CCRC) is partnering with the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) on a three-year project to examine the hiring process for entry-level information technology (IT) jobs and the role of community college IT programs. CCRC researchers will assess industry demand for community college IT degree programs based on employers’ hiring requirements and their perceptions of community college programs and graduates.

The study will focus on entry-level IT jobs across a range of employers in two different labor markets. The research will examine the hiring requirements for these jobs including skills, education, experience, and industry certifications. The two labor markets—Seattle and Detroit— will provide a contrast in terms of average education levels and industry focus with a strong IT industry focus in Seattle versus a strong automotive industry focus in Detroit. The employers will represent a range of organizations including large and small, private and public sector, and IT and IT-enabled organizations, as well as temporary placement firms. Interviews with employers will be conducted with individuals responsible for the recruitment and hiring of entry-level IT jobs. Interviews with community college faculty and staff will assess employer interest in IT programs and their graduates. In addition, a review of on-line job postings from websites such as Craigslist, DICE, and Monster.com will be conducted to identify the hiring requirements and/or preferences employers specify for entry-level IT jobs.

This project is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. These research activities will be conducted as part of a larger project to develop connections between industry and community college faculty and students (“Stem-to-Stern: An Education to Industry Research, Action, and Change Project to Develop Long-term Employer-Education Partnerships”). This research will inform community college efforts to work with employers, culminating in conferences and reports targeted at both community college practitioners and employers. A final report on the research findings will be available in 2009.