This Week's Herman Trend Alert Purpose Emerging as Important Driver of Engagement

The Herman Trend Alert August 24, 1999 Where Have All The Students Gone? 129 days until January 1, 2000 There's a disturbing trend afoot. Students are dropping out of college before completion, harkening to the siren song of big money in the internet industry. The high-tech arena is desperate for workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 108 percent increase in the need for systems analysts, engineers and computer scientists from now until 2006. Today there are an estimated 933,000 jobs in the these fields, and by 2006, the bureau estimates, that will rise to 1.9 million. Yet the nation's computer science programs each year are graduating only 25,000 students with bachelor's degrees. Employers are so aggressive in recruiting that computer science departments are losing graduate students and even undergraduates to jobs that seem surrounded by pots of gold. For many young people, a job paying from $30,000 to $60,000 a year seems far more appealing than pursuing a degree with questionable value, especially when those tantalizing stock options are dangled like carrots before their eyes. Faculty members are being attracted to much more lucrative opportunities to apply their talents. For years, statistics have shown that one's level of education correlates directly to earning potential. Today's unprecedented high demand for competent employees may be driving a different statistic. Is this permanent, or merely a temporary flash in the compensation pan? For talented techies, dropping out of school to get a fast start on their moneymaking career makes sense on the surface. How long will it last? What happens when these folks, working day and night in the churn-and-burn internet employer environment, burn out? Will they be obsolete? Will they return to school? Will they be able to, perhaps with families and other concerns? How much can a student learn on campus, compared to actually going out and getting the experience? How will these young people keep up with the ever-changing technology in school and/or in the workplace? Some universities are already promoting programs where students can finish their degrees, get their credentials and a broader perspective on life, yet still work. Creativity in course scheduling and cooperative arrangements with employers will enable such programs to work. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." WHO SENDS OUT YOUR NEWSLETTERS? We are convinced there is no better choice than ours! We have happily used DataBack Systems to deliver The Herman Trend Alert for over 10 years and. Visit their website (http://www.databack.com) or call Byron directly at 503.941.0427. You'll be glad you did. IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Or order the electronic version of the Employer of Choice book on your desktop for only $17.80 @ http://hermangroup.com/store/books_all.html#2. STRUGGLING TO FIND THE PEOPLE YOU NEED? VETJOBS CAN HELP! Recently, hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of capable people. If you are looking for qualified candidates, you need to hire a veteran using VFW-sponsored VetJobs, the largest military employment site on the Internet. Thousands of returning veterans are looking for good jobs now. Mention this ad in The Herman Trend Alert and receive a 10% discount on job postings. Call Ted Daywalt at 877-838-5627 or inquire at info@VetJobs.com. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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