advances than ever before, with computer technology reach-
ing into every corner of almost every industry, from our cell
phones to our kitchen appliances, even our cars. In the busi-
ness world, retailers, banks, corporations, schools, hospitals—
basically any enterprise with records to keep—all need
computing power. As a result, IT positions are a plentiful and
expanding job market, projected to grow as a whole by more
than 24 percent by 2016.
The only problem is that there isn't enough fresh talent com-
ing in to fill the demand, especially as the baby boomers retire
from the industry. Across all levels of business, government, and
not-for-profit organizations, chief information officers and
himian resource managers are battling an IT talent shortage. Part
of this is because, as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in a study conducted between 1994 and 2004, the