Get Your Kids Into Tech!

Get Your Kids Into Tech!

Do you want to help your kids find a great career opportunity that will offer them continued growth and development? Get them into Tech!

Are your kids unsure about what they want to “do when they grow up” but show an enjoyment of gadgets, math, or technology? Get them into Tech!

Do you want to help your kids identify a career path that will provide them financial opportunity and security? Get them into Tech!

Do you want to help your kids find a job that will keep them valuable and relevant? Get them into Tech!

The demand for talented young technologists has never been greater. There is a huge gap between the demand for technology professionals and the supply available. There has never been a better time for young people to choose a career in technology.

If you are the parent of a child who is unsure of what career path they want to follow, you can do them a huge favor by exposing them to technology to see if it is something they would enjoy. The career opportunities in the technology field are abundant right now. Too few kids are choosing technology-related careers, resulting in a lack of qualified technology and IT related professionals. This is creating a great opportunity for young adults who choose technology as their career path.

I personally attend a number of IT and Technology related events and I speak with a lot of IT leaders; the message is consistent and clear across all industries: they are struggling to find talented technicians to fill their open positions. Simply put, the demand is there.

Here are some staggering numbers and facts that demonstrate the demand for tech talent:

• It is predicted that by 2020 there will be 1.3 million new US software jobs, but only 400,000 US computer science grads to fill them.
• In a recent study conducted by Appirio, 90% of C-suite survey executives see recruiting IT talent as their top challenge.
• Here in Northeast Ohio alone, a 2015 labor market study showed a demand for 16,638 computer and IT workers, but only 5,995 credentials were awarded. And that gap is only expanding.
• The demand has gotten so bad that IT hiring managers have started hiring under-qualified candidates!

Along with the great opportunities in technology, there are several benefits to a career in technology. Among other things, these benefits include:

• High earning potential (see technology positions below).
• Upward mobility. An aspiring and talented young technologist has great opportunity to continue to grow professionally. All organizations need great technology leaders. Someone who works hard, proves themselves, and continues to develop can work themselves all the way up to CIO (Chief Information Officer).
• Technology is continuously changing. So a career in tech is an exciting and ever-evolving career.
• Tech skills are transferable. Technology is a universal language and provides mobility through industries You may start your career in manufacturing and easily move to healthcare. You do not become locked into a single industry or market, your skills allow you to be mobile through various sectors.
• Technology allows you to be creative. Technology is all about solving business problems and creating opportunities. It is exciting and extremely gratifying to see your skills, and the work you perform, solve business problems.
• There are a lot of varied opportunities. From data science and analytics, to network infrastructure, to development, to cyber-security; there is a wide variety of technology options to choose from. Some technologists even jump tracks; starting in one track and then developing skills to move to another.

So, I have been using the word “technology” a lot, and I admit, that is a pretty nebulous term. Here are some specific examples of technology-related positions that are popular and in demand right now. I also listed average salary to demonstrate the earning potential that your child could have if they chose one of these technology-related fields. Salary information pulled from Indeed and Glassdoor .

Keep in mind these are national average salaries. You cannot expect your child to immediately earn this kind of money, but it shows the earning potential for these positions. It also gives you a good idea of the options available within technology. From hardware, to software, to data and security; there is a wide variety of high earning potential positions for different levels of talent, aptitude, and interest. Does your child love math? Data Scientist could be a great career option for them. Are they more hands on? Getting started as a Helpdesk Technician could be a great option for them. There are great opportunities in technology for all levels of aptitude. And this list just scratches the surface of the wide array of career options.

Ok, so we see that technology professionals are in demand, that there are many benefits to a career in technology, and there is good earning potential in technology-related fields. So how can you help your kids get more exposed to technology to help them decide if it is something they enjoy? Fortunately, there are a lot of opportunities to expose your kids to technology starting as early as grade school all the way to college students and even post-graduate.

Grade School — It is never too early to get your kids exposed to tech. Yes, they all play with smartphones and tablets, but you can do a little bit of a deeper dive to get them exposed to tech.

• Check with your local school system to see what initiatives they have to educate grade school students about technology. If your child is in a school system that is building a technology curriculum, excellent, make sure your child gets involved with the tech options they have. If not, let them know you want your child to learn more about technology and see what options are available locally. Maybe you can even play a part in helping to build better technology options in your child’s school system by getting other parents or local businesses involved with raising funds to support technology education.
• Look for local events and classes focused on teaching technology to grade school children. The local library may have computer classes for young people. Search on Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.com) for coding or tech-related events for children.
• Take your children to the local Science, Art, or Natural History Museum to expose them to some cool technology. It is incredible how museums such as the Cleveland Art Museum are using technology to build more interactive experiences.
• Make sure you are using this time to educate your children about proper tech and media habits to prepare them for the technology-rich, online lives they will be leading: monitor screen time, be nice to people online (digital citizenship), and the value of interpersonal/face-to-face interactions.

High School — If your child is in high school there are a lot of great ways to give them a deeper dive into tech to see if they have a knack for it and enjoy it.

• Again, make sure you are fully aware of the tech initiatives and opportunities available in your child’s school system. Encourage them to get involved with the technology options available at their own school.
• There are some great online, learn to code websites that can get them exposed to programming. Code Academy and Udemy are a couple great websites to learn coding for free. Have your kid take a couple courses to see if coding is their cup of tea.
• High schoolers can participate in free coding events to see if it is something they would enjoy. Again, use Eventbrite to see if there are any coding or technical events nearby.

College — If your child is entering college and still undecided what degree they want to pursue, this may be a great time for them to consider an Information Systems or Computer Science degree.

• Visit local colleges, or colleges your child wants to attend, and specifically ask them about their Computer Science majors and available courses that can help your child quickly decide if that is a major they want to pursue.
• Many colleges have local chapters of professional associations dedicated to the advancement of technology or information systems. The Association for Information Systems (AIS) is a great example. If there is a chapter at your child’s college or nearby they can attend a meeting to learn more about technical careers and opportunities.
• If they have already started classes and are still undecided or want to change majors; they can take an entry-level computer science course to see if it is something that they want to pursue.

Post Graduate — Has your child already graduated from college but struggling to find a job. Or are they unhappy with their chosen profession and looking to make a switch? The good news is that there are options available to help them jump the tracks into technology.

• Coding Bootcamps – There are several coding bootcamps area that offer 12-14 week programs for coding. This can be a great way to fast track your coding skill set and quickly get you down the path of a career in computer programming. Examples of these bootcamps here in Northeast Ohio include Tech Elevator (@Tech_Elevator) and The Software Guild (@softwareguild). To find a bootcamp near you just Google “coding bootcamp”; there are tons of options out there. Check out their websites and reviews to find the best one.
• Technical Certifications – Pursue a technical certification to see if a technology career path is a good fit. Microsoft, Cisco, VMWare, A+, the list goes on and on of technical certifications that can hone your child’s tech skills and prepare them for a career in technology. As a technology hiring manager; a technical certification is definitely a “plus” in the hiring decision.
• Attend Tech Events – If your child is considering a change in career paths and wants to learn more about technology they can attend any number of free tech events in your area. Again, Eventbrite is your friend. Search for technology events in your area. Cybersecurity, Coding, Web Development; there are all kinds of great free or low-cost tech events out there for your child to learn more about technology as a possible career and sharpen their networking skills.

There is a huge gap between demand and supply of talented technology professionals. There is a void for technology professionals that needs to be filled. It is a great time to get our children exposed to, and interested in technology to help fill that void and set them up for professional success. If you are the parent of a child who is still undecided about what they want to “do when they grow up”, Get them into Tech!