Local schools'technology majors in demand

Anyone who is willing to acquire the skills to pursue a career in computer technology is likely to find it is well worth his while, according to local educators.

Ozarks Technical Community College offers a two-year program with lots of hands-on experience to prepare students for the demanding and changing field of computer technology.

"We can't turn out network technologists fast enough," said Joel LaReau, vice president of information technology at OTC.

Technicians who learn both hardware installation, maintenance and the software programs used on the equipment are stepping out of the OTC program and into jobs in Springfield; Kansas City; St. Louis; Dallas, Texas; and Bentonville, Ark., LaReau said.

Initial salaries range from $25,000 to $40,000 per year, with higher amounts being offered in the larger cities, LaReau said. He recently heard from one student who had risen to $72,000 in the three years since graduating from the OTC program.

A student needs to be committed, a problem solver and able to stay with it when the job gets difficult in order to succeed, said Daphne Press, division chair for computer information technology at OTC.

Press said OTC students are performing internships with several Springfield companies to prepare themselves for permanent positions after they complete their course of study.

"People who hire the students say they are generally well prepared," she said.

Jerry Chin, head of the computer information systems department at Southwest Missouri State University, said three to four years ago people did not need degrees to go into some areas of the computer technology field. That trend is changing as the Internet becomes more integral to the daily routine of all types of businesses, and companies are looking for well-rounded individuals to fill key positions.

Computer technology majors at SMSU, both in programming and technical support, are screened by companies from Springfield and beyond in the fall of their junior and senior years, Chin said. Most of them have future jobs or internships by Thanksgiving.

About 150 CIS majors graduate from SMSU each year, with an average annual starting salary of about $44,000. The highest wage garnered by a graduating senior last year was $65,000, Chin said.

Greg Burris, chief information officer and associate vice president of administrative services at SMSU, said that the hottest job in the industry right now is anything to do with the Internet.

Burris said both systems analysts and programmers are in demand. Companies sometimes offer bonuses and incentives to attract specialists in these fields.

Businesses have learned the importance of keeping these people once they've acquired them. Burris said one company in Colorado removed dress codes and made every day casual clothing day to keep employees happy.

At SMSU, salary increases in the technology department have risen 9 percent to 11 percent per year to compete with salaries within the industry, Burris said.

Pete Sanderson, computer science department head, said the field of computer technology has exploded in the past four years. The university has worked out a cooperative program with local businesses that allows students to get credit for on-the-job training while they work on their degrees.

The program allows them to gain the experience to help them land a job upon graduation, though sometimes they will remain with the companies where they've interned, Sanderson said.

He added that graduates with bachelor of science degrees in computer science can usually expect a starting salary of $35,000 to $40,000, depending on where they want to live.

The salary range is lower in Springfield than in cities such as Kansas City and St. Louis and those on either coast, but Springfield is typical among mid-sized cities, Sanderson said.

Vatterott College offers 60-week and 80-week programs in computer programming and Web development. Students can receive A+, Cisco and Oracle SQL certifications through the school, said Mike Rodden, co-director of Vatterott in Springfield.

Vatterott recently was named an authorized Prometric Testing Center for Microsoft certified systems engineer 2000, A+ PC technician, Microsoft Office user specialist and Novell engineer.

Certifications are becoming increasingly popular, according to Burris. Obtaining certification in Microsoft or Novell, through continuing education programs, for example, can enhance a degree.

Sanderson said he expects computer technology to continue to become even more pervasive in the next 10 years as software applications are embedded in appliances people use daily. It will become commonplace for people to adjust the air conditioning or lock the doors to their homes via remote control.

"Somebody has to write the software to do all that stuff," he said.