Tech downturn puts students off third-level IT courses

Lack of quality careers guidance and computer training at secondary school also contribute to the drop in interest among pupils, writes Jamie Smyth

The recession in the global technology sector, the lack of time spent using computers at school and inadequate career guidance are factors turning school-leavers off computer science and IT courses at third level, according to a group of college students who took part in a focus group discussion this week. But the students, who all attend different colleges and are currently on work placements, believe there will be a turnaround in the fortunes for the technology industry and that they will be able to find jobs after graduating.

"Initially, I was a bit shocked by the downturn," says Ms Odharnait MacGowan (21), who is studying for a BSc in information technology at NUI Galway, "but during my work placement I discovered new areas of technology development that will be the future for the industry."

Students choosing university courses are guided by the current state of the market and on the general opinion of an industry at the specific point in time. This is the biggest factor in the drop in applications for IT courses, she says.

Although she has moderated her initial salary expectations, Ms MacGowan believes this should level out in the long run. Fewer applications for computer courses now will also boost her job prospects in the future, she adds.

The number of students opting for computer science courses as their first preference almost halved from more than 10,000 last year, to just above 5,000 in 2002. This dramatic fall in applications has prompted employers to warn of a skills shortfall of 3,000 IT professionals over the next five years.

A lot of people are going back to traditional jobs and are studying to become carpenters and electricians, says Mr Norman Kelly (21), an applied computing student at Waterford Institute of Technology. "I think a lot of kids are being influenced by their parents who are looking at the news and warning them against IT," he says.

Most of the students interviewed by The Irish Times pinpointed a lack of quality careers guidance and computer training at secondary school for lower IT literacy and interest among pupils.

"A lot of people had no interest in computing or had no idea what it was about," says Mr Neil Kenny (21), who is studying computing at Sligo Institute of Technology. He believes more computer classes in secondary schools and more in-depth course material at this level might boost interest.

Some of the students interviewed had spent just a few minutes with a careers adviser and there was a feeling that they had to grab a few minutes with an adviser in between their gruelling Leaving Certificate schedule.

"I believe that students aren't too sure what they want to do," says Mr Tony Denver (22), who is studying computer science at Griffith College. Almost half the students at his computer course had dropped out before third year.

"There was 115 people when I started my course and now, in third year, there are less than 60 students. . . Some school pupils are too pre-occupied with the Leaving Certificate and never explored all their possible avenues."

Mr Denver's class is typical of most IT and computer science courses throughout the State. A report published last year by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) found 26.9 per cent of computer science students fail to complete their courses at universities.

The HEA survey followed the activities of students who entered college in the academic year 1992/93. It found the reasons for failure to complete courses were:

students choosing unsuitable subjects to study;

the high cost of going to college;

the attractions of the labour market.

The last would certainly have had an impact on computer science students during the 1990s but it is unlikely to have much of an impact now due to the downturn.

"People in the third-level sector were getting phone calls from companies during the boom and these companies wanted the phone numbers of students who failed exams," says Dr Don Thornhill, chairman of the HEA. "This shows the tightness in the labour market at the time."

The HEA recently appointed a project manager to work to increase the uptake of courses in the information and communications technology sector. It has a budget of €12 million to spend on these projects, says Dr Thornhill.

The severity in the drop in applications for computer science and IT-related subjects may have a silver lining. "Some people in industry believe it was a case of people choosing IT even though they weren't suited to it," says Dr Thornhill. "Parents were telling people to get into IT due to the boom. Now students may be better suited to the subject and it may reduce drop out rates."

Ms Geraldine Browne (22), a computer science student at University College Cork, believes more could be done to encourage women to take up and stick with computer science and IT courses.

"It is a male dominated course. About 30 per cent of my class are female. Nearly all the lecturers are men also," she says. "More girls dropped out than boys."

This was also the case in most of the classes attended by the other computer science students interviewed by The Irish Times.

Ms Browne, who is currently on a work placement with Hibernian Insurance, says promoting work experience at college is a great way to encourage students to persist with their courses. "My work placement has made me much more confident in the subject. It has also shown me many of the possibilities available in the field," says Ms Browne.

It is a similar story for the four other students interviewed, who are all spending their work placement with software giant Microsoft. "I'm working on the Xbox project at Microsoft, developing online tools that will enable people to play games all around the world," says Mr Kelly. "It's great experience and should help me find a job after graduation."

Unfortunately, many of the focus group's classmates were not able to find a placement this year due to the severity of the downturn in IT. Many colleges have been forced to offer students work in their own IT departments or provide extra courses for students unable to get a placement.

Microsoft's human resources director, Mr Mark Keane, says this is a major problem for the whole industry to address as students represent the future for IT.

"The number of software engineers we have at present means it isn't yet a crisis but, long-term, we are building one," he says. "It is a parallel with the coal mines in the UK. If you don't develop the resource, then it won't be there for the generations in years to come."