Preparing the Information Technology professionals of tomorrow: What Information Technology programs can do to ensure their graduates are employable

Abstract

It is well understood that technical graduates need more than technical skills to be professionally employed; they also need the so-called "soft skills" to be effective. Rapid change in Information Systems (IS) and Information Technologies (IT) has placed enormous demands on the IS/IT professional. These demands create skill gaps which must be addressed by working professionals and by new graduates entering the work world. This paper will examine the present understanding (based on a literature review) of the skills required for a successful IT/IS professional, including the various definitions of IS/IT skills, along with those soft skills required for the IS/IT professional to be effective. Finally, the authors will identify the various methods used by organizations and the IT professional to enhance these skills both formally and informally, and make some recommendations for how IS/IT programs can incorporate these training methods to help make their graduates more successful in the workplace. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2010.