Insight on Technology

3 Insight on Technology N o v e m b e r 2 019 M A R Y B E T H M AT Z E K , ED I T O R M M AT Z E K @ I N S I G H T O N B U S I N E S S .C O M The idea for this issue's cover stor y on how agriculture utilizes technology began forming in my head years ago after chaperoning my daugh- ter's four th grade field trip to Wichman Farms (coincidentally where photographer/designer Br yan Aschenbrenner shot the photos for the ar ticle). The farm we saw was completely different from any other dair y farm I had ever visited (includ- ing one the year before when I chaperoned my son's four th grade field trip). The cows walked by themselves over to the robotic milking machines when they were ready while an autonomous machine dropped just the right amount of food in front of them. Right about that time, I wrote a cover stor y for Insight on Milk Source Inc. of Kaukauna, a fami- ly-owned business that owned multiple dairies. There again, I saw technology in action as herdsmen could tell by looking at the data collected on the individual cows if any of them had a potential health issue, which could be spotted by lower milk production or a cow taking fewer steps. Since then, a lot has changed. Farmers now have more data than ever before about their animals and about their crops and fields. They receive alerts on their phones if something is wrong with a robotic milking machine or can use their phones to look up the latest information about weather and check an app to determine the optimal time to sell their field crops. At a time when farms are struggling in so many ways, technology is helping animals become more productive (providing the right mix of feed to the right cow) and helping crops reach ideal yields thanks to precise fertilization and watering – all of which helps farmers become more efficient and hopefully improve their bottom line. T his issue marks the first anni- versary of the launch of Insight on Tec hnolog y. During t hat time, the publication has grown in size and won first place in a national compe- tition: a Gold Award from the Alliance of Area Business Publications. Congrat- ulations to everyone who has worked on or supported this publication, which has shined a light on the need for more IT professionals in the region as well as the technology issues businesses and indus- tries deal with on a daily basis. Technology is no longer confined to the realm of IT departments and main- frame programmers. More and more, tec h nolog y is mov i ng out of t he I T department and into all aspects of busi- ness. Nothing proves this more than the digitalization of agriculture. Today's farmers are leveraging bovine equiva- lents of Fitbits on their dairy cattle to help track illness, milk production and fertility. In the fields, soil probes provide data about how much water, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to drop into each square foot of soil. As technology provides increasing amounts of data for farmers to sift through, they need to understand how to read the data and pull out the information it provides. In short, they need to become data analysts. Many companies in Northeast Wiscon- sin are looking to hire data analysts, with several companies looking to build out internal data analytics teams focused on deriving va lue from the reams of data they collect. Over the past three months, the NEW IT Alliance has had conversations with five companies that a re look ing to hire rough ly 20 data analysts between them. Two- and four- year col leges within the region, and K I M I V E R S E N , D I R E C T O R , N E W I T A L L I A N C E Creating pathways to future success FOREWORD across the state, are working on programs and certifications to help upskill the talent employers need in this field. A recent Glassdoor study of highest-paying jobs for new 2019 grad- uates puts data scientist at the top of the list with a $95,000 starting salary for an entry level position. Not only are colleges developing programs to help fill the data analyst gap, but the Depart- ment of P ubl ic I nstr uction a lso ha s been developing IT career pathways, which will be implemented in high schools across Wiscon- sin. One IT pathway focuses on data careers, including data analyst. Other IT pathways include project manager/business analyst, programmer/software developer, network and systems infrastructure, and cybersecurity. The pathways are designed to help students see how they can move from where they are today into a career in their chosen field. They outline classes and experiences in which they can participate in high school and which colle- giate programs will prepare them for a career in the field. On Nov. 21 at the NEW Connect IT event, high school students from across the region will have the opportunity to connect with local employers and IT professionals to learn about IT careers. Informational sessions will also be offered to employers that would like to learn more about how they can connect with students looking for opportunities to work in an IT department.

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