Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/592911
24 | I NSIGH T • N o v e m b e r 2 0 15 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m Tech-Tonic Shift c o n t i n u e d to earn simultaneous college credits. Boot camps and innovation academies that allow high school students to work with mentors in the industry are also expanding. "It's a quantity issue, not a quality issue," Lang says. Several non-traditional labor pools — from stay-at-home parents seeking to return to the workplace and veterans to the unemployed and working professionals seeking a second career — can also bridge the talent gap for the region. Oen, these candidates already have a college degree and can quickly work their way into IT roles such as business analysts that free up traditional IT pros to concentrate on core IT functions. "We need to show them the path," Schuler says. "ey have many of the skills companies are looking for." The upload A s the educational system ramps up to expand the talent pool in the long term, companies working in Northeast Wisconsin still must deal with the shortage that exists today. at involves recruiting from other regions and states. e region gets a bit of an assist here from human nature. While it's common for many recent college grads to move away in pursuit of "working in the big city," many cherish the area as a great place to grow up and will return when they are ready to start families of their own. While that's helpful, regional companies can't wait five to 15 years for talented professionals to return to the area. e region also needs to become a destination for young professionals from other areas of the state. at's where the Fox Cities Regional Partnership's Talent Upload program comes into play. e recruiting program brings talented professionals to the Fox Cities to meet with company leaders, learn about company culture and dean of IT & Learning Innovations at Fox Valley Technical College. "IT used to be something you could put your hands around. Now, we don't have those clear-cut role models." e end result is that by the time Northeast Wisconsin high school students reach their senior year, just 14 percent express an interest in pursuing an IT-related career, according to the IT Talent study. By the time of graduation from a four-year college, the numbers drop to a few dozen, single digits for women. Technical colleges fared better, graduating nearly 300 in 2014, though fewer than 60 were women. "It's pretty common for there to be only two or three of us in my classes," says Monika Heninger, a senior information systems student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh who will graduate in the spring of 2016. "I just don't think women are aware of the options. I was hesitant myself until I was exposed to a technology class and realized I loved it. We need to show women what IT is before they fall for the stereotype that doesn't include them." Heninger is certainly doing her part, founding a Women in Technology campus chapter at UW-Oshkosh, as well as serving as vice president and treasurer of the Information Science Club. But the college campus may be too late to reach out to women when it comes to careers in technology. Several recent studies have shown girls begin to lose interest in technology fields by the third grade if technology is not incorporated into the curriculum. While the numbers are down, the curriculum and programs are seen as a strong foundation that will help the region meet the challenge as long as the numbers can be increased. Already, the technical colleges are reaching out to the K-12 system to provide needed teaching expertise, as well as initiating programs that allow high school students "It's pretty common for there to be only two or three of us in my classes. I just don't think women are aware of the options. I was hesitant myself until I was exposed to a technology class and realized I loved it. We need to show women what IT is before they fall for the stereotype that doesn't include them." — Monika Heninger, a senior information systems student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh