IT geeks bring us economic gifts

Young people see IT workers as ‘‘geeks’’ or ‘‘nerds’’, but they’re vital to the economy’s future, as reports.

impression digital science is not very academic and are diverted to other subjects, he says.

‘‘The syllabus forces you to teach a whole lot of stuff that is not relevant and it’s not going to spark the interest of logical engineering kind of individuals. It’s dull.

‘‘We need to turn information science into the fourth science. We ran a billboard saying on Trade Me there were 1400 jobs in IT and about 200 jobs in all the other sciences put together.’’

Ian Clarke, chief executive of software firm Fronde, says students see ICT being taught alongside trades courses at high school.

‘‘There doesn’t seem to be enough investment into teachers who can adequately help students understand what IT really is. So the prevailing wisdom that students have, and I think parents have too, is that you’re either a gamer or a screwdriver guy.

‘‘It’s quite at odds with the reality.

‘‘I also don’t believe the education sector is adequately funding the careers advisers to be trained in understanding the IT sector. It’s a real issue.’’

The IT sector is not alone in calling for teachers and career advisers to give it a higher profile at school level.

Agriculture and engineering are suffering similar shortages and making similar complaints.

But technology is the fastest-growing industry in the country ‘‘by a long shot’’, says Candace Kinser, chief executive of the Technology Industry Association.

It is the third biggest contributor to the economy, behind dairy and tourism, with revenue growing at a compound annual rate of 17 per cent.

But that kind of growth is not sustainable with the current shortage of workers, she warns.

Nor does the shortage just affect tech firms. A huge range of other big businesses – banks, airlines and Fonterra – also have extensive IT systems. Orion Health chief executive Ian McCrae

‘‘We’re likely to be the number one industry by 2020 in terms of contribution of revenue to the country. The problem is, we need some help.’’

When she talks to young people, Kinser says, they have no awareness that they could earn ‘‘twice the amount of money that you would make in just about any other industry on average, have a guaranteed job, the ability to travel around the world and you never actually have to touch code’’.

But she doesn’t think their lack of interest is due so much to negative stereotypes, as to a misunderstanding of ‘‘the depth and breadth’’ of technology.

The solution, she thinks, is a massive joint effort from the Government, the IT industry, the school system, and immigration. Even Work and Income should be involved, to tap the pool of unemployed.

But so far, nothing like that is on the horizon, with a Government that wants to see interest before it gives tertiary funding, and a school system lagging behind in digital access.

Vital roles: The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon (Jim Parsons), centre, and Leonard (Johnny Galecki), back, play up the stereotype that IT workers are ‘‘geeky’’ and awkward, IT industry leaders say.