Instead, she found a college student. At John Hancock Financial Services, Northeastern University undergraduate students in the Cooperative Education program perform data modeling, support application software, administer the company's computerized tracking system, and handle software configuration management. It enables us to get more work out the door. It takes some extra work off our plates. It's a win-win situation for companies and students alike.
Companies tap into a pool of fresh talent.
It rounds out their skills and provides a practical application for what they learn in school and more. Businesses, high schools, and universities throughout the United State are partnering with IT associations to change the image of IT education, recognizing the importance of starting at an early age. Although these partnerships between independent organizations and businesses help solve the staffing shortage, such efforts are just a start down a path that calls for more concerted outreach efforts. As part of the struggle to promote IT skills early on and increase training availability while in school, high schools and universities are teaming up with local businesses. The goals are to introduce high school students to the IT profession, encourage them to study computer science in college, and familiarize teachers with opportunities and technologies so that they teach more computer courses.