However, companies in other states, such as Washington, Utah, and North Carolina, have good local schools and lower employee turnover. Some companies hire substantial numbers of students with nontechnical degrees for technical positions. Andersen Consulting is a notable example. This past year, Andersen hired about 2700 students for technical consulting positions. To prepare its new hires for technical work, Andersen spends substantial amounts of money and time on training.
Every individual goes through a very rigorous and ongoing training process.
We don't just put them through a program for a month and then send them on their way. The ability to learn is one of the things we look for, because technology just doesn't stand still. Even if you know the cutting edge skills right now, those won't be the same in a year. No matter how many surveys you read or how you decide to interpret the numbers, the bottom line is that companies are hiring lots of programmers. Focus on getting a good education, but don't get hung up on what you major in.