Across the country, almost 1 million jobs in information technology go begging. Companies offer good salaries and bonuses, stock options and opportunities to work on the cutting edge. And still, many top companies are unable to attract the best workers. Even at Microsoft, the situation is so dire that the company awarded employees five times the usual number of stock options and virtually unlimited time off. The problem is more pronounced for employers unable to pay top dollar or to offer the most advanced opportunities and those hampered by inflexible hiring restrictions.
Technology is more important to state management than it has ever been.
We will continue to automate to save money. We will move government services such as motor vehicle licensing to the Internet. And we will continue to invest in educational technology that enhances classroom learning. New software and hardware in itself is not the goal. We must focus on improving how we provide state services.