REPORT SAYS EMPLOYEES LACK TECHNOLOGY SKILLS - A report issued by
the National Policy Association says that despite the current slump in technology jobs, the
real problem is a shortage of skills. According to James Auerbach of the association, when
the economy picks up, "we will have the same shortage we did two to three years ago." The
report notes that although employers can be more selective in the current market, there
remains a greater demand for applicants with certain skills than are available. Jack Scott, a
technical adviser on curriculum for the School of Technology at Claremont Graduate
University and vice president and CIO at The viaLink Company, said the skills gap is in part
a result of declining numbers of computer science graduates from US higher education. Scott
said that unlike the '80s and '90s, when computer science was a "sexy" field to enter, many
US students today are opting instead for business career paths. Technology skills, he said,
have shifted to countries such as China and India, which have invested in developing home-
grown technical expertise. The complete article can be found at:
http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/19062.html (NewsFactor Network, 19 Aug 02 -
Edupage 19 Aug 02)

STATE DEPARTMENT STARTS ONLINE IT TRAINING - The Foreign Service Institute,
the training division of the US Department of State, will launch an e-learning program on
information technology to prepare its personnel for increasingly technical systems used in the
field of diplomacy. The program will be put together by SmartForce Inc., an online learning
firm. State has made it a priority to upgrade its IT infrastructure and to deploy a system
worldwide for Internet and email access for all its employees. The SmartForce program
will include courses on email, Internet, and IT competency. "Providing easily accessible
training, anytime and anywhere, increases the effectiveness of our entire organization," said
Janette Corsbie, program director for the School of Applied Information Technology's
Distance Learning Program, U.S. Department of State. " Given the current state of US
foreign affairs, it is essential to our national security that all personnel are competent in
advanced technologies." (Syllabus News, Resources, Trends, 6 Aug 6, 02)