InformationWeek

February 15, 1999

Educating The Masses

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In addition to its efforts with students, FedEx also has a program to enhance the education of its own IT staff through an accelerated master's program it sponsors at Colorado Technical University. Employees gain a master's degree in computer science or information management in 12 to 18 months, instead of the typical two years. To make it even easier on employees, Colorado Tech teachers travel to FedEx's Colorado Springs facility. "This program allows us to increase the knowledge base of our employees and also better meet the needs of FedEx," Yancey says. So far, 25 FedEx employees have received their master's degrees through the accelerated program.

Some businesses are aligning with colleges and universities on specific programs. Baltimore Gas and Electric, for example, is one of several local businesses teaming with the University of Maryland in nearby College Park, Md., as part of the school's Information Technicians for the New Millennium initiative. The goal is to beef up the supply of IT personnel.

Under the initiative's Y2K Fellowship program, students from 13 Maryland colleges and universities can attend a five-week year 2000 IT course, which the university pays for. After students complete the course, they intern at participating Maryland businesses. At that time, the businesses reimburse the university for the cost of the course.

Baltimore Gas has already reaped the benefits of the program. Bob Cornilias, year 2000 program manager, helped the utility company assemble a specialized team of 10 year 2000 programmers that had attended the Y2K crash course. "Hiring these people allowed our senior analysts to have time for more involved year 2000-related work." Cornilias says he hopes to hire some of the students as full-time employees once they've graduated from the university. "It's a win-win situation for everyone involved--for us, the students, and the university," he says.

After completing the Y2K course, students sign contracts with the companies they've gone to intern for, promising to stay for a specified amount of time. In addition to earning as much as $15 an hour, students earn one year's tuition toward an IT degree for every six months of work. The students attend the university on a part-time basis while working as full-time interns. If an employee breaks the contract, he or she forfeits all tuition dollars.

The University of Maryland is working to launch the New Millennium initiative's second program, called Just-in-time Technician. Under the program, businesses can tell the university what specific IT skills they need. The university will then develop a customized program to train the individuals that the company sends to them. Jim Hill, head of the Y2K Fellowship program, is working with PepCo, a power company in Washington, and the Department of Transportation to develop customized curriculums. Hill says the university is also working to license its program to Argentina and South America.

Illustration by Hank Osuna

Long-Term Approach
Not all companies are directing their attention strictly at ways to attract IT talent at the college level. Prudential, along with Bell Atlantic and KPMG International, for example, are corporate sponsors of Tech Corps of New Jersey. Tech Corps, supported by many states, is a national program kicked off in 1996 by Vice President Al Gore to help bring technology into classrooms in grades kindergarten through 12.

Since Tech Corps of New Jersey started three years ago, more than 350 of the state's 600 school districts have received funding or help in getting computers integrated into classrooms. The program also trains teachers on how to incorporate the use of technology into their curriculums.

Tech Corps helps schools develop technology plans for using computers, as well as support workshops and training seminars for teachers and administrators to address such issues as the year 2000 problem and computer grant-writing. The sponsor companies in New Jersey also volunteer their employees to help teachers integrate a WAN throughout a school district, install a LAN in a computer lab, or download software in classrooms. "The idea isn't to teach technology, but rather to have technology integrated into the curriculum," says Donna Custard, manager of Tech Corps of New Jersey. "We want the computer to be as much a tool for teaching as a pen or pencil."

Prudential's CIO Bill Friel, who's also Tech Corps of New Jersey's chairman, says the benefits of participating in Tech Corps are clear. "As New Jersey's second-largest employer, we're very dependent on the educational system in the state," Friel says. "Education improves the entry-level workforce. We've absolutely recognized that technology's use in education is critical to competitiveness in the future."

In addition to the $25,000 annual grant that Prudential donates to Tech Corps of New Jersey, the company also donates $25,000 worth of services annually. For example, Irene Dec, Prudential's year 2000 guru, recently gave advice to schools on achieving year 2000 compliance.

Illustration by Hank Osuna

Not Just IT
While more companies are becoming involved in educational programs that support the development of technology skills, not all companies think business partnerships in younger grades should be narrowly focused on the goal of grooming future technicians. Technical and nontechnical companies both need to support education with well-rounded programs that cover the arts, as well as technology and science, says Scott Dinsdale, senior VP and CIO of BMG Entertainment, which participates in educational arts programs and also hires children of IT employees as summer IT interns.

"In kindergarten through eighth grade, kids aren't choosing professions, and some schools are allowing themselves to become too pragmatic by eliminating programs like art and music, which they view as supporting fewer professional opportunities later," Dinsdale says. "Many companies are becoming too myopic in their focus."