The National Research Council's hearing Wednesday in Framingham, Mass., on the IT staffing shortage drew few participants, despite the council's efforts to get more testimony from IT workers about how to solve the problem.

The hearing was one of several held in various cities in recent months by an NRC commission formed to study the IT staffing shortage. The commission is one of two groups mandated by Congress to study the problem and make recommendations for future legislation and regulations.

However, only eight people turned up for Wednesday's hearing, and most only observed the proceedings. Testimony was supposed to run more than two hours, but it wrapped up in 50 minutes.

The meeting was followed by a presentation by Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of America. Citing White House statistics released Dec. 4, Miller attributed much of the U.S. economic success to IT. For example, between 1995 and 1998, IT accounted for one-third of U.S. economic growth and now represents nearly half of all business investment.

Miller also sought to shoot down some myths about the IT workforce, including charges of age discrimination. He said that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 90% of all displaced IT workers over 40 found new work in IT within a few months.