Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
The number of people going into computer science and related fields is increasing, but it’s still not enough to keep up with the demand for those skills needed by Ohio employers, area business leaders said.
In 2013, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis, 3,643 degrees and certificates related to computer science were awarded in Ohio’s public and private universities and colleges. In 2023, the most recent year with available data, 8,867 degrees were awarded. All sectors saw growth, from doctoral degrees to associate degrees and certificates.
“We hear a lot of businesses now say if they have some training in a certain area, we will take it and morph it into what we need,” said Amanda Byers, director of talent and policy at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. “And I think that just has to do with the companies getting creative with what options they have.”
Clark State College enrolled almost 200 students in certificates and degrees this fall related to computer science. Wright State University found computer science was the second-most popular major for first-time students this fall, with 140 students, just behind nursing, which enrolled 363 first-time students. Sinclair Community College used a grant from the National Science Foundation to expand the number of women getting computer science degrees.
Darryl K. Ahner, professor and dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Wright State University, said Wright State students tend to end up working in one of three types of jobs: working on the base, working for defense contractors or working for any other type of company.
“Nothing is just the mechanical system anymore, it’s all internet of things,” he said. “Everything’s connected.”
