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A Technology Education Lays the Foundation for a Lifetime of Innovation

by Mary Hobson
mary.hobson@hqpublications.com
Technology Schools Columnist

There are excellent reasons why you should get yourself a good, high-level technology education through studying an IT degree; the major one being that if you learn the generic principles that underlie the technology you are going to work in, your learning processes become much easier, and you are able to be much more effectively trained in new processes.

High Tech Engineering and Computing Jobs

If you had joined the computing industry as a computer programmer in the early 1970s, you would have been given a sharp pencil and a coding sheet, and you would probably have been asked to write a program in numerics and mnemonics.


Today, programmers work from detailed specs, write in almost English languages, and use keyboards and screens. And of course, the applications have changed entirely.

In order to keep up with the incredibly fast rate of change in engineering and computing jobs in the high tech industries, you have to constantly retrain, learning new techniques and - at times - changing your career path dramatically.

This level of re-training needs to build on a basis of a sound knowledge of the technologies dealt with and a true understanding of the basic principles only available through IT degree level study.

Certification may even be a part of your degree course, so you can combine some of the technology education and training goals you have during your initial period of study.

An IT degree gives you more opportunities

Studying an IT degree gives you a chance to look at the various areas of information technology and to understand how they work together, ultimately to produce a useable product. You have the opportunity to explore a variety of possible computing jobs during your study time, and so can make more informed career choices when you start to build your career path.

A degree-level qualification at the end of a technology education also means that you will be qualified for higher level engineering and computing jobs, giving you career opportunities that may not be available without a degree.


You can use your degree as an entrance qualification to graduate studies, which will allow you to pursue interests sparked through your undergraduate studies. Eventually, this could lead to a career in research and development – a fascinating area in the high tech industries.

Technology Education gains you rewards

Whatever career path you choose after your degree, your income is likely to be significantly higher over the whole period of your career if you have a degree; you are also likely to progress further in your chosen career path, according to the US Bureau of Labor. Education is an investment, but like all good investments, it does pay you dividends over the long term.

Sources

• http://www.cedma.org
• http://certification.about.com
• ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.ceseeb11.txt

About the Author

Mary Hobson is a consultant for technology start-ups in Russia. She has also worked as an executive officer in a defence facility and as a university lecturer in computer science and management information. Mary earned her first degree in textile marketing and subsequently studied education and computer science at a Master's degree level.