Comments on: When Blumenthal Listens, People Talk http://healthsystemcio.com/2010/03/04/when-blumenthal-listens-people-talk/ healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:59:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: charrl http://healthsystemcio.com/2010/03/04/when-blumenthal-listens-people-talk/#comment-212 charrl Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:42:59 +0000 http://healthsystemcio.com/?p=1479#comment-212 Yes, even with high unemployment the US is short critical human resources. The number of US grads in computer science/IT has, shockingly, not climbed much above levels of the mid-1980s - in fact MORE bachelor's degrees were earned in 1985-86 than in 2006-07, the last school year for which the Department of Education has posted data. There has been some growth in graduate degrees. Yet many of these - and most doctorates - are earned by foreign students whom reserachers say are less likely than their predecessors to settle in the US. Prospects for our healthcare IT systems and competitive life sciences industries will be hamstrung as long as there is weakness in graduation rates for IT and other science and engineering related disciplines. US degrees earned in engineering & engineering technologies peaked in 1985-86, when the youngest boomers were turning 22. In its turn, the boomer generation (of which I'm a part) has often neglected to promote vital and practical careers, encouraging its children to be guided by passions. The results since 1985-86? Well over doubling of yearly grads in "visual and performing arts" and a more than 500% rise in "Parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies". And we're hardly more fit. What if we'd had no more US aeronautical engineering grads in 1940 than we'd had in 1915 or 1920? Can you imagine? I am trying to build support for a broad stroke initiative to recognize and motivate more graduates in IT and other STEM fields, the centerpiece of which would be a $10,000 tax credit for STEM degree earners, plus an extra $5,000 credit for those who go on to teach for 5 years. Charles Orlowek Yes, even with high unemployment the US is short critical human resources. The number of US grads in computer science/IT has, shockingly, not climbed much above levels of the mid-1980s – in fact MORE bachelor’s degrees were earned in 1985-86 than in 2006-07, the last school year for which the Department of Education has posted data.

There has been some growth in graduate degrees. Yet many of these – and most doctorates – are earned by foreign students whom reserachers say are less likely than their predecessors to settle in the US.

Prospects for our healthcare IT systems and competitive life sciences industries will be hamstrung as long as there is weakness in graduation rates for IT and other science and engineering related disciplines. US degrees earned in engineering & engineering technologies peaked in 1985-86, when the youngest boomers were turning 22.

In its turn, the boomer generation (of which I’m a part) has often neglected to promote vital and practical careers, encouraging its children to be guided by passions. The results since 1985-86? Well over doubling of yearly grads in “visual and performing arts” and a more than 500% rise in “Parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies”.

And we’re hardly more fit.

What if we’d had no more US aeronautical engineering grads in 1940 than we’d had in 1915 or 1920? Can you imagine?

I am trying to build support for a broad stroke initiative to recognize and motivate more graduates in IT and other STEM fields, the centerpiece of which would be a $10,000 tax credit for STEM degree earners, plus an extra $5,000 credit for those who go on to teach for 5 years.

Charles Orlowek

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