Since the dotcom bubble burst in 2001, student interest in emerging technology, especially computer science and engineering, as major areas of study, has declined. While demand for programmers, network specialists and computer engineers were negatively impacted from 2001-2003, since then, new and exceptionally strong job markets have emerged in biotechnology, homeland security, energy research, “smart” transportation and even manufacturing. There has also been a rapid resurgence in information and wireless technology. Of major concern, however, is that these surging growth areas have not been accompanied by the explosive increases in computer science and related enrollment that took place in the late 1990’s. In fact, studies conducted by the United States Department of Labor have brought to light a severe reversal of that trend.

Information Technology serves as a perfect example of this. By the year 2010, U.S. companies will need nearly half a million additional IT workers. U.S. colleges, however, at the current rate of enrollment, will only be able to produce a maximum of 60,000 Computer Science graduates by that time. This will create a massive shortage of Information Technology job candidates both locally and nationally. This shortage will inhibit growth in virtually every area of industry. Stony Brook University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology are well aware of this problem.

With the help of corporate partners such as IBM, CA, Cisco Systems, Northrop-Grumman and Motorola, who strongly support initiatives which increase Metropolitan area talent pools, we are embarking on a comprehensive outreach program to educate Long Island students about the job markets being created by the information and emerging technology surge.

The goal of OPLITE is to combine the outstanding efforts of Stony Brook’s, as well as other academic institutions’, outreach programs with the efforts of local and nationally based corporations, who are also reaching out to Long Island and Metropolitan New York area students.Our hope is that a coordinated effort combining the resources and creativity of corporations and academic institutions will have a greater impact on our local high school population, reduce duplication of effort and maximize the effectiveness of all outreach efforts. We hope OPLITE will facilitate outreach to all levels of students, K-12, at more school districts throughout our area and with greater frequency.

If you are interested in joining our partnership or learning more about our program, please contact our Director of Industrial Outreach at 631- 632- 4628.