Convergence of technology, media drives future job growth in Valley
Dr. Lawrence Vanston, president of Technology Futures, speaking at South Texas College’s 2nd Annual IT Symposium.
Dr. Lawrence Vanston, president of Technology Futures, mapped out a future full of unlimited job possibilities in technology for attendees of South Texas College’s 2nd Annual IT Symposium in November.
“Convergence, the converging of technologies and applications, is driven by many factors, but in part by the demand for on-demand, 24/7 content from anywhere in the world,” said Vanston. “Content, as we think of it, went from being something physical like a magazine or book to being in an all-digital, electronic format. That has changed everything.”
Vanston also sees the possibility of a truly wireless world as a reality sooner rather than later.
“We are seeing the loss of traditional wired house lines drop exponentially; in fact we have lost about 40M lines in households across America in just eight short years since 2000,” said Vanston. “Add to that the fact that you have many new integrated applications hitting the market that combine wireless phone technology with multimedia and publishing access points and the need for wires, and the legacy technologies they support, will disappear within a matter of years. Also, there will be a role for new fiber optic-based systems providing high-definition TV video and very high-speed broadband at data rates 10 times as fast as today's cable modems and DSL."
What does this mean for job opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley?
“The sky is the limit because as new technologies are developed and we integrate them in our daily lives, both at work and at home, we need qualified technicians to set up these systems, as well as maintain them,” said Mario Reyna, STC division dean of business and technology. “But, despite the opportunities that are coming to fruition, we are still not preparing near the amount of qualified professionals to help the Valley make a smooth leap into the wireless world.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the year 2015, computer science and information technology-related positions will increase by 58 percent in Hidalgo and Starr counties.
“We need to see many more students capitalizing on this trend and looking into opportunities that will provide sound careers for the future,” added Reyna. “At STC, we offer students the chance to study computer science, information technology, convergent technology, multimedia, information security, networking, as well as variety of other technology skills to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow. Bottom line is that to be competitive in tomorrow’s job market, you must be building technology skills today. STC can help students step into this realm and be successful.”
Computer and information technology courses are currently being offered at all STC campuses, as well as online. For additional information contact Adolfo Lozano, chair of the Information Technology Program for STC, at 956-872-6175 or visit http://www.southtexascollege.edu/business/.
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