Analyzing Job Postings to Improve IT Programs within Higher Education

Information Technology (IT) programs at colleges and universities have historically relied on advisory groups and Business & Industry Leadership Team (BILT) meetings to understand current employer needs and market demands. At these meetings local industry leaders typically describe their workforce needs and vote on the importance of various forms of IT-specific knowledge and skills. While these meetings provide valuable insights and feedback, serving as the backbone for IT-focused insights, they also face some constraints due to limited time and sampling of the target population (employers).

Local job postings provide a treasure trove of data that can supplement traditional advisory/BILT processes, painting a more detailed picture and enabling a timelier understanding of local industry trends. There are many ways that faculty can obtain local job postings, and once obtained, these postings can be analyzed in numerous ways. The number of postings per organization/company can point out possible strategic alliances with the most prevalent employers. Job titles can be analyzed to identify role-based trends for entry-level hiring opportunities. Geographic locations can be used to reveal changing markets for IT opportunities. Job descriptions can be searched to track trends related to tools and technologies. Elements of a case study are described in the analysis sections to help illustrate the ideas and demonstrate utility.