Solution
The solution to this problem isn't to drive kids through 16 years of education...its for companies to open their budgets and send staff to technical schools to learn specific technologies. Universities are great at teaching theories, and a very few have begun to actually integrate vendor coursework (primarily Microsoft) into the curriculum so students graduate with the diploma that says they know the theory *and* a certificate that demonstrates at least a minimum level of practical knowledge. Take a new hire, have that person spend the first two weeks being trained in the dominant technology the employer uses that the employee will be supporting. Then allocate another two weeks the next month for training in a secondary skill area.
Costs a few dollars, sure, but without the four year degree, HR at most other companies won't even let the person's resume through the first culling, so the candidate will be staying a while (plus, there are always contractual agreements that you won't quit within a certain time unless you pay back the costs). And the person who has actual tech training will be better able to contribute than one who has a four year degree with no practical aspect integrated in. Over time, other universities are likely to include a practical aspect to their degrees, but for the time being, filling the alleged half-million jobs is a matter of investing in people...not buying their servitude. Take the average salary for the area, for a newbie, and cut a few thousand off the top, but add it back in as training. Its a perk, and the company can move that money to the business expense column instead of payroll.
And with a bit of cleverness, the company can avoid paying for any advanced training, even though there's supposed to be a budget of x dollars per year per person for training, by keeping the work load too high for the employees to actually go to any training, once they have the minimum necessary to blunder along doing the job they have already.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
