Eastern Center for Arts and Technology. Program Review Final Report. Computer Network Administration

Transcription

1 Eastern Center for Arts and Technology Program Review Final Report Computer Network Administration 2015

2 OCCUPATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS Ian Carder, Chairperson Donald Horsfall, Vice Chairperson Carol Ann Casciato Robert Dyke Clifton Hamilton Michael Landi Edward May Marie Hartlein Paul Smith Suga Suganthan Amy Pertuset Stephen Berkowitz Joseph Greb Karon Crickmore Upper Moreland School District International Technical Communications, Inc International Technical Communications, Inc Willow Computer Services, Inc Innovative IT Concepts, Inc Trigon Technology Group Technology Manager - EASTERN Montgomery County Community College Temple University DeVry University Post-Secondary Student -Penn State University Student Representative Assistant Director - EASTERN Instructor EASTERN EXECUTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS Joseph Daino Chartwells S:HighSchool;ProgRev

3 Eastern Center for Arts and Technology COMPUTER NETWORK ADMINISTRATION Occupational Outlook Locally, the opportunities look very good for the two job categories that EASTERN's Computer Network Administration (CNA) program graduates are most likely to enter. Data from the state's Pennsylvania Workforce Development reports indicate for the Computer Support Specialist and Network and Co~nputer~ Systems Administrator promising job growth in Montgomery and surrounding counties. Below are the total open job postings as of January 21, 2015 for those two position categories. Montgomery 128 Bucks 41 Philadelphia 177 If we include projections for the other nearby counties, Berks, Lehigh, Chester, and Delaware, we get an additional 162 total open job openings. This gives a total of 508 open job opportunities for students based on current openings. Of course, not all of these jobs are for entry level candidates, but with so much demand employers are forced to consider well-prepared entry level candidates. Opportunities at the national level are also very promising with above average growth expected in the next 7 years. See Appendix A for related information from Bureau of Labor statistics national job outlook report. The EASTERN CNA students continue to perform very well on the annual National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) tests. During the timeframe, 100% of the students scored Competent and Advanced. S: HighSchool; ProgRev

4 Enrollment over the past 5 years has been increasing and the number of returning students remains steady. The cohort entering in 2014 has 18 students. Of the 18 students, 17 are juniors and 1 is a senior. When most students are asked why they are attending the program, dual enrollment is always in the top two reasons. EASTERN CNA students are able to graduate with 12 graded, transferable credits from Montgomery County Community College. It is not unusual for students in the program to take additional credits at Montgomery County Community College while still in high school. Parents and students are realizing the financial benefits of dual enrollment. Most of the EASTERN CNA students are continuing on to college for at least an Associate degree. The number of students pursuing a Bachelor degree initially is increasing. In addition, a number of students are working in the computer field during college. Most employers are looking for at least an Associate degree, but some small companies will hire people without a degree if they have professional certifications and hands-on experience for entry-level positions. A concern today with any technology career is the threat of offshoring -the practice of sending technology jobs to lower cost countries such as India or Russia. Hardware capabilities such as remote access to power servers up and down remotely, and increased use of managed services products have enabled some hardware support possible from remote locations. Are these a threat to U.S. jobs? It's possible that some support jobs could move off-shore, however most organizations are understaffed for hardware support positions and many companies have a lot of backlog of work requests. More data center automation actually frees up staff to focus on more complicated problems. While some jobs could move off-shore, companies need local staff to support high availability and 24x7 work environments. New technologies often require new or additional servers. Increased business requirements such as new applications, data analysis (such as data warehousing and data mining), integration of applications and archiving of s all require well-designed hardware infrastructure and the support needed to keep it up to date and running. Computer system and network administration can be complex and requires personal interaction with the business stakeholders to properly support the company. S:HighSchool;ProgRev

5 Outsourcing, where support staff is employed by a third party or managed service provider, may or may not include off-shore resources. Many local companies find outsourcing to be a viable solution and hire local outsourcing companies. These companies are potential employers of our students. Program Viability Based on recent studies at both the national and regional level that show a very positive outlook for job opportunity for our students, the OAC supports continuing the CNA program. It is clear that this educational program continues to be attractive for the segment of the sending schools population. The feedback from the graduates show that our students are getting good jobs in the computer field with impressive advancements and salaries. There is no reason to expect this to diminish. The continuing market demand for computer network administration skills is the single strongest factor in this recommendation. This demand is supported by the following sources: Statistics show in the PA Workforce and the US Department of Labor reports identify strong growth potential in job areas for which our students will be qualified. Input from committee members Program performance shows that the students are entering the college immediately after completing the CNA program Local job listings showing frequent new job postings Area colleges also support the continuation of the CNA program through our dual enrollment program with Montgomery County Community College and an articulation agreement with Penn State - Abington. The MCCC dual enrollment program offers students 12 graded, transferable college credits through the CNA curriculum. Students can take additional courses for credit through MCCC S:HighSchool;ProgRev

6 PSU-Abington offers successful CNA students guaranteed entry in their highly coveted Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) program, provided they meet PSU other entry requirements Students may also qualify for advanced placement credit at Penn College of Technology, part of the Penn State University system Students can earn up to 8 credits at DeVry University for work completed at EASTERN Although it may be possible for students to obtain employment with the skills taught in the CNA program, students are always encouraged to go on to post-secondary education to obtain at least a two year Associate degree or, preferably, a four year Bachelor degree. As a result, 85% of our graduates go on to some post-secondary education. Students graduating from our CNA program have attended the following institutions: DeVry University Drexel University Indiana University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University Montgomery County Community College New York Institute of Technology (NYC) Pace University (NYC) Penn College of Technology Penn State University - Abington Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY State) Temple University West Chester University S: HighSchool; ProgRev

7 Summary of Industry Trends Technology - What's trending in the industry? o The major server operating systems used today are Linux Distributions and Microsoft Windows. o Cisco continues to be a major vendor in network infrastructure. o Virtualization of formally single tier servers is being used at all levels of computer networks. VMware is the dominant vendor in this technology area. o Cloud computing is an emerging platform for systems and software as a service business models. o Mobile devices continue to play a major role in the day to day operations of many organizations. Employers continue to seek employees with skills beyond the technical, such as: o Logical thinking o Problem solving o Working independently o Being resourceful o Being able to see a task or problem through to the end o Being customer focused o Continuing education and professional certification o Good communications, both oral and written o Good team work o Positive attitude o Dependability o Good work ethics What did we learn? o Dual enrollment program through Montgomery County Community College continues to be viable. It began with the school year. o Professional certification continues to be important in the industry and therefore for our students. S: HighSchool; ProgRev

8 o Eastern's CNA program must continue to keep up with current trends, teaching the latest operating systems and exposing the students to current technology and practices. o The industry changes on a continuous basis and therefore the OAC will continue to monitor the trends and adjust the curriculum accordingly. Program Recommendations Curriculum Adjustments o The OAC recommends that the curriculum be adjusted to better represent industry trends. The recommended changes are removing the Novell OES (Open Enterprise Server) curriculum and adding Cisco Semester 2 curriculum. Student certifications o Since certifications are an important part of the student's portfolio, the OAC will continue to require the CLA (Certified Linux Administrator) certification and highly recommends that students take the Cisco CCENT networking certification. Instructor Professional Development o The OAC recommends that the instructor gets training and certification in Microsoft Server 2012 and applicable virtualization technologies such as VMware. Equipment and materials needed o The OAC recommends that the classroom equipment be refreshed as required by new course curriculum or technologies. Facilities and materials needed o The OAC will continue to monitor any facilities needs that arise: Any classroom chairs or desks that are unsafe or falling apart should be replaced. The raised classroom floor will be maintained. Frequency of Program Review o The OAC recommends the CNA OAC maintain the frequency of program reviews as every 5 years. Due to the nature of the industry, the CNA OAC is constantly watching industry trends and adjusting the curriculum as needed. S: HighSchool; ProgRev

9 Dual enrollment o The OAC recommends further development of Dual Enrollment programs with post-secondary institutions towards achieving an Associate or Bachelor Degree Honors Status o The OAC recommends that EASTERN continue to pursue honors status for the CNA courses in all of the participating high schools. Implementation Year 1 o Instructor training $ Microsoft Server -Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 o Additional Cisco router/layer 3 switches from the Academic Bundles through Sigmanet - $10,000 Year 2 o Instructor training $ VMware vsphere: Install, Configure, Manage Year 3 o VMware Virtualization Software and Hardware $5000 as needed Year 4 o Instructor training - To be determined based on new technologies affecting curriculum. Year 5 o Instructor training - To be determined based on new technologies affecting curriculum. S: HighSchool; ProgRev

10 Appendix A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Network and Computer Systems Administrators Summary Administrators maintain network LANs, WANs, and intranets. Quick Facts: Network and Computer Systems Administrators 2012 Median Pay Entry-Level Education Work Experience in a Related Occupation On-the-job Training Number of Jobs, 2012 Job Outlook, $72,560 per year /$34.88 per hour Bachelor's degree None None 366,400 12% (As fast as average) Employment Change, ,900 Job Outlook Network and computer systems administrators held about 366,400 jobs in They work with the physical computer networks of a variety of organizations and therefore are employed in many industries. Employment of network and computer systems administrators is projected to grow 12 percent from 2012 to 2022, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Demand for information technology workers is high and should continue to grow as firms invest in newer, faster technology and mobile networks. However, an increase in cloud computing could raise the productivity of network administrators, slowing their growth across many industries. Growth will be highest at industries that provide cloud-computing technology. Employment of network administrators in the computer systems design and related services industry is projected to grow 35 percent from 2012 to Growth is also expected in healthcare industries as their use of information technology increases. More administrators will be required to manage the growing systems and networks found at hospitals and other healthcare institutions. S:HighSchool;ProgRev

11 Education Although some employers require just a postsecondary certificate, most require a bachelor's degree in a field related to computer or information science. However, because administrators work with computer hardware and equipment, a degree in computer engineering or electrical engineering usually is acceptable as well. Such a degree usually entails classes in computer programming, networking, or systems design. Because network technology is continually changing, administrators need to keep up with the latest developments. Many continue to take courses throughout their careers. Some businesses require that an administrator get a master's degree. Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations Certification is a way to show a level of competence and may provide a jobseeker with a competitive advantage. Certification programs generally are offered by product vendors or software firms. Companies may require their network and computer systems administrators to be certified in the product they use. Microsoft and Cisco offer some of the most common certifications. Pay Median annual wages, May 2012, Computer occupations, $76,270 Network and computer systems administrators, $72,560 Total, all occupations, $34,750 The median annual wage for network and computer systems administrators was $72,560 in May The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,330, and the top 10 percent earned more than $115,180. Job Prospects Job opportunities should be favorable for this occupation. Prospects should be best for applicants who have a bachelor's degree in computer science and who are up to date on the latest technology, especially cloud computing. S: HighSchool; ProgRev

12 Employment ,400 Projected Employment ,400 Percent Increase 12% Numeric Increase - 42,900 Computer Support Specialists Summary Computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called computer network support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization. Others, called computer user support specialists, assist non-it users who are having computer problems. Quick Facts: Computer Support Specialists 2012 Median Pay $48,900 per year, $23.51 per hour Entry-Level Education Work Experience in a Related Occupation On-the-job Training Number of Jobs, 2012 Job Outlook, Employment Change, Associate/Bachelor None As Needed 722,400 17% (Faster than average) 123,000 Job Outlook Employment of computer support specialists is projected to grow 17 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. More support services will be needed as organizations upgrade their computer equipment and software. Computer support staff will be needed to respond to the installation and repair requirements of increasingly complex computer equipment and software. However, a rise in cloud computing could increase the productivity of computer support specialists, slowing their growth at many firms. Growth will be highest at firms that provide cloudcomputing technology. Employment of support specialists in computer systems design and related firms is projected to grow 49 percent from 2012 to S:HighSchool;ProgRev

13 Employment growth also should be strong in healthcare industries. This field is expected to greatly increase its use of information technology (IT), and support services will be crucial to keep everything running properly. Some lower level tech support jobs, commonly found in call centers, may be sent to countries that have lower wage rates. However, a recent trend to move jobs to lower cost regions of the United States may offset some loss of jobs to other countries. Education Education requirements for computer support specialists vary. Computer user support specialist jobs require some computer knowledge, but not necessarily a postsecondary degree. Applicants who have taken some computer-related classes are often qualified. For computer network support specialists, many employers accept applicants with an associate's degree, although some prefer applicants to have a bachelor's degree. Large software companies that provide support to business users who buy their products or services often require a bachelor's degree. More technical positions are likely to require a degree in a field such as computer science, engineering, or information science, but for others, the applicant's field of study is less important. To keep up with changes in technology, many computer support specialists continue their education throughout their careers. Advancement Many of these workers advance to other information technology positions, such as network and computer systems administrators and software developers. Some become managers in the computer support services department. Pay Median annual wages, May 2012 Computer network support specialists, $59,090 Computer support specialists, $48,900 Computer user support specialists, $46,420 Total, all occupations, $34,750 S: HighSchool; ProgRev

14 The median annual wage for computer network support specialists was $59,090 in May The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than the amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $34,930, and. the top 10 percent earned more than $96,850. Job Prospects Job prospects should be favorable. There are usually clear advancement possibilities for computer support specialists, creating new job openings. Applicants with a bachelor's degree and a strong technical background should have the best job opportunities. Computer support specialist Employment ,400 Projected Employment ,300 Percent Increase 17% Numeric Increase - 123,000 Computer user support specialist Employment , 700 Projected Employment ,500 Percent Increase 20% Numeric Increase - 110,800 Computer network support specialist Employment ,600 Projected Employment ,800 Percent Increase 7% Numeric Increase - 12,100 S:HighSchool;ProgRev