Tech job graduates on decline because of Dilbert?

"Tech Major Loses Its Luster"News Observer (NC)
(10/28/04); Cox, Jonathan B.

Experts warn that U.S. companies may have
little choice but to offshore technology jobs as the number of domestic
university computer science graduates continues to decline. The Computing
Research Association estimates that the number of new U.S. undergraduate
computer science majors has dropped 28 percent over the last four years, and
those in the field attribute this trend to waning enthusiasm for the subject in
the wake of the dot-com bust, which dashed many students' hopes of pursuing a
tech career as a path to quick riches. Kevin Jeffay of the University of North
Carolina's computer science department says a computer science major entails a
lot of hard work and dedication that students may wish to avoid, especially if
they perceive the end result of their labors to be a less-than-stellar career:
"If you're going to work your butt off and have this Dilbert-like life, you
don't want it," he explains. Jeffay also notes that reports of offshore
outsourcing's growth are causing concerned parents to discourage their children
from taking up computer science. Some experts believe undergraduate computer
science students who pursue degrees despite the industry recession will have
better chances of employment, since companies will be drawn to the higher level
of quality such dedication signifies. Colleges have also started to supplement
business and other majors with computer instruction, which may make a computer
science degree redundant. Furthermore, the ranks of qualified workers are
swelling by experienced employees' decisions to further their education and
acquire graduate degrees following the layoffs of the last several years.

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