Majority rate the state of Florida poor or average in its ability to produce qualified IT workers

March 3, 2008 — Ft. Lauderdale-based technology placement specialist, PROTECH released the results of its sixth annual survey of IT leaders in which 58% of respondents characterized state and local government’s commitment to developing the technology sector as ‘weak’. In addition, 61% rated the state of Florida’s ability to produce qualified technology workers as ‘poor’ (23%) or ‘average’ (38%).  The survey of targeted over 350 chief executives in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach with direct responsibility for their organization’s technology operations and was conducted in January.

The outlook for the sector as a whole seemed more positive, while the effects of the housing market continued to contribute to recruiting woes:

Budgets

• 58% reported technology budget increases for 2008
• The average budget increase reported was 5% over 2007
• 75% said that their technology budget was adequate in relation to actual need

Purchasing

• 67% viewed the current health of tech-related purchasing as being neutral, 25% saw it as very strong and 8% said it was in decline

Hiring

• 92% viewed the current health of tech-related hiring as being neutral, 8% saw it as very strong and 0% said it was in decline
• 55% of respondents said that cost of living was the most difficult challenge in attracting new employees

“The key message in the data is that the high-tech industry is not a priority, and it should be.  The technology industry continues to provide strong economic growth for states like California and Texas, and Florida could miss out on this growth if we do not better support our strong base of tech innovators and entrepreneurs.” said PROTECH CEO Deborah Vazquez.  She said the survey results show serious concerns about the future. “Technology business leaders and public officials have been actively engaged in a dialogue but, she added “The executives in this survey seem to be saying, ‘Where’s the action?”.

About PROTECH

PROTECH (www.protechfl.com) is South Florida’s IT placement specialist, providing search and contracting services across IT disciplines from development, infrastructure and project management to marketing and executive leadership.  Headquartered in Broward County, the company helps IT, HR and executive management by serving as a knowledgeable and discrete resource for securing quality talent, expertly matched to the demands of their technical environment and corporate cult