Workforce Solutions



Information Technology Careers

Have you ever used a computer? Many of us use one every day for work and for fun. We also benefit when other people use computers and information to manage inventories in stores and databases of student grades at schools, and create video games. People who work in information technology careers have a lot to do with programming computers that make our lives run smoothly and make life more fun. They maintain all of the computerized systems we depend on daily. All together, more than 63,000 are employed in the upper Texas Gulf Coast region in information technology (IT) occupations.

While there are major computer-related employers like Hewlett-Packard in the Gulf Coast region, many IT professionals work to support the operations of companies whose primary business is not computer or technology related. Major oil companies, hospitals, school districts, government organizations, and small businesses also employ IT professionals. Some IT professionals work full time in an office for one employer, while others may work from home or own their own consulting businesses. So, if you have the ability to succeed in the field, you can probably find a job in IT in an environment that suits you.

To succeed in IT careers, you should have strong technical skills and the ability to learn new systems as technology changes. Good communication skills, problem solving skills and the ability to see how technical work supports the overall goals of a company are also very important. Most IT professionals have some post-high school degree or certification. As in most occupations, additional education and training will help you earn a higher salary. That said, even the lowest paid occupation, shown in the occupations chart below, pays over $44,000 a year.

You can begin preparing for your future in information and technology now. Many high schools offer career and technology courses related to this cluster and some have programs that will help you earn a certificate in certain computer applications or services while you are in school. The certifications offered include A+ Certification, Adobe Certified Expert, Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist, Certified Internet Webmaster Associate, and Cisco Certified Network Associate.

So where do you go to learn more about specific occupations in information technology? Try the internet. You can find lots of good information there. Also, the Gulf Coast Workforce Board has developed a couple of resources for career planning. One is a “Focus On” series of short profiles of high growth industries and occupations in demand in the Gulf Coast region. They are designed to help students and parents plan for the future, . Also check out the Texas Education Agency’s Achieve Texas site, , which provides information and suggested courses of study for specific occupations. Finally, know that the U.S. Department of Labor has lots of great career information, including short videos illustrating what different jobs are really like, .

For more specific information on the local market for information technology, check out the following chart. It will tell you how many people are employed in different jobs and the wages people can expect to earn in these jobs.

In the chart below, highlighted occupations are considered High-Skill/High-Growth Occupations – those that pay well and have considerable opportunities for employment now and in the future.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics and Texas Workforce Commission

1 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Codes refer to a standardized coding system to categorize occupations. To find out more about an occupation, you can go to , enter the SOC code, and look at a complete description of an occupation.

2 Total average openings include total job openings due to both growth and replacements. Job openings due to growth are created by increases in the total number of people employed in an occupation. Job openings due to net replacement estimate the need in existing jobs as workers vacate, change jobs, or leave the labor force.

| |9th Grade |10th Grade |11th Grade |12th Grade |

| |English I |English II |English III |English IV |

| |Algebra I |Geometry |Algebra II |Math Elective |

| |Biology I |IPC or Chemistry |Chemistry or Physics |Science Elective - Lab-based |

| |World Geography |World History |US History |Economics/Government |

| |Required Electives |Required Electives |Required Electives |Required Electives |

| |PE, Health, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, |PE, Health, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, |PE, Health, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, |PE, Health, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, Communication|

| |Communication Application, or Technology |Communication Application, or Technology |Communication Application, or Technology |Application, or Technology Applications |

| |Applications |Applications |Applications | |

| | | | | |

| |____________________ | | |____________________ |

| | |____________________ |____________________ | |

| |Required Electives |Required Electives |Career Electives |Career Electives |

| |PE, Health, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, |PE, Health, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, |Information Technology Career Elective or Language |Information Technology Career Elective or Language |

| |Communication Application, or Technology |Communication Application, or Technology |(distinguished) |(distinguished) |

| |Applications |Applications | | |

| | | | | |

| |____________________ | | | |

| | |____________________ |______________________ |____________________ |

| |Required Electives |Career Electives |Career Electives |Career Electives |

| |PE, Health, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, |Information Technology Career Elective |Information Technology Career Elective |Information Technology Career Elective |

| |Communication Application, or Technology | | | |

| |Applications | | | |

| | | | | |

| |____________________ |_____________________ |______________________ |____________________ |

|Information Technology Career Cluster Elective Courses approved by the Texas Education Agency are Listed on Page 4. |

Learner Name ______________________________________ Date _____________________________________

Learner Signature __________________________________ Advisor Signature _________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature _________________________

Information Technology Career Cluster Career Elective Courses

Business Computer Information Systems I

Business Computer Information Systems II

Business Computer Programming I

Business Computer Programming II

Business Image Management and Multimedia

Computer Applications

Computer Applications in Agriculture

Computer Cabling and Design

Computer Maintenance Technician I

Computer Maintenance Technician II

Fundamentals of Telecommunications

Introduction to Computer Maintenance

Keyboarding

Telecommunications and Networking

Word Processing Applications

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Recommended Plan _____

Distinguished Achievement Plan ____

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