Industry perceptions of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by computer programmers

In a day and age where computer information systems permeate virtually every facet of society, organizations find it difficult to hire adequate numbers of computer personnel. Judging by the number of `quick-fix' organizations that offer training in “weeks rather than years” and the number of individuals that each claims to train per year, the shortage would seem to come from a lack of adequate skills rather than a lack of applicants. This paper reports the findings of an study designed to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed by one group of information technology (IT) personnel — the computer programmer.