National Convergence Technology Center

What is Convergence Technology?

Convergence Technology Is . . .

  • The blending or integration of voice, video, and data into a single but flexible global communications network.
  • The merging together of products and capabilities of multiple vendors to create an integrated solution for the customer.

 

Degrees/Certificates

If you are interested in convergence technology, there are several programs and areas of study that you may consider getting a degree in.

  • Information Technology
  • Computer Networking/Network Administrator
  • IT Security/Cybersecurity
  • Computer Support Specialist
  • Telecommunications
  • Computer Information Systems

 

Career Outlook

There is a clear growing need in the workforce for convergence-IT workers:

  • The U.S. Department of Labor reports that by 2020, the U.S., Europe, China, Japan, and India will together face a 35 million shortfall of convergence-IT workers. The U.S. alone will need 1.5 million additional skilled convergence-IT professionals in 2013 alone.
  • The Bay Area Council's Economic Institute reported in December 2012 that since 2004, the high-tech sector's job growth has outpaced the private sector by 3 to 1. Further, the unemployment rate for the high-tech sector is consistently lower than the rate of the nation as a whole.
  • Computerworld's Salary Survey 2012 reports that 87% of hiring managers who responded to the questionnaire expect their IT staff to increase in size or stay the same for the next 12 months. The Survey also cites U.S. Labor Department statistics that suggest while the national unemployment average was 8.3%, in the IT sector unemployment was only 3.8%.
  • A December 2012 study by Digital Universe estimates that by 2020, companies will need ten times more virtual storage than they currently own. This works out to be about 5200Gb of data for every person on the planet and suggests future convergence-IT workers will have plenty to do managing and securing all of that networked information.
  • A December 2012 report from BATEC (Broadening Advanced Technological and Educational Connections) references government statistics that projects a 22% growth in computing and mathematical occupations from 2010-2010. This translates to 75,000 new jobs a year.

Salary Outlook

And with that growing demand comes higher wages:

  • A September 2012 study by Georgetown University's Center of Education and the Workforce and Civic Enterprises lists the top ten highest-paying jobs that don't require a traditional 4-year degree. Two of the ten are convergence-IT-related. Specifically, Georgetown estimates that computer network architects earn an average of $79,000 a year and computer/IT managers an average of $78,000 a year.
  • The December 2012 study by the Bay Area Council's Economic Institute further reports that workers in high-tech jobs earn a wage premium of 17-25% more than workers in other fields.
  • Computerworld's Salary Survey 2012 also states that IT professional's average salary increased 2.1% in 2012 and total compensation increased 1.8%, the second year in a row that those figures went up.
  • The National CTC conducted a 2012 phone survey of north Texas businesses, asking what they might pay newly hired convergence-IT professionals. Those with a certificate were projected to be hired at a salary between $47,500 and $56,600, while those with a two-year degree would be hired at a salary between $53,400 and $63,200.
  • Collin College's own convergence-IT graduates have recently been hired for an average salary of $44,540.

How CTC can help

It's the National CTC's job to make sure the skills convergence-IT programs teach are the same skills that will get students hired. This is accomplished by:

  • Offering professional development training for convergence instructors to insure they can teach current, emerging topics
  • Assessing real-time hiring needs of IT industry leaders to insure the skills that gets students hired are the skills being taught
  • Encouraging relationships between colleges and businesses to create more internship and hiring opportunities
  • Developing "open source" convergence curriculum that any college can implement, making it easier for more schools to teach more students
  • Creating articulation agreements to help two-year graduates transfer to four-year universities to pursue Bachelor's degrees
  • Piloting an innovative expansion of "virtual labs" that allow students to do convergence lab work with only an internet connections and a web browser
  • Finding ways to better attract under-served populations (e.g. women and ethnic minorities) to IT careers

Find Convergence Technology programs

Click on our Program Finder link to see a map and listing of the colleges and universities with Convergence Technology, Networking and Information Technology programs receiving support from the CTC.