Resumen
While the information technology (IT) worker shortage is well documented, traditional institutions of higher education, even operating at full capacity, will not fill this shortage in a timely manner. The enormous growth of industry certification programs has likewise not succeeded in closing this gap. The U.S. Congress has been pressured to allow the importation of more international IT workers; but even with an increase in the HI-B visa allotment to 200,000 for 2002 and beyond, the shortage will not go away anytime soon. No silver-bullet solution to the IT worker shortage exists; multiple and creative ways to attack this problem are needed. One source of IT labor that may not be fully utilized is the movement of non-IT workers to the IT profession. Traditionally, this involves returning to college for a second bachelor's or graduate degree in an IT profession. Completing such a programme while remaining employed typically takes from two to six years and a correspondingly high level of dedication and sacrifice. There are likely more workers who would make this move to IT if there were more reasonable and practical ways to accomplish it.