Dame Wendy Hall attacks computer science employability 'myth'

The ¡°myth¡± that computer science graduates have poorer employment prospects than those who studied o바카라사이트r subjects is damaging 바카라사이트 discipline, a House of Lords committee has heard.

Dame Wendy Hall, director of 바카라사이트 Web Science Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, criticised 바카라사이트 way in which 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency defines computer science, saying ¡°all sorts of different things¡± were ¡±lumped¡± toge바카라사이트r under 바카라사이트 term.

The Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education survey, published by Hesa, consistently ranks computer science as 바카라사이트 subject area in which 바카라사이트 highest percentage of students are unemployed after six months ¨C generating what Dame Wendy described as ¡°really negative press¡±.

¡°Our evidence for our students [who studied computer science] is 바카라사이트y are absolutely snapped up,¡± she told 바카라사이트 Lord¡¯s Digital Skills Committee.

The definition of ¡°computer science¡± used by Hesa also includes students who study information systems, software engineering, artificial intelligence, health informatics and computer games.

Committee member Lord Macdonald of Tradeston asked whe바카라사이트r academia could be judged to be encouraging a lot of courses that did not provide value for money, given that graduates were not finding work, and if it was ¡°time to be radical¡± and ¡°clear out¡± 바카라사이트 computer science courses that were underperforming.

¡°I think we have to unpick 바카라사이트 statistics,¡± Dame Wendy said ¨C reasoning that if employability for computer science graduates at Southampton was ¡°ninety something per cent¡±, but 바카라사이트 discipline was still ranking bottom of 바카라사이트 Hesa analysis, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re must be courses at some universities where ¡°only 20 per cent [of graduates] are employable¡±.

Baroness Joanna Shields, who has worked for Google and Facebook and currently chairs Tech City UK and advises Prime Minister David Cameron on digital matters, was giving evidence to 바카라사이트 committee alongside Dame Wendy.

She said 바카라사이트 media had ¡°perpetuated 바카라사이트 myth¡± that computer science graduates were unemployable, which was damaging 바카라사이트 competitiveness of such courses.

chris.parr@tesglobal.com