John Daponte, an SCSU computer-science professor, says that most Southern graduates, regardless of major, stay in Connecticut. As many as 85 to 90 percent of graduates of the state university system do stay to live and work in Connecticut - from which the majority hail in the first place.

"At the moment, the number of computer-science positions is certainly not what it had been five or ten years ago," says Daponte. SCSU's program does reflect that change with few class offerings.

The curriculum and course offerings are based on needs of local businesses large and small.

"The computer science department has put together a technical advisory committee that meets annually with IT staff from businesses around greater New Haven that have a history of hiring," Daponte says. "They come in and talk with our faculty members and administrators about trends in terms of employment opportunities."

Globalization and offshore outsourcing are affecting software development and have made the job market competitive worldwide.

Nancy Waterman, owner of Network IT in Middletown, is a Connecticut state university graduate. She is vice president of the mid-New England chapter of Netware Users International, and a board member of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club of Middletown. She has multiple degrees in finance, accounting and business administration.

Because she had to work her way though college in the late 1980s she was naturally swept up by the growing technology surge. The finance degree she earned from Central Connecticut State University was not wasted, since it serves a purpose in running her business.

"Once I got on the job in finance, I trained and took the technical courses to fill out my computer knowledge," she explains.

Now Waterman is a Master-Certified Novell Engineer and is A+ and Project+ certified. She designs and supports local and wide area networks, implementing virtual private networks, configuring wireless networks and has a proficient knowledge of most prevalent operating systems and applications software.

And she's not leaving Connecticut as long as there's a need for her expertise here.

"The younger generations have been educated in technology through the school systems, and as they work their way into businesses, there may be less of a need for businesses like mine," she acknowledges, "but I find that also depends on the industry and how familiar the individual is with technology.

"We have several clients in construction and manufacturing and they seem to have the least knowledge," she says. "I am really amazed that even some of the young people, though they're much more aware and using technology in their everyday life, who are still lacking in skills. This is a large group of people in their 30s who must have come through school right before computers in the classroom became mainstream."

It is the next generation that may cause Waterman more sleepless nights. This is the group of 20-something do-it-yourselfers who are completely at ease with technology. They were students when schools began to really embrace technology. Today, since most elementary school classrooms have at least one computer, even young students are learning to perform some of these basic operations that some small companies still hire Waterman to do.

"The generation just coming up is quite a bit more savvy," she observes. "I think as these folks come into the working world, there will be people with technology knowledge at every level in every position of a company. When businesses hire, they'll look to these graduates with this knowledge and background to put it to use."

Waterman, Glass and Pociu are exactly the type of individuals the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) wants to see stay here in Connecticut after graduating from college - professionals who see the grass on the other side of the fence but decide to make the most of what their home state has to offer.

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