Into the New Millennium: Why do Students Decide to Study IT?

The shortage of Information Technology (IT) professionals is a recognised world wide problem. During the last ten to fifteen years we have seen the introduction of computers into high school and also primary school. These computers are now being used, not only as an adjunct to school subjects, but for the study of IT as a subject in its own right. As we begin this new millennium, this study aims to discover if these changes in curriculum are affecting students’ decisions to become IT professionals. A survey was administered to a group of students, undertaking an IT programme of study, to examine the IT subjects they completed in high school and the effect these subjects had on their decision to study IT. The literature suggests that gender is an important constructs in students’ decision to study IT and so this variables were examined also.