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The number of jobs in computer science (CS) and information technology (IT) is projected to grow rapidly in the United States over the next decade as the demand for workers expands and current CS and IT workers retire. Against the larger backdrop of growth in CS and IT employment and wages nationally, Ohio is looking for ways to grow and diversify its CS and IT workforces. To help support this effort, a RAND research team examined the current state of Ohio's CS and IT workforces and identified ways in which the state might strengthen and diversify these workforces. The team drew on quantitative data from a national survey of households in Ohio and elsewhere in the United States, as well as Ohio administrative records, complemented by qualitative data from focus groups with Ohio students. This brief presents key findings from the research report detailing that study, "Growing the Computer Science and Information Technology Workforces in Ohio. Research Report. RR-A3449-1."

Many states, including Ohio, intend to strengthen and grow their computer science (CS) and information technology (IT) workforces. Jobs in CS and IT are projected to grow in coming years, but it is not always clear how states can expand and diversify their CS and IT workforces. In this report, the authors leverage representative national and state survey data, detailed state administrative data, and focus group data to evaluate how Ohio residents obtain postsecondary CS and IT education, their wages on completion of this education, and factors that facilitate or impede their education and employment in CS and IT. In doing so, the authors aim to help pinpoint ways that Ohio might grow its CS and IT workforces. They also offer suggestions on how state leaders across the United States can grow and diversify these workforces.