WORK MARKET AND TERCIARY EDUCATION IN THE IT FIELD IN THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL - BRAZIL

Abstract

As the work market matures, one of the areas that grow in importance and opportunities is the information technology field. The objective of this paper is to check if the universities and other tertiary education institutions in Rio Grande do Sul (a Southern state in Brazil) offer suitable education with respect to market demands concerning informatics knowledge and alike. In order to achieve that, a descriptive research was carried out, based on a survey and documental evidence. Data collection took place by means of direct contact with the coordinators of undergraduate programs in the field and the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research. Only those courses that have IT in their core were considered for the study, among which Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems and Computing Teaching. Results show that tertiary education institutions are concerned about market demands in Rio Grande do Sul, as the areas of knowledge that are most demanded are precisely those that are emphasized in the curricula. It should be highlighted that tertiary institutions, especially private ones, use tools to monitor the professional performance of their alumni, by means of a formal follow up program, with the purpose of publicizing success cases as a marketing effort.