Survey: Local Tech confidence poll yields points to ponder
Milt Capps
Conducted during the final days leading to Election 2008, Venture Nashville's quick, nonscientific survey of 104 Nashville IT executives yielded some findings that seem worth pondering.VNC plans to conduct a similar survey on or about April 1, 2009, to see whether confidence is rising or falling as the U.S government and industry attempt to steer the nation and the world away from the brink of Depression. The road ahead: In the latest VNC survey, fully 80 percent said they see a "good" or "extremely" strong 2010, while only 58.8 and 59.4 percent, respectively, foresee such strength in 2008 or 2009. Only 2 percent said they see 2010 turning-out to be poor or truly awful. Looking backward and rating 2008 versus 2007, twice as many people said they see the sector's performance in 2008 being "poor" or "truly awful" (12.8%), versus 6.9% who gave 2007 one of those ratings. Another respondent said Nashville's healthcare IT concentration may help it weather financial tumult, while another respondent wrote about the increasing difficulty of recruiting IT pros from other states, as a result of the real-estate recession, which makes it difficult or impossible for relocating employees to sell their homes. Regarding the local IT talent pool, opinion seemed roughly split between those who feel local resources are improving or adequate, and those who feel the supply is "spotty" or awful. The numbers: 44.2% of respondents said local availability of skilled IT workers is "Spotty" (41.3%) or "Awful" (2.9%). However, 18.3 percent or respondents said local talent supply is "Good" (15.4%) or Excellent (2.9%"); and, 37.5 percent said the supply is Okay/Improving.
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