Strategies for Human Resources in Information Technology: The Case of Iranian Higher Education

Rapid developments in information and communication technology (ICT) and their applications have been identified one of the main driving forces behind globalization. ICT has become the most enabling and modern technology affecting every sector of economy. Most countries have clearly recognized the importance of e-Readiness in improving competitiveness. However, one of the biggest challenges in the field of IT is the gap between the demand and supply of qualified human resources. The shortage of human resources in IT presents a major hindrance to participate in a global economy. Most of the economies in the region have faced severe challenges in labor markets. This would have partly been due to the limited capacity for setting human resources development goals, a shortage of academic staff and trainers, inefficient institutions, and higher attrition rate of human resources to developed country. The paper proposes a comprehensive strategy and a complete integrated package for higher education to develop human resources in the field of IT in Iran.