The Information Technology Industry
The Hospitality industry is made up of businesses that care of guests. This includes restaurants, hotels, cruise lines, spas, amusement parks, tours, museums, etc. This is a very important part of West Virginia’s economy. The Mountain State’s beauty draws a lot of tourism business every year with river rafters, skiers, hunters and anglers, hikers, and campers. Making sure these tourists have a memorable experience guarantees our state’s reputation as a great place to visit. People in the industry must have strong interpersonal and creative problem solving skills.
JRTI has two programs to prepare you for working in the Information Technology field. You will learn about these programs in the next two lessons.
Who Works in Information Technology?
Example Job Titles
- Web Developer
- Application Developer
- Game Design
- Game Development
- Project Manager
- Chief Information Officer
- Computer and IT Systems Manager
- Customer Support Specialist
- Data Center Support Specialist
- Network Administrator
- Network Systems Engineer
- Network Service Technician
- Database Administrator
- Desktop Support Manager
Education Requirements
Although many people enter this industry without a college degree, most job listings will state that a four-year Bachelors Degree is required. A certificate from a technical school or a two-year Associates Degree can get your career started. However, higher levels of education can increase the opportunities you will have. Even if you plan to attend college, studying this field in high school can give you the foundational skills that will make your college experience easier.
Example College Programs
- Game Software Development – Baker College, Allen Park, MI
- Game and Simulation Programming – DeVry University, Manassas, VA
- Cyber Security – Blue Ridge CTC
- Information Technology – Blue Ridge CTC
- Computer Information Technology – WVU Parkersburg
- Information Security Major – WVU Parkersburg
- Computer Engineering Comprehensive – Shepherd University
Frequency of Skills Used in this Field
| Skill Categories | Very Often | Often | Occasionally | Rarely |
| Hands-on/operate equipment and tools | X | |||
| Critical thinking/creative problem solving | X | |||
| Basic math problem solving | X | |||
| Advanced math problem solving | X | |||
| Computers & technology | X | |||
| Written communication | X | |||
| Interpersonal and social | X |