Recent surveys conducted within the IT industry also indicate that IT employment has surpassed all previous numbers. BLS and industry surveys predict high continued growth. Both employment figures and tax bases will be improved if companies choose to hire in-country.

The IT area expected to have the greatest growth is information security. Increased security is thought necessary due to cloud computing, mobile devises and off-shore hiring. Recent well-publicized data security breaches support this thinking. Information Security professionals can also expect salary increases .

Illinois is anticipating the May 2nd opening of 1871 Digital Technology Center on the 12th floor of Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Last month Governor Quinn announced that fifteen new digital oriented companies will launch from the Digital Technology Center. Illinois is an excellent location for these new companies. The Chicago area is considered to be among the hottest IT destinations . 1871 Digital Technology Center joins four other new Chicago area venues for tech entrepreneurs .

Illinois workNet Portal provides resources for individuals wishing to explore the key industry of Information Technology . Individuals can explore the following resources:

• Cluster Inventory self-survey
• Review IT programs of study and career pathways
• Connect to employers
• Review IT occupational outlook within Illinois areas

Resources

For Individuals:

• CNN Money lists careers in IT as the hottest career for 2012.
• Information Week provides thought on how IT professionals can use LinkedIn to attract employers.
• Learn about the area of Information Security at Wikipedia .
• IT occupational prediction statistics are provided by Bureau of Labor Statistics .

For Businesses:

• Read more about 1871 Tech Hub opportunities in a Tribune article.
• The BrainYard provides and interesting thought about filing IT positions.

For Workforce Partners:

• The latest Employment Situation Report (March 9, 2012) is available from Bureau of Labor
• A downloadable 2012 salary guide is available from Robert Half.

General Interest:

• Cloud Computing is predicted to increase IT Jobs according to a Microsoft and IDC study .
• CIO Insight provides a review of the Career Impact Study regarding IT security professional positions.
• A news release from TechServe Alliance (PDF) provides March 2012 statistics concerning IT job growth.