#include iostream

using namespace std;

int main ()

{

cout << “Computer literacy should be a gen ed requirement” ;

return 0;

}

That is supposed to be computer code. It should say, “computer literacy should be a gen ed requirement.”

To understand why I say this, keep a few things in mind.

All students have to complete courses in nine different categories to satisfy general education requirements at the University of Illinois. Not all students end up taking nine separate courses, but completing Gen-Eds is still a challenge.

Gen-Ed requirements have some value. They provide a broad education and are varied enough that they might trigger students’ interests in new subjects.

Yet, it’s easy to wonder about the relevance of Gen-Eds to students’ future careers.

Not to mention, when many families and students struggle to pay tuition bills, mandating several more classes can mean a financial burden.

So, it’s reasonable to wish that if Gen-Eds are required at all, that they would teach practical skills. Rarely is this the case. Does a year or two of Spanish really add a lot to your resume? Most Gen-Eds develop general reasoning, writing and logical skills. Those are useful skills that are necessary ingredients to acquiring well-paying jobs down the road, but much more is required.

Try to tell the numerous unemployed and underemployed recent graduates that Gen-Eds made a difference when they find that employers demand specific skills and don’t always care about non-specific reasoning and writing skills.

That brings me to my next point: the labor market. The unemployment rate is slowly dropping, but the more important trend to watch is the changing nature of the job market. Technology-driven change is disrupting the overall job picture, eliminating old jobs as it creates new jobs. Several industries — from legal to medical to stock broking — have seen complex machinery replace skilled human work. Degree-holding, well-educated middle-class workers (a U of I demographic) face new-found career difficulties.

The catch: with change comes opportunity. It’s an over-worn cliche, but a useful one. Developers and managers of technology are well-positioned in the labor market. Computer science grads are swimming in crisp, blue waters, as they are likely to have several competitive job offers upon graduation. Growth in such fields as mobile-application development and cloud computing is accelerating, meaning opportunities (and, most likely, nice wages).

I shouldn’t idealize the situation, as the tech job market is notoriously volatile and transitory, but tech-related jobs are, for the most part, in higher demand than traditional skilled positions.

If the labor market is changing in favor of the computer literate and meanwhile we have lots of Gen-Ed requirements that mostly don’t create job skills, why not have a ‘computer literacy’ Gen-Ed requirement that is adjusted for skill level?

Many novices could take lower-level CS classes; relative experts could reinforce and build upon existing computer skills.

Granted, not everybody would need to take the classes (engineers).

Granted, there are several CS classes listed under the quantitative reasoning requirement, but many students bypass that requirement with AP credit. Also, sure, one computer science class wouldn’t provide you near the requisite skill set to enter the tech industry.

However, many students would be inspired to start a major or add a minor in computer science. Other students could find value in a class like CS 105 (Intro Computing: Non-Tech) that teaches spreadsheets and databases, knowledge that can add a leg up when applying to work for many companies.

For those that don’t like to be told what to do, note that you’re already taking Gen-Eds. Assuming they stay in place, why not, say, replace one cultural studies requirement with a computer literacy requirement? Makes sense to me.

Charles is a senior in LAS.