Sogeti sees ‘tremendous’ demand for IT workers


Third quarter IT profession unemployment rates

Software developer: 2.3 percent

Web developer: 4.3 percent

Database administrator: 3.1 percent

Computer and information systems manager: 2.2 percent

Computer support specialist: 6 percent

Network and systems administrator: 1.7 percent

Source: Dice

The unemployment rate for information technology professionals in the third quarter of 2012 was less than half of the national average, reflecting a "tremendous amount of demand" for IT workers in the U.S., said Michael Pleiman, executive vice president of Sogeti USA.

Sogeti, an IT consulting services company, will have hired 690 new professionals in 25 U.S. cities by the end of 2012, including 45 in Dayton, where its national headquarters are located.

The company plans to hire an additional 500 employees in 2013. Thirty of those jobs will be local, officials said.

Young people with math, science and critical thinking skills should be encouraged to pursue IT careers, Pleiman said.

“If they are undecided on what they want to do when they go into college, they should at least consider business information systems because there are such great career opportunities,” he said.

The unemployment rate for IT professionals dropped in the third quarter to 3.3. percent, compared to 4.2 percent in the same quarter last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The overall national unemployment rate in September was 7.8 percent.

More than 17,000 jobs were added in technology consulting during the third quarter of 2012, according to a report by Dice, a career website for technology and engineering professionals. The technology consulting sector has added 56,000 jobs this year, the report said.

“Ten straight quarters of job gains for technology consultants is no small feat. On-demand talent continues to be a dominant theme in this recovery,” said Alice Hill, managing director of Dice.com and president of Dice Labs, in a statement.

Pleiman attributed the hiring surge to more companies looking to business partners to meet their technology needs.

Sogeti provides professional technology services including application management, infrastructure management and high-tech engineering. The company offers services in such areas as testing, business intelligence, mobility, cloud and security.

Sogeti can help companies leverage technology innovation to generate top line revenue and reduce costs, Pleiman said.

“I think we have a lot to offer for people looking for employment, as well as services for new clients,” he said.

Sogeti is a business unit of the Capgemini Group, a $13 billion global IT firm headquartered in Paris, France.

Sogeti Group has about 20,000 employees at 300 branches in 15 countries, with annual revenues of about $2 billion, Pleiman said. Sogeti USA, headquartered in Dayton, has annual revenues of about $500 million, he said.

“We have aspirations in Sogeti USA to be a billion-dollar company,” Pleiman said. “Some of that will come through organic growth and some of that may come through acquisitions.”

Sogeti in July moved both its national headquarters and Dayton unit to Austin Landing from Centerville. The company has about 150 employees in the Dayton area. Local revenues are more than $20 million, Pleiman said.

Sogeti relocated its headquarters to Dayton from New York City in 2002. The company provides IT services at client sites or local branches, so it didn’t need to have its U.S. corporate office in one of the most expensive cities in the world, Pleiman said.

“It was a great move. We’ve got great employees, the work ethic is very good and Dayton is a city of innovation,” he said.

Pleiman said the company is working with area universities and organizations to help educate people about IT career opportunities, and to make sure the schools are producing what business needs.

Sogeti is an active member of the University of Dayton's Management Information Systems Advisory Board, and provides guest speakers for classes and resume-writing sessions, said Dave Salisbury, an associate professor of information systems at UD's School of Business Administration.

“They have significant input into decisions we make on curriculum,” Salisbury said.

Sogeti has hired 12 UD business graduates over the last three to four years, he said.

The company also hires graduates from Wright State and Miami universities, among other local schools.

The IT industry has been stereotyped by the media, but such innovations as electronic commerce, mobile devices and “Big Data” are changing its face and fueling job growth, Pleiman said.

“Kids see what they see in the movies. But there is building mobile apps today, getting a chance to travel the globe. There is a lot of great opportunity,” he said.

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