If you’re interested in becoming a computer programming teacher, you should do research to find out if there’s a need for professionals in the field and where the largest demand is located. The employment outlook is a very important factor that a lot of prospective college students fail to consider as they’re choosing a degree major and a career path. While you should always pursue your passion and something that interests you personally, it’s still important to study for a career that will have a need for new hires in the future. Here is what you should know about the outlook for computer programming teachers in a K-12 setting:
The Overall Outlook For Teachers in the US
Before you look at the outlook for jobs that are specific to computer programming instructors, it’s important to understand what your professional opportunities will be like if you decide to pursue a job as an educator. In the coming years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be many job opportunities for educators in the K-12 settings. In fact, between 2014 and 2024, the agency has calculated that there will be around 1.9 million job openings in various subject areas. Especially because more and more tenured teachers are nearing retirement.
Is There a Growing Need for Computer Programming Teachers?
The entire world is becoming reliant on computers and computer programs to help them perform even routine daily tasks. Since you’re going to be working with intelligent programs in your professional life, your personal life, and even for fun, you can imagine that there’s a growing need for graduates who are interested in learning how to code and program.
While there wasn’t much of a demand for coding or programming education in middle and high school in the past, more and more students are showing an interest to learn while they are still young. While only a small fraction of US K-12 schools currently offer computer programming courses, it looks like more and more schools are beginning to adopt more STEM programs. With the adoption of these STEM programs comes a growing need for computer programmers who are also skilled K-12 educators.
Will Computer Programming Become a Core Subject?
There are no exact figures pertaining to exactly how much the demand for coding teachers is projected to grow over the next decade but its expected to be a big jump as the push continues to be made for programming to become a core subject. The demand for computer technology teachers is expected to be as high as 9 percent, but demand for programmers could be even higher. Since the government is creating a lot of STEM program initiatives that bring coding to the classroom, it’s a promising sign.
The job outlook for computer programmers is on the decline. In fact, the field is expected to lose about 26,500 positions in the next decade alone. This is why people who have studied to learn to program and who have a natural gift to teach young students should consider using their skills to become an educator. Use your skills to your advantage and consider joining the STEM efforts by becoming a computer programming teacher in middle or high school.
