There's more to IT skills than languages

A recruiting round for a trainee programmer at our company produced a number of good candidates, all of whom listed Java as one of their top skills.

The courses they had completed often emphasised Java over other languages.

But we did advertise for a generic programmer - so where does the preponderance of particular skills come from? And is it useful for the individual or the industry?

Students are often offered degree courses using the latest languages at the expense of better-established languages, such as C++. They emerge from education with a myopic view of new technology and disdain for anything that is not connected to the web.

Java graduates regularly regard work employing other languages as a retrograde step. It was these concerns that prompted me to contact a lecturer in computer science at Sussex University, who has since helped to allay some of my fears.

Universities are presented with a dilemma. One of the main objectives of a computer science degree is to teach students to program. In an ideal world, graduates would be able pick up a manual and learn new languages as required.

Research shows that students wishing to attain this level of skill would have to become adept at a whole range of languages.

The first two languages are quite difficult to learn - but learning new languages becomes easier as the IT student gains experience.

However, some students had difficulties when the lecturer tried to teach them many languages at once. The problem was that the students were trying to learn too much too quickly.

Combined pressure from industry and students means the university is now primarily teaching one language, giving graduates at least one programming skill when they leave.

Java is a popular choice because it's an industry standard, along with C, C++, Perl, Cobol and C#. And it's a powerful, well-designed language.

Any competent Java programmer ought to find moving to C, C++, or C# reasonably straightforward. They would, however, need to learn about memory management issues and the idiosyncrasies of C and C++.

So what should employers expect from a Java-skilled computer science graduate?

Employers need to select the brightest candidates. Clever workers will be able to transfer their skills from one language to another.

But employers shouldn't make the mistake of assuming that a candidate with a computer science degree will be more talented (although there is a better chance that they will be if they have a first or good upper second degree).

Employers will need to be prepared to train students on entry. It's important that companies recognise that there's a strong chance that the company will not require the languages that the graduate already knows.

Employers must learn to overlook the fact that the student is more familiar with one particular language. The language can be used as a basis for future training, something the company should be prepared to provide before letting the worker loose on a live project.

Lucy Jaffe is director of Whitespace Software.