EDUCATING THE QUANTUM WORKFORCE

An increasing number of companies looking for technology workers want those new hires to have a basic understanding of quantum information science and are expecting schools to offer relevant basic courses in their curriculums.
The discovery that more and more companies now want new employees to be “quantum aware” comes from a study carried out in November by researchers at the University of Colorado and the Rochester Institute of Technology, which interviewed executives at 20 U.S. tech firms.
The study’s authors urge colleges and universities to weave quantum science principles into courses in computer science, physics, software engineering, and other technical subjects.
Quantum technology is still largely in development, but quantum-based computers, optical and imaging devices, sensors, and similar equipment will be entering the market rapidly within a few years. Companies will need not only engineers to design and build them but also to help consumers understand their usefulness.
Quantum technology exploits a quirk of quantum physics that, under certain strict conditions, boosts computer speeds by orders of magnitude.
TRENDPOST: The 2030s will be the “quantum decade” in which quantum information systems transform computers’ performance and reconfigure our concepts of their power. Combining quantum computers and artificial intelligence will create computing power that is unimaginable by today’s standards.