New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced that all of the city’s public schools are required to offer computer science within the next 10 years.

It’s a bold initiative given the strict timetable, but this is the type of forward-thinking regulation that will not only prepare students for job requirements of the future, but also help propel the technology world at-large.

It’s completely understandable for an elementary school student to groan at the thought of having to take a computer science class. It has the words “computer” and “science,” but it’s not a computer they are going to play games on, nor is it the type of science where they get to make stuff pop and fizz.

But what goes unsaid with the words “computer science” is future job marketability. Of course, kids don’t, and shouldn’t, think about that stuff. Nonetheless, it is something de Blasio thought about when making his decision.

A 2014 Business Insider article looked at the best 20 jobs in terms of forecasted openings and pay in 2022. Software Applications Developers, Computer Systems Analysts and Software Systems Developers, all ranked in the top 12. Those three combined for an average pay of $89,580 in 2012, and are projected for an average of 116,800 job openings for each.

Learning how to code at a young age allows for more practice, growth and, in turn, the development of better employees. These companies are always looking for people who can help them build a product better than their competitors, and they compensate mightily for it.

New York City is the third major American city to do this. Chicago and San Francisco have approved similar, but not identical plans. Both those cities have received funding from companies such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook. It’s likely that New York will get something similar because this is an advantage for tech giants.

As the United States becomes more tech-literate, we should see progress not only in entertainment devices and accessories, but in many other fields as well. The medical industry, for example, still has mountains of potential that could be unlocked by doctors who have knowledge and understanding of computer science.

While the potential advantages are endless, there are many questions regarding the programs these three cities are launching. Where school systems are going to find this many computer science teachers is not yet known and neither is a guaranteed source of the funding. According to The New York Times, New York City is expecting half of the $81 million it’s going to spend over the next 10 years to come from private sources. While they are likely to hit that goal, it’s no sure thing.

Maybe the biggest obstacle in all of this is that a lot of students don’t have reliable access to computers before college, which will make it difficult to work on assignments and personal projects at home. To truly learn the ins and outs of computer programming, one has to explore it for more than just five hours a week.

These are issues, no doubt, but New York City has 10 years to work through the logistics.

Besides, the most crucial thing is already figured out: how to prepare New York City and its students for a world built on code.

Paul Sarconi is a junior broadcast and digital journalism major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at pjsarcon@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @paulsarconi.

Published on September 22, 2015 at 10:27 pm