Students wanting to complete a university degree in information technology (IT) have a local alternative pathway with plenty of job opportunities. Charles Sturt University (CSU) and TAFE NSW Riverina Institute have developed a three year course that integrates the TAFE Diploma of Information Technology (Networking) with CSU’s Bachelor of Information Technology. Students start with full-time study on the Albury Campus of Riverina Institute for the first six months before studying at both institutions. During their third and final year they study full time on CSU’s Albury-Wodonga Campus at Thurgoona. CSU coordinator of the joint study, Mr Jeff Ash, says the employment rate for graduates of this integrated course is very high, with all students who completed the course in 2007 gaining employment almost immediately and many offered positions before they finished. "Demand for IT graduates is sky rocketing, with the Australian Computer Society – the professional association of the IT industry – forecasting a critical and growing shortage in Australia for the foreseeable future,” Mr Ash said. The collaboration not only creates an integrated program between CSU and TAFE but also shares computing facilities to maximize the resources available to students in this course. In particular, TAFE will make specialist networking resources available to CSU students that are not available at CSU.