How to Build a Quantum-Ready Workforce

 The expression “Quantum 2.0” implies the transition now under way from the academic study of “quantum weirdness,” such as entanglement and superposition of quantum states, to leveraging those properties in actual commercial devices. That transition has substantially boosted the interest of industry in building (and using) quantum applications.

But where will a quantum-ready workforce for this new industry come from? That was the topic of a Tuesday afternoon online panel discussion, “Workforce Development in Quantum Science and Technology,” at OSA’s first Quantum 2.0 Conference. The session highlighted some efforts already afoot to build a viable quantum workforce—and also touched on the changes in mindset that will be required to take things further.

The moderator of the panel, computer science degree jobs Fellow Michael Raymer of the University of Oregon, USA, began by pointing out that there’s a “wide consensus” that better quantum education is needed. That’s particularly true given the breadth of disciplines—including mechanical engineering, optical engineering, systems engineering, application development and many other areas—that quantum information science (QIS) covers.

Raymer noted that some efforts to build new educational structures and a “quantum ecosystem” are already underway. These include the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) in the United States, a stakeholder consortium funded by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of the federal strategy called for under the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act.