If you’ve been following trends in higher education (or sending kids to college), you probably know that we are experiencing an almost post-Sputnik emphasis on science and technology, a national push for more kids to pursue engineering and technology degrees. But is this the death of the humanities? Is there no room for liberal arts in the Silicon Valleys and Alleys of the world?

If you’re reading this, you probably work in technology and might yourself bemoan the emerging dearth of new tech talent to usher in even newer innovation. This is especially true if you’re facing a new project or looming deadline and the necessary staffing is still in process. Some senior executives with tech firms say don’t underestimate the value of a liberal arts education.

A recent Fast Company article, presents the argument that academic training in the humanities encourages people to see and explore the ambiguity in all things, even when right answers are presumed to be ever present, bringing an element of curiosity to problem solving and, often, a long-term perspective not necessarily emphasized in the reason and logic of more technology-based educations.

We understand that engineers have feelings, too, and we’re not suggesting that organizations suffer when staffed solely with the technically trained. As the Greeks were fond of saying, all things in moderation. The ideal staff is a balancing act made up of individual players that understand both the technology and the needs of the customer, and work as a team at the confluence of the two.

ICS recruits and augments personnel every day, drawing from deep industry talent pools to satisfy our clients’ full-time and project-based staffing needs. If you’ve got a big project looming, let us help you find your balance.