Panel on Training the Next Generation of Quantum Scientists, Engineers, and Software Developers

Organizers: Abraham Asfaw, Rajeev Malik, Travis Scholten: IBM Quantum
Moderator: Irene Qualters, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Panelists: Sophia Economou, Virginia Tech; Matt Langione, Boston Consulting Group; Peter Johnson, Zapata Computing; Abraham Asfaw, IBM Quantum; Steve Sanders, Honeywell
Session Chair: Candace Culhane, LANL
Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2020
Time: 13:00-14:30 Mountain Time (MT) — UTC-6

Abstract: In recent years, quantum computing has moved out of the scientific lab and into the world as a commercial endeavor. The continued maturation and success of this nascent industry (and the technology powering it) requires training the next generation of highly-competent, technically-proficient quantum computing scientists, engineers, and software developers. This sort of workforce development requires coordination among several entities, including government funding agencies, universities, national laboratories, and private sector companies (enterprise and startup alike). Especially in this early stage of the field, close collaboration is necessary to ensure the right talent and skills are developed and harnessed to help the industry flourish.

In this panel, representatives from the private sector, academic institutions, startups, and national labs will share their perspective on how cross-institutional collaboration can remove obstacles to the development of the quantum computing workforce. This panel will not only touch on the successes these institutions have had in training their employees, educating students, and helping their broader industries understand the impact quantum computing could have, but will also reflect on the gap in skills and diversity that they see today and discuss possible ways to address them.

Target Audience: This panel is intended for the following kinds of people: (1) Members of industry who want to understand the challenges and opportunities in developing quantum computing knowledge within their organization. Such people benefit from hearing from panelists who themselves have successfully confronted such challenges. (2) Academics interested in developing quantum computing courses, and ensuring the students of those courses learn industry-relevant skills. As a result of listening to this panel, these audience members will better understand the successes academia and the private sector has had in developing and deploying educational content, and also be more cognizant of the challenges on the horizon. They will be equipped to identify opportunities for collaboration and the sharing of best practices and pick up some tips and insights along the way.

Streams: QINTRO, QEDU, QIS, QAPP, QALGO, QHW, QSW