U.S. Gov't Calls IT Training Grant Program "Ineffective"
4/24/2002 -- According to a story published April 15 in the San Jose Mercury News, the White House is looking to gut a $138 million fund for technology training in order to speed up the processing of H1-B visas.
The H1-B Technical Skills Training Grants program originated in 1998 as part of a compromise to increase the cap on H1-B visas, the article says. The goal of the the program was to encourage U.S. citizens to train for IT positions, thus offsetting the need for companies to fill jobs with foreign employees. However, according to reporter Jennifer Bjorhus, in a budget proposal sent to congress in February, the Bush administration called the program is "ineffective" and said that it "'has no prospect' of educating workers to take the place of people on H1-B visas."
"According to the Bush administration, the H1-B Technical Skills Training Grants are teaching low-level computer skills that aren't lifting US workers up to the level of highly educated foreigners on H1-B visas.." she writes.
Money for the program is currently taken in part from H-1 B visa application fees. According to the story, the Bush administration would rather use the $138 million in funds to speed up the processing of H1-B visas which, in some cases, can take up to five years to process.
To read the full story from the San Jose Mercury News, click here.  - B.N.
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There are 64  user Comments for “U.S. Gov't Calls IT Training Grant Program "Ineffective"”
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| 4/25/02: ITManager from Chicago, IL says: |
It is a shame that this program is failing, which pretty much isn't something new. Anything the government tends to get their hands into gets screwed up. I would almost welcome anyone in this country that makes an attempt to get an IT education. It is authors like Peter F Drucker, Harvard Business Review, Feb 2002, "They're Not Employees, They're People" who sow fodder for the Moron/Enron management types. You just don't get it Mr. Drucker and of course you wouldn't being probably silver spoon fed all your life. MadDog add these companies to your H1B list: Allstste, State Farm and Prudential. I told my State Farm agent to shove their H1B program up their you know what. Talk about hyprocrisy, their new ad slogan "We Live Where You Live", ha not in my household or any of my relatives anymore. To John, the moaner and other like them, you deserve to be working in low paying service jobs, i.e. cleaning State Farm offices, fast food resturants and whole lot of other employment choices growing for you along those same career paths. If you can't support the professionalism of the IT industry as well as America then get out. Telecommute from India or Pakistan from a bomb shelter. H1B's are a security risk to this country. Employers like I mentioned at the beginning undoubtly allow H1B's access to private information, INFORMATION ABOUT YOU, our networks and a host of other infrastructure information, i.e. banking. Nothing would make me more happier than throwing them out (H1B's) and making businesses pay more for IT Training. State Farm never asked this former policy holder about who they could donate money too. I say screw the women's PGA golf tournament and put it toward IT education and hiring American citizens! Folks it's time we part our IT differences and join forces to unseat weasel representatives located in Washington D.C. and unemploy them and get the H1B's out. |
| 4/25/02: moaner says: |
To: Another American Ever heard of the student now becomes the master? |
| 4/25/02: Somebody from Too close for comfort says: |
Ignoring some of the siller things being said, it is a fact that businesses use the H1B's to get around paying American-born workers the going rate in order to get foreigners of equal or better talent and use them. There's abuse in the system in regard to IT professionals just as there is when it comes to the training of new doctors in the US (anyone catch the 60 minutes show on that?). It goes beyond the realm of injustice, since I don't see any other country giving foreigners the same preferences (I tried Italy and Australia, it isn't the same thing). I'm not a democrat but this almost makes me want to become one. |
| 4/26/02: Anonymous says: |
WOW , you guys are hot on this subject. You are A L L right. We have a complex subject with a complex answer. The answer ? How about a class in "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"? Before 1900, there were few if any really big companies in America. It's now 2000 and I think really big companies will soon die. The 1900 Manufacturing companies had you work without thinking, the new 2000 Information companies will have you work by thinking. That's what you see with the lay-offs. Sell your stock today in them, they will rot. The new companies will be creative thinkers, not redundant doers. It's not the same old same old. < < Z Z > > |
| 4/26/02: Demosthenes says: |
The moment that America stops skimming the cream off other countries IT talent might possibly be the moment when more jobs go outside the US. At the moment the top people from other countries end up coming to the US to work - which means those countries own IT industries can't develop as fully as they might if their "best and brightest were around". More developed IT industries in countries with lower standards of living is going to mean more jobs going "offshore" from the US. At least with H1B's these "best and brightest" from these other countries are paying US tax - which they wouldn't be if they were working in their home countries. It all comes down to standards of living - the US has the highest standard of living in the world - which ultimately means that the US is uncompetitive because that standard of living has to be paid for. At the moment that price is payed because the US has the expertise base that no other country has. If the "cream skimming" is stopped - the expertise base outside the US will grow more quickly. When it comes to paying an equally skilled developer 10 times more because they live in the US than say somewhere like Ukraine - jobs will naturally migrate offshore. The best way to compete is to keep taking the best and brightest from competitors - that way the US maintains its dominance. |
| 4/26/02: Pete from Oregon says: |
Well educated (BS CISM), highly trained (thanks to the VA), and starting to be well certified (MSCA, MCSE, CCNA, and working on my CCNP), and still unemployed. Even with the VA willing to pay half my wages for almost a year and provide any additional training that the company would require of me as a ‘hiring incentive’ and I’m still having a hard time finding a job - Boy, nothing beats experience to get a job! I’ve got a few years varied experience (dependent on the contracts I had), but in this job market, there are too many people with 5 or more years of specialized experience looking for work as well. If I was an employer, I’d hire the solid experience over a piece of paper as well. As far as foreign workers being cheaper – not anymore! Not with the ‘Employers Market’ that we’re in and it seems that we’re going to stay in for some time to come. Many of my colleagues and I are willing to work for half of what we made a year ago just to be working again. Besides, I’ve done contracts for a few large companies since leaving the military and I could count on one hand the number of foreign workers (H1-B) I’ve met. Do they really make a tangible impact on our ability to get jobs? Or, is it just a good diversion – someone to blame for the economic slum we're in? Is it just a better topic for politicians to argue about and thereby taking the focus off our lack of funding for basic education? We’re closing k-12 schools in some states (OR for one). How are we supposed to have highly skilled workers when we can’t provide a good education to our children? This brings me to the original topic of IT training. Even though I received my IT training from a different program, I can tell you from personal experience that IT training isn’t going to do a lot of good for displaced workers who have had no prior IT or pc experience – not like it did the laid off Boeing employees 2 years ago when companies were willing to hire anyone with a certification. Yet, everyone has to start somewhere. Isn’t it our duty to help our neighbors when they fall on hard times? I’ve seen this nation really pull together since 9-11, strangers helping strangers. Instead of taking away the program, I feel they should expand on it so it can actually do some good! |
| 4/26/02: Simax says: |
I agree with 1. Many (if not all) salaries are artificially high in the US. Just get out and see. It's part of the problem of being a homeboy. Not even in Europe are so high. 2. Land of freedom means exactly that. Freedom of competence. That's how US got built. But, if you want to go like in Sweden and pay 75% taxes and have a restrictive, careful government that will protect you from foreing workers, etc, etc. go ahead. But I'm sure that the american mind is not that way at all. Mine either. Freedom means competition. Competition means advance. The Internet will (has) change a lot today's world. Maybe is God's hand to return a light of chance and opportunity for those people in third world countries who American governments have been, in some sense, looting. Note that I'm saying "American Governments" and not "American people", ok? |
| 4/26/02: William Walton from Cincinnati Ohio says: |
I am an IT worker in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have a lot of negetive hsitory whichs limits the jobs I can get. I just wish the training dollars weren't so hard to find. I have done all the things the legal system wants and still cannot get away from them to make a better living. Granted I made the choices that put me in this situation, but if you saw where I am compared to where I have been you would be amazed. It has taken 10 years and a lot of hard work. Seems like the Americans who work the hardest to get ahead or put bad things behind them get treated the worst. That is a shame when you can hand good jobs to foreigners and leave a very big segement of the American population strugggling to find a way to survive. I just hope you post this and maybe someone will want to take a look at me for some training. |
| 4/26/02: Stormin from Chicago says: |
Look I have been in the I.T. feild for 11 years I have my A-Plus, Net-Plus, Server-Plus, CCNA, MCSE2000, and MCT. I PAID...... I EARNED.... I make money.... goverment is not required go to BARNS AND NOBLE BUY A FREAKING BOOK READ AND BE DONE. Start your job hunt if you need to or apply for work in your current company EARN the exp. that everyone wants out there put that Money in KIDS in areas that it is needed most look at the big picture. Read all the posts to this and you see how lost the real vision is. if you want to get into the IT world start on the ground floor like the rest of the world and earn your way up. |
| 4/26/02: Tim from VA says: |
Immigrants have made this country what it is today. The 19th century open immigration policy and actual recruitment of highly skilled (mainly European) machinists etc. is what allowed the US to become the powerhouse of the 20th century. This "cream skimming" was strongly objected to by other countries but it is what resulted in the term "American ingenuity". How many of you Americans have forgotten your roots, I doubt many of you are American Indians, you all are children of immigrants. Cream skimming is what made this country strong and Canada today has a program designed to encourage highly skilled workers to move there. We have a shortage of laborers willing to pick lettuce but then complain when immigrants come to do those jobs. You can't have it both ways. If we encourage low skill people to come to the US we ask for a myriad of related social problems. If we have an open door policy, Americans have to work harder to compete for all jobs but the end result is a stronger America. Unfortunately Americans now believe that they are entitled to things by birth, rather than because of the historical American belief which was hard work is what makes you great. Unfortunately, most immigrants are willing to work much harder and for less compensation, than we are. No legislation in the world can contradict the laws of supply and demand. The Soviet Union tried it and look where it ended up. When applied to macro economics it is: Hard working highly educated workers will gravitate to the highest paying jobs, and conversely lazy ignorant workers end up with the worst jobs. In between there are dislocations and inequities while the system sorts out who belongs where. Unfortunately, the dislocations are painful for real people... and we are dealing with real people both Americans and immigrants. |
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