Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, joined the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) in a comment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on its proposed amendments to regulations governing H-1B specialty occupation workers to modernize and improve the efficiency of the H-1B program, add benefits and flexibilities, and improve integrity measures. The following statement can be attributed to TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore:
“America’s competitiveness depends on a strong and skilled workforce. There is currently a demand for skilled workers that we haven’t seen in generations. This growing skills gap hurts our ability to counter massive STEM investments made by our foreign competitors, including China.
“If left unaddressed, the talent shortage of workers with a post-secondary degree will result in more than 9 million job vacancies and $1.2 trillion in lost production over the next decade. We aren’t producing enough home-grown STEM talent to fill current vacancies. A new report from the National Foundation for American Policy shows that admitting more foreign-born scientists and engineers is essential for U.S. economic growth and our ability to compete with China. It also showed that America’s most significant challenge in attracting and retaining talent remains its immigration policies.
“DHS’s proposed amendments to the H-1B program are welcome. It will provide much-needed clarity to immigrants and American businesses. We applaud several of DHS’s proposed changes to modernize the H-1B program and look forward to working with the agency on additional changes that will ensure the program is successful, new opportunities are created for workers across the country, and the world’s best talent can come and stay in this country to help the U.S. win the next era of innovation.”
Read the comment here.