November
- December 2001
IEEE-USA
Joins With Others to Endorse Bipartisan Tech Talent Bill
To strengthen the nation's technical workforce and create an
alternative to increasing reliance on H-1B guestworkers to supply the
future demand for engineers, scientists and technologists, Senators Joe
Lieberman (D-Conn.), Christopher Bond (R-Mo.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.),
Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) recently introduced the
Technology Talent Act of 2001 (S.1549). Simultaneously, House
Science Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.)
introduced a companion bill (H.R.2130) in the House of Representatives.
This Tech Talent
Bill, as it is being called, is aimed at increasing the number of
U.S. citizens or permanent residents who obtain degrees in science,
mathematics, engineering or technology (SMET). The legislation
addresses the problem by establishing a competitive grant program at the
National Science Foundation that rewards universities, colleges and
community colleges that succeed in increasing the number of technical
degrees received by U.S. citizens.
NSF Grant Program
Would
Award $25 Million in FY2002
If Congress and the
President pass the bill, the pilot program would enable NSF to award
up to $25 million in three-year grants in FY 2002, with funding expected to increase as necessary.
The bill sponsors hope to increase the funding level over the
next several years to approximately $200 million annually, pending on
program results and budgetary considerations.
Regardless of the
bill's status, the conference report accompanying the final FY2002
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent
Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2620), directs NSF to set aside $5 million
"for a new undergraduate workforce initiative, which is to include
a new, merit-based, competitive grants program for colleges and
universities for increasing the number of undergraduate degree
recipients in science and engineering, consistent with the provisions of
S. 1549" (the Technology Talent Act of 2001). In other
words, even though the Tech Talent Bill hasn't passed, there is already
$5 million in NSF's budget next year to start the program.
Talent Needed to
Drive Economic Growth
"The reality is
that technological innovation is now widely understood to be the major
driver of economic growth, not to mention a critical factor in our
military superiority," Lieberman said. "And it is widely
understood that we cannot expand our economy in the future if we don't
take steps now to expand our domestic pool of brainpower, the next
generation of people who will incubate and implement the next generation
of ideas."
Frist noted that the
U.S. economy has grown more dependent on a workforce trained in science,
mathematics, engineering and technology. "If graduation rates in
these fields continue to decline," he said, "the U.S. economy
could face a real crisis as it struggles to compete globally…I'm
hopeful that through the Tech Talent Bill our colleges and
universities will be able to improve enrollment numbers."
Engineering and the sciences, he said, are critical to America's
economic success.
| "We
don't have a worker shortage in this country, we have a
skills shortage. And we will continue to have a skills
shortage unless we act now. This grant program is an
investment in our nation's future."
-Sen.
Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) |
|
Rep. Larson Ties
Need for Talent to 11 September
Rep. Larson noted that
the events of 11 September make it even more imperative that the United
States increase its technical workforce. "We must remember that
there is a strong connection to be made between our national security
and the level of science and technology proficiency in America," he
said. "Our strength and leadership in the world is based on the
might of our defense, the strength of our economy, and the quality of
our education system. Without any of these three components, the global
preeminence of the nation suffers."
Tech Talent Bill
Has Widespread Support
S. 1549/H.R. 2130 has received the support of many industry leaders and organizations,
IEEE-USA among them. IEEE-USA joined with the more than a dozen members
of the K-12 Science, Math, Engineering and Technology Education
Coalition to endorse the bill. In a letter sent to Senate sponsors in
October, the Coalition commends the sponsors for introducing the bill,
adding that "the journey begins before college."
"We are pleased
that your legislation encourages universities to partner with community
colleges, industry organizations, professional societies, and local
schools to pave the way for students of all ages and backgrounds to
further their interests in SMET coursework and career paths," they
wrote.
The bill has also
received support from several industry leaders, including TechNet, a
national network of CEOs and senior executives from technology and
biotechnology companies; Al Berkeley, Vice Chair of NASDAQ; the National
Alliance of Business; Texas Instruments; and General Electric.
Check Back for More
Information
IEEE-USA Policy
Perspectives will publish updates about the Tech Talent Bill and
pilot program as they become available.
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