Workforce Education Immigration Policy

Issue:

Semiconductors are the most complex structures ever produced on the planet, with each chip containing millions of circuits defined at nano-scale dimensions,. The workforce that invents and manufactures these devices must initiate rapid technology changes to meet intense global competition. America must have the most talented workforce in the world to maintain its leadership in semiconductors. However China now graduates over three times the number of engineers as the U.S. each year, U.S. math and science scores for 12th graders fall below most of our trading partners, U.S. immigration laws limit the number of foreign nationals who can work in the U.S. even though 65 percent of the PhD graduates from U.S. universities are foreign nationals, and other nations are emulating U.S. stock option practices at the same time proposed changes to U.S. accounting standards will limit the granting of options by U.S. firms.

Importance:

A technology company's most important asset is its talented workforce. Producing a workforce capable of competing in the 21st century will require significant investments in education. Over the past three years, SIA companies have invested $220 million in K-12 programs reaching 344,000 teachers and 6.4 million students. While these investments are significant, the bulk of the effort to improve our education system must come from government. The recent K-12 reforms will not impact the workforce for many years, and until they do, the U.S. must allow foreign nationals to remain in the U.S. rather than force these talented students to work for our overseas competitors.

SIA Position/Action:

• Fully implement No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
  SIA supports the NCLB focus on high standards, greater accountability, and enhanced teacher quality, and urges Congress to increase appropriations for the Math and Science Partnership program so that NCLB's goals can be achieved.
• Keep foreign nationals who graduate from U.S. universities in the U.S.
  The recent law allowing 20,000 H-1b visas for masters and PhD students from U.S. universities to work in the U.S. will be a big help. None-the-less, the H-1b cap was reached this summer. It is also critical that H-1b visa holders are granted permanent resident status ("green cards") so they can become eligible for U.S. citizenship and thereby further contribute to the U.S. economy and society. Specific green card reforms are:
  • Raise the quota for employment-based visas.
  • Remove family members from the employment-based visa caps.