Communications of the ACM
How to Reduce America's Talent Deficit
Microsoft has about 3,400 open positions in the United States for engineers, software developers, and researchers.
Credit: Associated Press
Brad Smith, executive vice president and general counsel of Microsoft, weighs in on what academia and industry can do to produce more graduates with the IT skills needed in the marketplace. The problem, as he points out, is that American companies are now creating more jobs for which they can't find enough qualified applicants. Despite the fact that the national unemployment rate for computer-related occupations was only 3.4% this summer, there are simply too few Americans with the necessary science, technology, engineering and math skills to meet companies' demand. Against this backdrop, Smith outlines the key ideas in a new proposal for closing the U.S. IT talent deficit.
Unfortunately, the talent deficit problem is likely to get even worse. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. this year will create 120,000 new jobs requiring at least a bachelor's degree in computer science. But all U.S. colleges and universities put together will produce only 40,000 new bachelor's degrees in computer science. In addition, the BLS forecasts that this demand for new jobs will persist every year this decade. Add the high multiplier effect of engineering jobs, and the scope of the problem becomes clear. If the number of Americans with necessary skills do not increase, jobs will increasingly migrate abroad, creating even bigger challenges for long-term competitiveness and economic growth.
Recently Microsoft laid out a proposal for how to begin addressing the problem. It couples long-term improvements in American education with short-term, skills-focused immigration reform. Done right, immigration reforms can even help fund education improvements, ensuring that more Americans gain the skills they need. A nationally focused program would provide new funding and incentives for states to strengthen STEM education in grade school; broaden access to computer science in high schools; help colleges and universities raise their graduation rates; expand colleges' capacity to produce more degrees in science, technology, engineering and math, with a particular focus on computer science. On the immigration front, Congress could create a new, supplemental category with 20,000 annual visas for people with science and technology skills that are in short supply.
From The Wall Street Journal
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