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Tech Takes Its K-12 CS Education and Immigration Crisis To the DNC (cnet.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the global-economy dept.

theodp writes: In early 2013, Code.org and FWD.us coincidentally emerged after Microsoft suggested tech's agenda could be furthered by creating a crisis linking U.S. kids' lack of computer science savvy to tech's need for tech worker visas. Three years later, CNET's Marguerite Reardon reports that tech took its K-12 computer science and immigration crisis to the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, where representatives from Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon called for the federal government to invest in more STEM education and reform immigration policies -- recurring themes the industry hopes to influence in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. "We believe in the importance of high-skilled immigration coupled with investments in education," said Microsoft President Brad Smith, repeating the Microsoft National Talent Strategy. The mini-tech conference also received some coverage in the New Republic, where David Dayen argues that the DNC is one big corporate bride.

4 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Translation: More H-1Bs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For all that verbiage, what I got out of it is that they just want to bring more H-1Bs into the US to bring down wages. STEM education is definitely nothing more than a PR stunt.

  2. Translation by mwvdlee · · Score: 5, Insightful

    invest in more STEM education and reform immigration policies

    Really means;

    ensure we can get cheap labour from poor countries while making it look like there's another reason for it besides profit

    How about a plan to let those companies temporarily (until their domestic replacements finish school) hire immigrant workers at tenfold cost of domestic workers, with the extra money invested in STEM education? That would fix the "crisis" long term and short term, right?

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  3. Re:Translation: More H-1Bs by Shadow+of+Eternity · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bingo. H-1B's exist for one purpose: To provide indentured workers that can be treated as wage slaves and undercut american labor.

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  4. Want more STEM workers? Stop stomping them. by walterbyrd · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think it's fair to say that a STEM degrees are not easy to get.

    So why bother getting one, if you are just going to have your job offshored, or get replaced by a visa worker?

    If you really want more STEM workers: stop sending the message that are you going to stomp the crap out of them.