School is in session, and our young scholars are burning the midnight oil, none more assiduously than STEM students — science, technology, engineering and math. The future can be promising for these graduates: steady employment in challenging, well-paying jobs. But what are their prospects?
Unfortunately, getting jobs in these fields may be more difficult than expected because of competition from foreign workers and foreign visa students. Foreign workers in these fields come in on H-1B visas, just one of the array of nonimmigrant, temporary visas granted to aliens coming here for business or pleasure. H-1B visas go to computer programmers, other information technology (IT) and STEM categories and are granted for “attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific specialty.”
The controversy over H-1B visas became a national story when it was revealed that Disney World was replacing its American IT workers with H-1B foreign workers. To make it worse, the American workers were forced to train their foreign replacements, which was highlighted in a recent press conference, where one of these American workers, Leo Perrero, gave an account of his firing.
Southern California Edison, Fossil and Northeast Utilities are other companies who have replaced American workers with foreigners.
Are there enough jobs for American as well as foreigners?
Not so, according to Professor Hal Salzman of New Jersey’s Rutgers University. Using his expertise from years of research on technology industries and in-depth studies of the STEM labor supply, he explained how dire the situation has become for American STEM workers in an appearance before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last March. “The U.S. supply of top performing graduates is large and far exceeds the hiring needs of the STEM industries, with only half of new STEM graduates finding jobs in a STEM occupation,” he said.
Another expert, Ronil Hira of Howard University, appeared at the same hearing and made similar comments on H-1B visas, as well as pending legislation that could triple the number of H-1B visas issued annually.
Hira also discussed the Optional Professional Training, or OPT, program, which would allow foreign students to get jobs after graduation for 17 months. The purpose is not for additional training, as purported; the purpose is to stay in the country long enough to obtain permanent residency. Fortunately, that extension is being challenged in court.
The pending legislation is known as the “I-SQUARED Act of 2015” and, if it becomes law, could triple H-1B visas from the current limit of 85,000 to 245,000.
Among the 13 co-sponsors of the U.S. Senate bill are Maine Sen. Angus King, presidential candidate Marco Rubio and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte.
These jobs are critical here in Maine and for Maine graduates, as Gov. Paul LePage emphasized at his Jan. 6 town hall meeting in Bridgton. Underscoring the importance of STEM curricula, he said “we want to encourage our kids” to study STEM subjects, asserting, “it’s the whole society.”
Parents struggling to help their kids through college, students taking on heavy debt loads, employers and those concerned with the future not only of our kids but the future prosperity of Maine should be aware of this dreadful situation and should contact their legislators and tell them to stop this theft of jobs. Who you vote for and who represents you matters.
Bob Casimiro of Bridgton and Burnell Bailey of South Berwick are members of the group Mainers for Immigration Reform.