Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 23:26:12 -0700 From: Norm Matloff To: Norm Matloff Subject: feds give, take away To: H-1B/L-1/offshoring e-newsletter I'm enclosing two articles below that any reasonable person would, I believe, say are quite at odds with each other. The first article (actually an infomercial) reports on a federal program to train "former" IT professionals to become high school computing teachers. I say "former," because although readers of the article might get the impression that these people are retired, the fact is that they are unemployed. That status is in fact a condition for eligility in the program; see the details at http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/ice-gt/1077 Meanwhile, the second article profiles Yuying Lu, a recent foreign student graduate of Cal State Long Beach. Lu was recently hired and sponsored for an H-1B work visa by Pro-Lite, an LED lighting firm in nearby Costa Mesa. Lu's degree from CSULB is in the area of "educational technology." I looked at their curriculum, and though it may be fine for producing K-12 educators, its computer content is quite shallow, dealing with things like "e-learning." What kind of job could Pro-Lite have hired Lu for? What does her background have to do with LED lighting? It probably consists of simple programming. It ought to be obvious that the "former" IT professionals in the Georgia Tech program, or their counterparts in the southern California area, could easily be doing that job that Lu was hired for. And though the H-1B program does not require employers to give hiring priority to Americans, the spirit of the program is to fill shortages, and I don't think there is a shortage here. At this point the industry lobbyists would say, "Yes, there are unemployed IT people, but they are not necessarily qualified for any IT job." Well, remember, I know this field--I teach it!--and even without knowing exactly what Lu is doing at Pro-lite, I can tell you that there are tons of unemployed/underemployed "former" ITers and engineers who could and would do her job. So, in essence, one branch of the federal government is funding unemployed ITers to "retrain" for something well beneath their qualifications, while another federal agency is approving work permits for foreign students that unemployed Americans could easily do. Of course, the fact that the Georgia Tech program is funded by the NSF, which has been a promoter of H-1B, makes it all the more ironic. All this has two implications for bills currently in Congress or proposed for it: 1. Lu's situation is a perfect example of the need to enact the Durbin/Grassley bill, which would force would-be employers of H-1Bs to give hiring priority to Americans and has other very valuable provisions. 2. Lu's situation is a perfect example of why proposals to give fast-track green cards to foreign students in STEM are both unjustified and harmful. The two articles follow below. Norm http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/05/10/operation-reboot-it-professionals-become-computer-science-teachers_print.html Operation Reboot: IT Professionals Become Computer Science Teachers Content provided by the National Science Foundation The high school instructor knows how to give a lecture, but isn't very current about the latest technology in computer science. The IT professional is up-to-speed on computer science, but doesn't know how to create a lesson plan, or handle an unruly teenager in the classroom. Together, however, they are learning from one another. "Pedagogy is what I am learning from them, while I'm bringing my IT skills, which they don't have, to them," says Devon Smith, 46, who spent more than 20 years working for Dow Jones & Co. as a software engineer, before leaving the company in 2006. "Everybody is helping everybody." The three-year program, called Operation Reboot, is trying to help 30 IT professionals--10 each year--re-enter the workforce as high school computer science teachers. The program, run by the Georgia Institute of Technology's college of computing in collaboration with the Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (GaTAPP), pairs an IT worker with an existing computing teacher. They co-teach at least two computing classes for one year, allowing the IT professional to learn the ins and outs of the classroom, and the teacher to get an education in information technology. The National Science Foundation is funding the program through $2.5 million in grant money, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In Georgia, teachers need only a business certification to teach computer science. As a result, "a lot of people who teach computer science classes don't have any formal training in computer science," says Barbara Ericson, director of computing outreach at Georgia Tech's college of computing. "So the idea was to match up people who have the knowledge and background in computer science, but don't necessarily know how to teach." Each of the IT workers is taking courses with GaTAPP to obtain a teacher's certification. They have three years to finish. Georgia Tech pays the $5,000 in fees. Since there is no certification in computer sciences, the IT professionals concentrate on math, science or business. The IT workers and the teachers also attend classes at Georgia Tech, which provides courses on how to teach computer science. Furthermore, the teachers and the IT workers both attend workshops once a month throughout the school year and week-long workshops in the summer. Each duo also is assigned a "mentor," an experienced computer science teacher, who meets with them periodically to talk about the issues they are encountering in their schools, and offers suggestions to enhance their computer teaching skills. The teachers receive new textbooks for their classes, and stipends totaling about $2,250 for attending the sessions. "The idea is to get them both trained in better ways to teach computer science," Ericson says. "Sometimes, you're the only computer science teacher in the school, and it's hard to discuss things with anyone else at the school because nobody understands what you are talking about." For the one-time computer professionals, "it's now a very different lifestyle," Ericson says. "School is different." Smith, who teaches in an inner-city Atlanta high school, agrees. "It's been a little rough," he says. "Many of these students bring different issues into the classroom from day to day. But I'm committed to doing this." With a homemaker wife and three children, one of them in college, he's happy to be using his skills in the workplace again. Each IT worker receives a monthly stipend of $3,410 for 11 months, and the use of a laptop while in the program. "It's been a good experience, "Smith says. "I'm making it work, and I get a lot of support." He wishes, however, that the schools had newer, more up-to-date computer equipment for their students. "They're not the best," he says. "They're old. They definitely need some upgrading." Still, "some of the kids really like computers. Their faces really light up when I take over. It's different from what they're used to," he says. "Initially, the kids didn't see where computers would help. I have to remind them that what they learn here will absolutely affect everything they will be doing, that, whatever it is, somehow a computer will be involved." Ericson is troubled by teacher cutbacks in the state, although "we hear that many teachers are retiring and they are expecting to have a huge shortage of math and science teachers," she says. This will help ensure future jobs for their IT professionals, many of whom will be certified in math and science teaching when they finish their training. Although computer science is not considered a "core subject," Ericson, like Smith, believes exposure to computer science will enhance future job prospects for their students. Moreover, "one of our goals is to increase the amount and diversity of the students taking computer science," she says. "You often get a lot of white and Asian males who are interested in computers. Our hope is that we will also attract more women and under-represented minorities." --Marlene Cimons, NSF http://www.daily49er.com/news/international-students-also-feel-economic-stress-1.2269172 Daily 49er International students also feel economic stress Anthony Vasquez Contributing Writer Published: Monday, May 24, 2010 Updated: Monday, May 24, 2010 The down economy, cuts to the university's budget and fee increases have affected students on many levels. Job-seeking international students have not been immune. Last summer, the state reduced the 2009-2010 California State University budget by $571 million. Cal State Long Beach's share of the cut was $44 million. Faculty and staff furloughs were implemented, about 1,000 classes were cancelled, and tuition jumped by 30 percent from the 2008-2009 price. Nonresident student fees also increased. "When you have an economic situation where money is really tight, you're going to see a reduction in opportunities for everyone," Inemesit Williams, study abroad adviser for the Center for International Education (CIE), said. "On top of that, when at the same time you have in increase in fees, students are going to scramble to find ways to cover these new costs." Last fall, there were 1,236 international students on campus. That is about 3.5 percent of the nearly 35,000-student population. They come from more than 40 countries from Australia, to Brazil and Zambia, with more than half from East or Southeast Asia. Of these, 673 are pursuing a bachelor's degree, 464 a master's degree, 2 are working on a doctorate, six are seeking credentials, and 88 are exchange students. International students have either an F-1 student visa or a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa. Under U.S. law, these visas allow them to work on campus, or off campus in a field related to their studies for a set time during school and after graduation. Those who aspire to work for several years need a company to sponsor their application for an H-1B Temporary Worker visa. As the U.S. Department of Labor defines it: "The H-1B program allows an employer to temporarily employ a foreign worker in the U.S. on a nonimmigrant basis in a specialty occupation or as a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability." The spike in unemployment over the past year and a half in Southern California has increased the stakes for international students who want to land a long-term job. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Los Angeles County was 12.4 percent in March, up from 7.9 percent in August 2008. The Career Development Center (CDC) on campus has hosted workshops targeting international students. These include seminars on finding an internship and writing an American-style résumé. CDC Counselor Wayne Tokunaga stressed the importance of doing all one can to be marketable. "If your experience is the exact same as a U.S. citizen's, they don't have to sponsor a U.S. citizen for H1B," Tokunaga said. "They'll just go with a U.S. citizen because it's easier." Competition is fierce for on-campus jobs. Because of the budget cuts, departments throughout the university were told to limit student hires. In other instances, jobs that would have normally been open to anyone were reclassified as work-study positions. Work-study is a form of financial aid available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, in which a set amount is paid in exchange for hours worked. CIE Senior Director Nathan Jensen said, "Most students are looking for just a part-time job to supplement their income a little bit to pay for expenses. Right now they're restricted to only on campus employment. So when the campus has budget troubles and we cut back on the student assistants we're hiring, that's less jobs available for international students." With the current economy, for some local students, it is every man for himself. Joseph Dondero, a first-year film student saw his father, a police officer, receive a pay cut due to the state budget problems. "We should focus more on fixing our state's budget and our country's debt in general than giving people who come to this country just to study jobs," Dondero said. "We should focus on giving people who live in this country jobs first." Williams noted the delicate balance the university needs to maintain when dealing with this issue. The major purpose of Cal State Long Beach is to serve the local student population, but students from abroad are great revenue boosters. Annie Tran, a first-year pre-nursing major and local student, said that foreign students need to be able to deal with these circumstances. "When international students take that big leap, that big risk in coming to a different country to study, they should be able to cope with the difficulty in finding a job as well," Tran said. While not always the typical story, Yuying Lu came from Dalian, China in 2007 and graduated last May with a master's in educational technology. Since then, she has found a job with Pro-Lite, an LED display manufacturer and was sponsored for her H-1B visa. While pursuing her Master's she worked as a graduate assistant and with the housing dining service. "The economy is not good, but it doesn't mean you cannot find a job at all," Lu said. "There are still chances. There are still opportunities. You need to keep looking for it, just don't give up. Don't just focus on school and don't just focus on the people that you know. Keep looking and build up your own network." Vaibhav Shetge of Mumbai, India also keeps a positive attitude. He began his master's in electrical engineering in 2008. He has been the production and technical director of K-Beach, the on-campus radio station and recently started an internship with Extron Electronics, a company specializing in audiovisual gear. He advises new international students not to get embarrassed about what sort of job one gets while studying. "In India, not all jobs are looked at with the same respect," he said. "Sometimes it becomes a mental thing like: `I'm an engineer. What kind of a job am I doing?' But it's nothing like that. Every job has its own importance. Every job has its own challenges."