Vivek Wadhwa has become the tech industry’s go-to guy for making baseless claims of a skilled worker shortage in the U.S. Mr. Wadhwa has been known to employ complete non-sequiturs and engage in hyperbole, which only highlights that his arguments not only have no basis in fact, but have no connection whatsoever to reality. In his recent testimony before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee (starting at 52:20), Wadhwa was in fine form. He educated the committee on the history of U.S. manufacturing in under than thirty seconds, congratulated himself for helping to cure diseases at light speed, and claimed that if only the U.S. admitted more skilled immigrants we could “save the world,” instantly, no less, and create “unlimited water.” (He really did say that. It’s at the 57:50 mark).
Wadhwa claims that foreign tech workers not only don’t displace American workers but create jobs by driving innovation. Without a massive increase in foreign workers, the U.S. will crash and burn because we just can’t produce enough home grown talent. He references studies that prove this. What he doesn’t say is that all studies not produced by the tech industry say exactly the opposite. In fact, before he became a shill for the tech lobby, even Wadhwa argued that claims of a worker shortage were not true.
Forget the conventional wisdom. U.S. schools are turning out more capable science and engineering grads than the job market can support…. Even if there were a deficiency in math and science education, there are so many graduates today that there would be enough who are above average and fully qualified for the relatively small number of science and engineering jobs. Science and engineering graduates just don’t see enough opportunity in these professions to continue further study or to take employment.
Vivek Wadhwa, “The Science Education Myth,” Bloomberg Businessweek, October 26, 2007
4 Comments
It’s obvious that Vivek’s flip-flop on this issue has been brought about by the chance to become wealthy by joining the Tech Industry in their never-ending crusade to drive Americans out of Science, Technology, and Engineering fields in favor of cheaper and more compliant slave labor from countries where the standard of living is much lower than what Americans have traditionally enjoyed.
So when Mr. Wadhwa is not being bought and paid for by the tech lobby, he said “There are so many graduates today that there would be enough who are above average and fully qualified for the relatively small number of science and engineering jobs”.
Last, VIvek has to be recognize for his efforts to at least improve our country. He lacks of the scientific side of a career and therefore industry so sometimes his feedback might be a bit overblown out of proportion……………
Saving the country will take more than that instantly…….BUT what is really true in the technology world is that fpr the past 20 years high tech immigrants have been ruling as new US citizens in the Technology…….see Sanjay Ja the CEO from Motorola, Google co founder, etc etc………………perhaps if every high tech were as successful may be that would be true ……..however individually every high tech immigrants does contribute immensely as a whole to the economy…..