Doggett Spreads the Training Pork in Texas

Date: Thursday, July 03, 2003 1:12 PM

JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

www.ZaZona.com

H-1B training money comes from the $1,000 fee that companies pay to
sponsor H-1B visas. The money is ladled out to tech schools that claim
they will give American workers the skills to compete against the H-1Bs
that took their jobs. These training programs are "feel good" projects
that will not help unemployed Americans to get their jobs back.
American citizens aren't losing jobs because they lack skills or
training, they lose jobs because the cheap young blood of indentured
nonimmigrants is more appealing to employers. Employers will continue
to replace American workers with H-1B visa holders as long as they are
perceived to be cheaper and more loyal (indentured).

This training money is usually used for unemployed Americans but
Doggett wants to subsidize corporations by giving money to their
training schools. Only employed workers will receive training since
corporations can control the money. Companies will use this money for
training that they would give to their employees anyway so it won't
save any jobs, it will just save the companies money and increase their
profits.

Giving money to corporations for training is a recipe for trouble
because there usually are no requirements for who can qualify for
training, and there is no enforcement of the rules even if there are
qualifications. Companies have been reported to use money of this type
to train their H-1Bs with skills needed to displace their American
employees, so in effect, this type of subsidy can be used to destroy
jobs.

Doggett's motivation for spreading the training pork probably has more
to do with favoritism towards his executive friends at tech schools
than a desire to help American technical workers. He voting record
shows that he has supported H-1B by voting for higher yearly caps.

Go to this page to submit an letter to the editor:
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http://www.statesman.com/business/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/business_f320793ea454c11d00e0.html

Federal aid to pay for tech training

$3 million grant is meant to assist Austin-area workers at four
technology firms

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By Claudia Grisales

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Wednesday, July 2, 2003

More than a thousand Austin-area high-tech workers will get training to
upgrade their skills, thanks to a $3 million federal job training grant
announced Tuesday.

About 1,800 employees with four area companies -- IBM Corp., Motorola
Inc., National Instruments Corp. and NetBotz Inc. -- will be eligible
to receive training in computer languages, programming and other
advanced skills during the next three years.

The goal is to make the employees more qualified for promotion, which
would open up their current jobs to others.

There will be more jobs locally and less need to recruit abroad, said
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin. The program "can help us get back on
the resurgence that was under way in this community a few short months
ago," he said.

Doggett announced the grant program at a news conference Tuesday at the
Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce that also was attended by executives
of the companies and Mayor Will Wynn.

During the past 2 1/2 years, more than 336,000 high-tech jobs have been
eliminated nationwide, including more than 20,000 in Central Texas.

Although the job losses have slowed this year, they haven't stopped.
Last week, for example, Austin-based Cirrus Logic Inc. said it would
cut 120 jobs because it is selling some operations to a California
company, which is transferring the work to China.

Other local tech companies have yet to start hiring again.

Kim Butler, president of Austin-based tech recruiting firm Greywolf
Consulting Services, applauds local leaders for looking for ways to
improve the skills of area workers, but said the major problem in the
high-tech industry now is the lack of job creation.

"I think it's great that they are doing this," Butler said. "But it's
one of those things where until you have the jobs, it's not going to
have an impact on the bottom line."

But Bill Walker, senior vice president and general manager of
Motorola's semiconductor division, said he thinks the training program
will be important when the tech sector finally gets on its feet again.

"I am absolutely convinced that the upturn is on its way. It's got to
be," Walker said. "As we move forward, we will re-enter that same
period again, I think, where we have a shortage of employees and need a
highly skilled work force."

WorkSource, a nonprofit group, will administer the program, which is
expected to begin this fall. The employees will be selected based on
their current jobs, training plans and previous performance.

The training is expected to continue through 2006.

The money for the program will come from fees for H-1B visas, which
allow employers to bring highly skilled workers into the United States.
Under federal law, 55 percent of the fees employers pay for those visas
can be used to train U.S. workers.

cgrisales@statesman.com; 912-5933.

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