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Technology Skills Shortage
A skills shortage? There is no current skills shortage. There is however a severe management skills shortage in many business enterprises. Managers who seek only the immediate and very short term accomplishment do little for the longer term business development of their companies. Managers and company officers no longer seek to ‘invest’ in their companies, just get to the next quarter and get that bonus.
Skills (whether in Information Technology or other areas) are always best ‘developed’ within a business infrastructure if they are to be most capable of generating long term benefit (read profit!) to the company.
Importing H1B or other ‘temporary’ workers, who technically ‘speak’ English, but have little real understanding of our USA ‘business culture’ deliver short term objectives without any long term strategic thought going into the process.
There are literally hundreds of qualified and experienced Information Technology professionals who would love to apply their hard won experience to business issues in companies all across the USA. This experience is either under utilized or not used at all due to short sighted business goals and executives driving these companies to short term goals.
Many so called ‘experienced’ managers often embark on expensive technical projects with little or no regard to long term consequences or return on investment (yes ROI is NOT a dirty word!). Many of these managers will start a major effort (such as a new Enterprise Resource Management System – ERP), get the company fully involved, and then leave for another company before the proverbial ‘stuff’ hits the fan.
You only have to read the Information Technology trade papers, blogs and other information sources to see the disasters that have befallen so many major USA corporations on failed Information Technology projects over the past 10 years. These failed projects never deliver on the ‘proposed benefits’ and often cost companies million$ of dollar$ with little or no return.
The REAL problem with the so called ‘skills shortage’ is the lack of commitment of USA companies to be willing to PAY for what they receive. The old adage, “You get what you pay for!” comes to mind frequently in these situations. It is not a ‘skills shortage’ but a compensation shortage that is killing USA information technology resources. Many have ‘retired’ or changed professions because they cannot make a decent living. Colleges and Universities are cutting back on technology programs because no students recognize these areas as ‘career goal’ objectives.
Not only are we NOT educating our younger generations in advanced technology, we are not guiding them into careers that will benefit the USA (both strategically and economically). Pay scales in the Information Technology ranks needs to improve dramatically. Development of internal business training/education programs to ‘pass on’ the skills and experience that reside in our ‘Flip side of 50’ professional ranks have to be developed; quickly!
Instead of paying H1B visa costs for ill-prepared (although highly degreed) professionals, why not employ and pay a suitable rate for our USA based experienced professionals (both as employees and contract professionals). The return on investment will benefit both our economy (keeping the dollar$ at home… not overseas), as well as the long term strategic positioning of our USA based business culture.
Remember, that companies will get exactly ‘what they pay for’. It goes for plant and equipment as well as technology professionals. Experience counts! USA companies have to learn that experience also costs; but the end and long term results are worth the investment in the business!
