Thursday, May 7, 2020

Artificial Intelligence Skills Are Key to Tech Growth

In the near-term, Washington can look to CompTIA-backed legislation like the CHANCE in Tech Act (H.R. 1733/S. 777) and the Cyber Ready Workforce Act (H.R. 2721/S. 1466), which would both help establish tech apprenticeships, to help close the skills gap and prepare workers for the new landscape. In addition, policymakers should work fast to modernize our woefully outdated immigration system by increasing employment-based Green Cards for high-skilled STEM graduates, create new visas for entrepreneurs, and eliminate arbitrary caps on H-1B visas and move to a market-based approach. High-skilled immigrants are job creators and can help fill important AI programming jobs.

There are also longer-term investments to be made. Policymakers should make targeted investments in early education STEM programs to ensure key concepts are introduced at a young age. These investments should continue through college and be aligned with local and regional workforce needs. It is also crucial that investments be made in traditionally underrepresented communities to help close the confidence gap and inspire students from all backgrounds that they too can reap the benefits of our new economy.

CompTIA’s guiding principle is simple: to equip individuals with the tools they need to succeed in a tech-based economy. On the heels of our recent panel discussion with the AI Caucus, that principle has never been clearer. As AI continues to be adopted in hospitals, the workplace, our homes, automobiles, etc., etc., etc., it’s imperative that we redouble our efforts to ensure all are ready to work alongside it. We urge policymakers in Washington move fast to help shrink the skills gap.

Inability to pay higher salaries. The private sector has traditionally recognized the need to pay competitive salaries based on supply and demand. Government, on the other hand, has been stuck in time and in most instances adheres to rather inflexible pay scales that are more focused on treating everyone similarly as opposed to addressing the reality of market forces. Highly-trained technology staff can command much higher salaries in the private sector thus making it quite difficult to recruit and maintain a stable tech workforce.
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