Seattle Times
September 28, 2012
Microsoft’s proposal that Congress expand slots for high-skilled foreign workers while adding fees to such visas to boost investment in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education kills two birds with one stone.
First, it helps to solve a business-stifling shortage of such workers and provides a way to prepare more American children to take these jobs in the future.
The software giant has 6,000 job openings — more than half are in software development, research and related areas. Microsoft is not alone. The U.S. lags behind other countries in the percentage of STEM-educated graduates produced. A growing dependence on computer software and automation in many industries, including retail and health care, broadens the problem beyond high-tech companies.
