http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/frame/0,1213,NAV47-68-84-91_STO48990,00.html


Special Report
Foreign Affairs
By JOANIE WEXLER

(August 28, 2000) The Rapid Proliferation of the Internet, the
preponderance of fast-growing start-ups and the rush to build
e-commerce arms for established businesses are quickly draining the
available pool of information technology talent in the U.S. However,
predictions differ about the looming impact of the IT skills shortage.

Industry lobbyists predict that if Congress doesn't increase the
number of immigrant IT workers allowed into the U.S. under the federal
H-1B program, the country will face an economic crisis as early as
next year.

IT managers at user companies and other observers in nonvendor firms
say they agree that the H-1B visa program has its place as one means
of attracting the best and brightest IT talent to America. But, they
say, they also see other short-term options for filling specific
expertise gaps. They also advocate on-the-job training for the long
haul.

The Industry Perspective

Lobbyist associations for computer companies predict dire consequences
if the H-1B visa cap - currently set at 115,000 workers per year -
isn't extended soon, at least on a temporary basis. Industry lobbyists
warn that U.S. firms will likely begin moving IT projects to other
nations, where the required talent is available.

"This could pose a threat to the livelihood of the American IT worker
and the U.S.'s leadership position in IT," says Jeff Lande, vice
president of the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)
in Arlington, Va.

In a study released in April, the ITAA claimed that this year
employers will create a demand in the U.S. for about 1.6 million
technology-related workers. The ITAA estimates that half of those
positions (or one in 12 existing positions overall) will likely go
unfilled.

Similarly, the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a
Lombard, Ill.-based association of technology companies, surveyed 878
CIOs and other IT executives last year. The group found that almost
10% of IT jobs are currently unfilled.

"What was once seen as a problem for Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin
is now a problem for the entire country," says Grant Mydland, manager
of government relations at CompTIA.

Mydland is also director of the Technology Workforce Coalition, an
Arlington, Va.-based industry alliance pushing for federal and state
tax incentives and other programs to address the shortage. "The skills
deficit is no longer just a problem for IT companies," Mydland says.
"Because of the Internet, it has spilled over to IT-enabled [user]
companies as well."

The User View

Corporate IT managers working at user companies acknowledge that
finding affordable talent isn't easy. But they also seem more willing
to get creative in finding a solution rather than importing more
workers.

"One year ago, I was very apprehensive about my company's ability to
attract and retain talented workers in a small South Carolina town,"
says Steve Wyatt, director of IT corporate services at Sonoco Products
Co. in Hartsville, S.C. "But we re-evaluated and upgraded our
compensation, bonus and training packages. We found we were then able
to attract talent from major metro areas. And I have no job openings
at the moment."

Wyatt says that when he needs a new skill set quickly, he turns to
consultants, who seem to be readily available. "But you need to build
skills in-house so you are not held hostage to this expensive
alternative," he notes. "In the short term, though, it is just part of
the cost of doing business."

Still, Wyatt says, he isn't opposed to the availability of H-1B visas.
In fact, he adds, the cap should be lifted to enable a "natural ebb
and flow" of worker demand and availability.

"Workers go where the demands are," Wyatt says. "If we're not paying
enough, they probably won't come here."

Wexler is a freelance writer in Campbell, Calif.