Today, President Obama announced a program to train 10K engineers yearly.
http://beta.news.yahoo.com/obama-announces-push-train-10k-engineers-yearly-180015366.html
Through this program private companies will offer more internships (intel has promised to double the number of internships) and help universities pay for their education. It is not clear how much the program is going to cost government. But one thing we can be sure of, is that there is definitely going to be some cost to the tax payer. Otherwise it is not a government program.
Problem with such programs is that although more money will be spent, we definitely wont see more engineers. Just because government is going to spend more money on Engineering, doesn't mean that it will produce more engineers as government claims. In fact what will happen is that those who are currently in Engineering programs or students who already plan to enroll in engineering programs will benefit from this program, which may or may not be a bad thing but it certainly is not what is intended.
I have not seen a good engineer who was forced to become an engineer. I don't think you can give students an incentive to graduate just so you can have more engineers.
The only good thing about the program is companies doubling the number of internships for engineering students. That's a really good thing but it is the private sector. I would like to know why number of internships is increasing under this program. Is government funding those internships? If yes, by how much? If not, then I believe looking at the demand for engineers private sector would have doubled the number of internships anyway or it will not abide by this program and government cannot take them to court because contract law requires consideration and if there is no consideration then you cannot force a party to comply by it.
Another reason why I am wary of this program is because if companies need more engineers, and they are not available in US then companies can use H1 program to import engineers. I think an increase in H1 visa numbers is going to be cheaper, in fact government will make more money on tax and our children will do what they want to do and what they can do best. Some will become engineers, some will become Doctors, some Economists and Physicists etc. Yes some will end up working at McDonald's. But I don't think this program will change that anyway. But increasing the numbers of H1 can be politically expensive as Republicans will use it against the President during the reelection campaign so I can understand why President won't go with this option.
All being said, any money spent on this program is not going to provide the intended benefits.
http://beta.news.yahoo.com/obama-announces-push-train-10k-engineers-yearly-180015366.html
Through this program private companies will offer more internships (intel has promised to double the number of internships) and help universities pay for their education. It is not clear how much the program is going to cost government. But one thing we can be sure of, is that there is definitely going to be some cost to the tax payer. Otherwise it is not a government program.
Problem with such programs is that although more money will be spent, we definitely wont see more engineers. Just because government is going to spend more money on Engineering, doesn't mean that it will produce more engineers as government claims. In fact what will happen is that those who are currently in Engineering programs or students who already plan to enroll in engineering programs will benefit from this program, which may or may not be a bad thing but it certainly is not what is intended.
I have not seen a good engineer who was forced to become an engineer. I don't think you can give students an incentive to graduate just so you can have more engineers.
The only good thing about the program is companies doubling the number of internships for engineering students. That's a really good thing but it is the private sector. I would like to know why number of internships is increasing under this program. Is government funding those internships? If yes, by how much? If not, then I believe looking at the demand for engineers private sector would have doubled the number of internships anyway or it will not abide by this program and government cannot take them to court because contract law requires consideration and if there is no consideration then you cannot force a party to comply by it.
Another reason why I am wary of this program is because if companies need more engineers, and they are not available in US then companies can use H1 program to import engineers. I think an increase in H1 visa numbers is going to be cheaper, in fact government will make more money on tax and our children will do what they want to do and what they can do best. Some will become engineers, some will become Doctors, some Economists and Physicists etc. Yes some will end up working at McDonald's. But I don't think this program will change that anyway. But increasing the numbers of H1 can be politically expensive as Republicans will use it against the President during the reelection campaign so I can understand why President won't go with this option.
All being said, any money spent on this program is not going to provide the intended benefits.
