Importing boys

Last week Julie and I solved "the scientist shortage" ! !

There's a scientist shortage in the U.S. and England (maybe a few other post industrial countries, not sure).

Last week we finally got the data to prove the cause of the problem.
The data came from the U.S. Government Department of Homeland Security.  It concerned H-1B visa entries. H-1B visas are only for skilled workers, like scientists.  Big tech firms like Microsoft and National Semiconductor want to import more scientists because there are not enough in the U.S.

We got the data.  And the skilled workers coming into this country are 1) 98% college educated; and 2) 73% male (probably higher percentage if you don't count nurses, which are heavily female).

So companies are importing college educated boys. Because colleges are not producing enough college educated males.  We did it!  Another Nine Shift discovery!  We'll have a web site up with all the data soon. You get to be the first to know.

Comments

[Les Vierra]

S. Clements said it best, "Lies, damned lies, and statistics." Take a hard look at the job ads. Where are the big attractions? Finance and management seem to dominate the top end--where college grads appear to be attracted. (And, unfortunately, law.) Guess who hires skilled people?
Let's not become alarmists about foreigners coming in--that's how all of us got here in the first place! Accept and accomodate--that must be the direction to go. This type of media exchange (internet) seems to have whelmed into a Chicken Little response. College stats, unfortunately, are sequential. Compilation of entering students is counted only as long as they persist. Drop outs and "drop-ins" who may take many years to complete a degree are almost catagorically dismissed. Many keep collecting credits/ knowledge/skills without degrees. Then there are those "life experience" folks who end up as managers who hire the "skilled" others--foreigners, etc.
I'd suggest you set up a group (brain trust--stink farm, whatever) of some of the bright people you've interacted with to review Nine Shift "discoveries" before history bears out your predictions. I think your book is right on in matching the century-cycle to cycle simularities. (Check out the latest Futures magazine articles on the fall and decline of America.) As Trader Joe says, "Thanks for listening."

[Les Vierra]

OOPS! Make that Samuel L. Clemens--you know, ol Mark Two (Whatever).