Manufacturers group forms coalition to support immigration, education reform
National Association of Manufacturers, Washington, with American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Rockville, Md., Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, and other not-for-profit and for-profit organizations, created a coalition to advocate for education and immigration reform.
The group, inSPIRE STEM USA - Supporting Productive Immigration Reform and Education - focuses on increasing America’s supply of job candidates educated in STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. They support a two-pronged approach of both improving America’s educational system, as well as making it easier for well-educated people to immigrate to the U.S. by increasing the number of H-1B visas granted.
The coalition is looking for support in manufacturing and other industries that require job candidates with such skills. The group’s Twitter account said that they believe that, “we need to bolster #STEM education to ensure the United States remains globally competitive in the future.“ NAM CEO Jay Timmons points out that "there is a dearth in qualified candidates across the country." Manufacturers are dealing with a skills gap that has left 600,000 jobs vacant across the nation,” he noted.
inSPIRE STEM USA co-chairmen are former Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.), and Maria Cardona, an adviser to Hillary Clinton and Democratic strategist.
