Wedels Not Satisfied With Getting A Job From the White House, Want H-1B Policy Change
The White House is following up on an offer made by President Obama for Darin Wedel, a semiconductor engineer, according to a report by Computer World. The offer was made during a live online town hall, sponsored by Google, after Darin's wife, Jennifer questioned the government's policy concerning H-1B visa workers.
Jennifer Wedel of Fort Worth asked why the government continues "to issue and extend H-1B visas when there are tons of Americans just like my husband with no job?"
After learning that Darin Wedel was a semiconductor engineer, Obama claimed that engineers in the high-tech field should be able to get a job right away.
Obama asked for Darin Wedel's resume and said he would "forward it to some of these companies that are telling me they can't find enough engineers in this field."
"As much as it thrills me and our personal situation, it really doesn't help the average American that's in my same situation," Wedel said of the White House helping him find a job.
The Wedels have been contacted by many people since the Google town hall. "Our inboxes are filled with people thanking us for bring up this issue," said Darin Wedel.
Wedel also said the president's view on the job prospects for engineers in his field "is definitely not what's happening in the real world."
Three years ago, Wedel was laid off from Texas Instruments, a company which has played a prominent role in lobbying for the H-1B visas.
"The preference of big corporations is to hire the H-1B folks instead of hiring Americans with 10-plus years of expereince like myself," said Wedel.
According to Wedel, H-1B workers make it increasingly tough for American tech workers to gain training in related areas.
The visa use is putting more people in the marketplace and that makes it "less likely for (employers) to have to train anyone or do any kind of ramp-up at all," he said.
With employment still high, Wedel believes that "its only prudent to adjust the levels of immigrants that are allowed to come here."
Wedel would like to see the H1-B cap reduced, but he is not expecting the Obama administration to do that because it favors loosening restrictions.
For the Full Story, read Computer World