Looks like the number of Indian tech experts and others who move to work in the US on H-1B visas will soon start dwindling. The US is all set to spend $150 million on training local people looking for jobs as well as students, to enable them to take up the middle and high-skilled jobs that otherwise go to H-1B visa holders, particular from India.
The US Department of Labour (DOL) revealed that the H-1B One Workforce Grant Programme, will ensure that locals are ready for jobs in the primary sectors of the economy. This programme will not only upskill the existing workforce, but also equip the new generation with the skills required to be active participants in the workforce of the future. The training will equip them for domains, such as information technology (IT), cyber security, advanced manufacturing and transportation.
To make the programme a success, the DOL has appealed to the local organisations to work and stand as one in this mission to ensure a career growth for local job seekers.
Four types of organisations will be eligible for these grants, that is, businesses and nonprofits, such as industry and trade associations, educational institutions and community colleges, agencies involved in administering the public workforce system under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and economic development agencies.
Only those over the age of 17 and are not enrolled in secondary school will be eligible for participation in this training programme. This means, all unemployed and underemployed members of the community looking for full-time jobs, and workers who wish to upskill themselves in order to remain relevant in their areas of work, or desire to take up middle- to high-skilled positions in the future may join the programme.
