Tech companies call on lawmakers to invest in STEM education and reform immigration
Tech companies called Wednesday for the federal government to invest in more STEM education and reform immigration, recurring themes the industry hopes to influence in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Representatives of Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon said they faced difficulties finding qualified staff, a handicap they believed other US companies faced and threatens the strength of American industry. The issue is so widespread that it affects industries outside of technology, including pharmaceuticals and healthcare, they said.
"This is no longer a Microsoft, Facebook or Amazon issue," Brad Smith, Microsoft's chief legal officer said at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's panel in Philadelphia, where the Democratic National Convention is being held. "Companies are only as good as the people we hire."
