On September 18, 2024, I had the privilege of joining over 70 fellow ITServe members for our second in-person Capitol Hill Day. It was a surreal experience walking through the halls of power, meeting with lawmakers, and sharing our personal stories of how we achieved the American Dream through hard work and innovation.
We discussed the critical skill gap facing the U.S. tech industry, a gap that threatens American leadership in AI, autonomous transport, data management, cybersecurity, and more. In the short term, this gap must be filled by high-skilled immigration. In the long term, we need to focus on STEM education to ensure we cultivate the talent needed to keep the U.S. at the forefront of global innovation.
If we don’t act now, we risk losing high-skilled jobs to overseas markets, much like what has happened in manufacturing and robotics. One of the key solutions which ITServe supports is HIRE Act (H.R. 4647), which aims to strengthen High Skilled Immigration and launch a STEM grant program to fill the skills gap and secure America’s future as a global innovation leader.
Being part of ITServe Alliance, which represents 2200+ member companies across 22 chapters, was a humbling experience. Together, we contribute over $15 billion annually to the U.S. economy, creating jobs and fostering local employment.
Capitol Hill Day gave us a powerful platform to use our collective voice and advocate for policies that will not only support our businesses but also help shape the future of the IT industry.
