Career & Workforce Policy Committee (CWPC) 2009 Overview

1. Career & Workforce Policy Committee (CWPC)2009 Overview Chair – Henry J. Lindborg Vice Chair – Ed Perkins (Policy) Vice Chair – Tarek Lahdhiri (Outreach) IEEE-USA Staff – Vin O’Neill

2. CWPC Mission • To advance the career-related policy interests of electrical, electronics and computer engineers and other information technology professionals with a specific focus on the professional careers of IEEE’s U.S. members and the overall health of the U.S. engineering workforce – CWPC Charter

3. CWPC Focus of Activities • Public and private sector policymaking that affects the education, credentialing, employment, compensation and utilization of engineers in the United States

4. CWPC Membership • Regular Members (12) • Resource Members (6) • Liaison Members (6) • Corresponding Members (32)

5. CWPC Meetings • Meetings • Spring (May) in Washington DC • Fall (Oct) in Boston MA (tentative) • Teleconferences • Regular Intervals (4-6 Weeks)

6. CWPC Public Policy Priorities • Innovation and Competitiveness* • Education and Lifelong Learning • Engineering Workforce Diversity • Health and Retirement Security* • High Skills Immigration Reform* • Workforce Globalization (Off-shoring) * IEEE-USA Priorities for the 111th Congress

7. Innovation and Competitiveness • Goals – Promote enactment of federal legislation needed to sustain U.S. technological leadership, promote economic competitiveness and create high wage jobs for STEM professionals in the United States • Legislative Focus – Key House and Senate Authorization and Appropriations Committees • Partners – IEEE-USA technology policy committees and major competitiveness coalitions

8. Education and Lifelong Learning • Goals –To promote the enactment of federal legislation to improve the quality of K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and enable more Americans to pursue post-secondary and continuing professional education in STEM fields • Legislative Focus – House Education and Labor/Senate HELP Committees; House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees; House and Senate Appropriations Committees • Partners – STEM Education Coalition

9. Engineering Workforce Diversity • Goals – To improve U.S. economic and technological competitiveness by increasing opportunities for women and other traditionally under-represented minorities to pursue post-secondary education and professional careers in STEM fields • Legislative Focus – House Education and Labor and Science and Technology Committees/Senate CS&T and HELP Committees • Partners – Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering

10. Health and Retirement Security • Goals – To increase access to affordable health care for small businesses and self-employed individuals and to improve financial security in retirement for more Americans by strengthening tax-favored retirement savings programs, reforming Social Security and removing statutory impediments to phased retirement • Legislative Focus – House Education and Labor and Senate HELP Committees/House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees • Partners – Small Business Coalition for Affordable Health Care/Savings Coalition of America

11. High Skills Immigration Reform • Goals – To increase the availability of legal, permanent employment-based (EB) visas; facilitate the adjustment of foreign students with advanced degrees in STEM fields to LPR (Green Card) status; reform the H-1B and L temporary work visa programs; and expedite visa processing for short-term visitors to the United States • Legislative Focus – House and Senate Judiciary Committees • Partners – Employer, Educational, Immigrant, Labor and Professional Organizations

12. Workforce Globalization • Goals – To assess the impact of off-shore outsourcing on high tech employment opportunities in the United States and its long-term implications for America’s technological leadership, economic competitiveness and national security • Legislative Focus – House Science and Technology Committee; Joint Economic Committee • Partners – Economic Policy Institute; Labor Unions and Professional Societies

13. Other CWPC Initiatives • Member Communications • Member Education • Organizational Outreach • Engineering Workforce Research • Engineering Workforce Statistics • Special Events

14. CWPC Member Communications • E-Books – Engineer’s Guide to Educational and Employment-Based Visas (New); Ten Tax-Favored Ways to Save for Retirement (Updated) • 21st Century Engineering Workforce Trends – Graphics Project (R.A. Ellis) • Legislative Alerts and Today’s Engineer Articles

15. CWPC Member Education • Career Survival/Career Makeover Workshops – in conjunction with CWPC meetings and in cooperation with local IEEE sections • Engineering Careers Webinars (new) – in cooperation with IEEE-USA’s Employment and Career Services Committee

16. CWPC Organizational Outreach • Meetings with local IEEE sections as well as with employer organizations and educational institutions in conjunction with CWPC meetings • Liaison with the Engineering Workforce Commission (AAES); the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (AAAS); and a new Strengthening Professionalism in the Public Interest Coalition • Cooperation with other IEEE and external entities on professional careers issues of mutual concern

17. Multi-generational Workforce Research Project • Purpose – To identify and describe key factors impacting the productivity and personal satisfaction of younger, mid-career and older engineers in today’s multi-generational workforce • 2009 Goals – To publish findings and conclusions based on survey research conducted in 2008 • Next Steps – To develop policy recommendations based on research findings and conclusions

18. Engineering Workforce Statistics • Employment and Unemployment - BLS • Education (Enrollments and Degrees) – EWC • Foreign Participation – ACS • Salaries and Compensation – BLS • Employment Projections – BLS • IEEE Member Demographics – IEEE-USA

19. CWPC – Special Events • Career Fly-In (High Skills Immigration Reform) – Mar 23/24 in Wash DC • Career Survival Workshop (CWPC and SE Michigan Section) – Apr 18 in Dearborn MI • STEM Measures Conference (R&DPC and CWPC) – Oct 21/23 in Wash DC

20. Links to More Information • IEEE-USA : http://www.ieeeusa.org/ • IEEE-USA Policy Log http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/policy/index.html • IEEE-USA Legislative Action Center r.t.harrison@ieee.org • Career & Workforce Policy Committee http://www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/committees/cwpc/index.html