TMS Public and Governmental Affairs Resource Center

FROM THE FEDERATION OF MATERIALS SOCIETIES: The House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation recently concluded a series of hearings on the offshoring of U.S. science and technology jobs. The subcommittee staff is working on a report to be issued for possible action in the 2008 Congressional session.

The final hearing explored the implications of the globalization of research and development and innovation for the American science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. In its summary of the discussion, the subcommittee noted that many analysts believe that globalization will not affect the aggregate number of jobs in the United States, but that skill demands will shift, affecting both career choices and the need for ongoing "retooling" of skills. "The problem is that many workers are often surprised by changing job availability, whether those workers are experienced professionals approaching retirement or students contemplating a science or engineering career," according to Subcommittee Chairman David Wu (D-OR). "That unpredictability hampers decision making at the individual worker level and at the government level."

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