Career and Workforce Policy Committee (CWPC)

Mission Statement

The Career and Workforce Policy Committee's mission is to advance the career-related policy interests of electrical, electronics and computer engineers and related information technology professionals, with a specific focus on the career-related needs of IEEE’s U.S. members and the overall health of the U.S. engineering workforce. The scope of activities includes both public and private sector policymaking that directly affects the education, credentialing, employment, compensation, training, and retirement security of IEEE members and other scientific, engineering and technical professionals. The committee will also monitor facts, events, conditions and parameters relating to the state of the engineering workforce in the United States.

Continuing concerns include the portability of pension benefits when workers change jobs and the expansion of tax incentives to save for retirement. Committee priorities in the 109^th Congress include:

• Education (Funding of K-12 Math & Science Partnerships, Noyce Scholarships, and Tech Talent Programs)
• Immigration Reform
• H-1B and L-1 Visa Abuses
• Offshore Outsourcing and Implications for S&T Workforce
• Retirement Security
• Tax Incentives for Employment-related Education and Training
• Visa Processing Issues Affecting Students and Scholars

IEEE-USA has adopted the following position statement on career and workforce-related issues:
 

Benefits and Retirement Security

Association Health Plans (June 2003)

Education (K-12 and Continuing)

Tax Incentives for Continuing Education (Nov. 2004)

Workforce Issues

Career Equality in Engineering (Nov. 2003) Continuing Professional Competence for IEEE's U.S. Members (June 2003)  Engineering Licensure (June 2003)  Ensuring a Strong High Tech Workforce Through Educational and Employment-Based Immigration Reforms (June 2007) The Graduate Student Exemption to the H-1B Visa Cap (Nov. 2004) The H-1B Visa (Feb. 2003) The L-1 Visa For Intracompany Transfers (Nov. 2003) Offshore Outsourcing (March 2004) Tax Incentives for Continuing Education (Nov. 2004) Use of the Title "Engineer" (June 2001) Visa Processing (Nov. 2004) White Paper Inter-Generational Workforce White Paper

IEEE-USA has also issued the following career action policy alerts and communications:

• Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation concerning "The Implications of the Globalization of R&D and Innovation for America's Science and Engineering Workforce." (November 6, 2007)
• Joint IEEE-USA/SIA letter to House and Senate leaders outlining shared immigration reform proposals. (October 11, 2007)
• Letter to Senators Durbin and Grassley endorsing H-1B/L-1 Visa reforms contained in the McCaskill, Durbin, Grassley Amendment to the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act (S.1639). (June 27, 2007)
• Letter to Senate expressing support for the H-1B and L-1 Temporary Work Visa Reform Act (S. 1035). (April 27, 2007)
• Letter to the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) expressing concerns regarding H-1B visa-related content in the GAO report on "Global Competitiveness: Implications for the Nation's Higher Education System." (Feb. 2, 2007)
• Letter sent to U.S. Senate urging Senators to support/vote for the House-passed Pension Reform Act (H.R. 4). (Aug. 3, 2006)
• Letter sent to U.S. Senate urging Senators to support/vote for the House-passed Pension Reform Act (H.R. 4). (Aug. 2, 2006)
• Letter to U.S. urging support for the Feinstein-Grassley amendment (S. Amdt. 4075 to S. 2611) to remove a provision authorizing an automatic 20 percent upward adjustment in the H-1B admissions ceiling. (May 22, 2006)
• Letter to selected members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees outlining problems with H-1B visa program administration as background for deliberations on congressional provisions on S. 2611 proposing expansion of that program. (May 18, 2006)
• Letter to Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension conferees with recommendations to strengthen the private retirement savings system (HR 2380/S.1783).  (April 27, 2006)
• Statement to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims for the hearing entitled "Should Congress Raise the H-1B Cap?"(April 6, 2006)
• Letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee endorsing immigration reform provisions and opposing H-1B cap expansion provisions in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act.  (March 15, 2006)
• Letter to Gov. Pawlenty (Minn.) commenting on legal immigration proposals for bolstering Minnesota's workforce. (Feb. 10, 2006)
• Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee members expressing IEEE-USA's opposition to a proposal to increase the H-1B visa ceilings through a revenue-driven recapture mechanism. (Oct. 19, 2005)
• Letter to members of the House Judiciary Committee endorsing L-1 Visa Fee Legislation (H.R. 3648)  (Sept. 27, 2005)
• Testimony by Ronil Hira, Vice President, Career Activities, to the U.S.-China Economic Security Review Commission on Offshoring of Software & High Technology Jobs. (Jan 13, 2005)
• Letter to Congress urging deferral of action on a proposed H-1B visa exemption. (Nov. 17, 2004)
• Letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee opposing a substitute to S.1635 that would establish an H-1B Visa Exception for Foreign Graduate Students. (Sept. 17, 2004)
• Multi-Society Statement and Recommendations to Key Administration and Congressional leaders on Visa Problems Harming America's Scientific, Economic, and Security Interests . (May 12, 2004)
• K-12 SMET Coalition Letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Labor & Education Subcommittees supporting the House $100 million funding level for the Department of Education's FY 2003 Math & Science Partnerships Program. (Feb. 7, 2003)
• Comments to the IRS Concerning Phased Retirement (IRS Notice 2002-43). (Dec. 31, 2002)
• Letter to the U.S. Congress urging extension of eligibility for unemployment benefits due to delays experienced by unemployed engineers in finding new jobs. (Dec. 17, 2002)
• Statement to the Pan-Organizational Summit on the Science and Engineering Workforce (National Academy Government-University- Industry Research Roundtable). (Nov. 12, 2002)
• Letter to U.S. Senate urging passage 401(k) plan reform legislation to enhance the security of defined contributions retirement plans.  (July 15, 2002)
• Letter to Congress Calling for Field Hearings/Town Hall Meetings on Engineering Unemployment Problem. (July 12, 2002)

Issue Briefs and Legislation

• The Role of Career Policy (Powerpoint Presentation)

The Committee has prepared the following publications as part of the IEEE-USA Professional Guideline Series for use by IEEE members and other interested individuals:

• Ten Tax-Favored Ways to Save for Retirement helps IEEE members prepare for a more financially secure retirement by comparing seven employer-sponsored and three individual retirement savings plans. Also covered are important new features of workplace plans and IRAs established in the Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act of 2001. (July 2001) (386Kb PDF)

Benefits

The American Academy of Actuaries represents the interests of the actuarial profession in the United States and assists in the formulation of benefits policy by providing objective information and analyses. The American Savings Education Council – a coalition of public and private sector organizations – undertakes initiatives to increase public awareness of the importance of planning and saving to achieve personal financial independence. Benefits Link is a free nationwide Internet link to information for employees, product and service providers and employers on employer-sponsored benefits programs. The Coalition for Retirement Security is a grassroots organization representing active and retired plan participants dedicated to correcting inequities and educating the public about the importance of the nation’s employer-sponsored pension system. The Employee Benefits Research Institute is a Washington-based, policy research organization dedicated exclusively to data dissemination and public education on economic security and employee benefits issues. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is the government agency that administers federally insured retirement income protection programs for participants in private sector defined benefit pension plans. The Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor enforces laws that require company and union pension plans to invest employer and employee contributions wisely and in the best interest of plan participants. The Pension Rights Center is a non-profit public interest organization that provides public information on pensions issues and works to promote and protect the pension rights of workers, retirees and their families. The Savings Coalition of America advocates improvements in tax incentives for personal savings, including expanded individual retirement accounts, on behalf of more than 75 private sector organizations representing diverse, financial services, home-builders, realty and consumer groups. Third Millennium is a national organization launched by young adults to offer solutions to long term problems facing the United States, including sustainable reform of Social Security and Medicare.

Education

Dept. of Education's Math & Science Partnerships Program Eisenhower K-12 Math & Science National Clearinghouse Engineering Trends National Science Foundation's Directorate for Education and Human Resources NSF's Science, Engineering, Mathematics Talent Expansion Program NSF's Robert Noyce Scholarship Program Trends in International Math & Science (TIMSS) IEEE-USA's PreCollege Education Committee IEEE's Educational Activities Board

Workforce

The American Association of Engineering Societies and its Engineering Workforce Commission monitors engineering job statistics that help universities, corporations, and government set salary, hiring, enrollment, and degree trends in the marketplace. Building Engineering Science and Talent (BEST) is a public-private partnership to follow through on the recommendations of the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development. Commission of Professionals in Science and Technology collects and analyzes information about the human resources of the United States in the fields of science and technology. National Academy of Engineering supports programs related to Diversity in Engineering and Engineering Education, as well as other workforce related activities.

How To Participate

The Career and Workforce Policy Committee invites IEEE U.S. members who have an interest in career, retirement savings, education and related issues who are willing to be active contributors to the committee's activities to join the committee as a non-voting Corresponding Member. As a Corresponding Member, you will be invited to recommend committee activities, comment on draft position statements, and otherwise participate in the business of the committee.

To be considered as a Corresponding Member, please submit the following application:

CWPC Chair:   Ed Perkins
Staff Contact:  Vin O’Neill

  Last update: 20 March 2008
Staff Contacts: Vin O'Neill, v.oneill@ieee.org