Appearing on CNBC’s Closing Bell program recently, Genesis10 CEO Harley Lippman addressed the challenges companies have with finding the skilled technology workers they need.
“Companies are grappling with a skills shortage,” he told the show’s moderator, Kelly Evans. “They have to focus on domestic outsourcing and training.”
Speaking to current issues with H-1B visas, Lippman said, “Companies are looking for stability. If people can’t get their visas renewed, they leave for India, for example. That’s a major concern. Companies are looking to do more work in the U.S., and training is part of the solution.”
Lippman also considered the impact of automation on the workforce. “Artificial intelligence is basically programming machines to do things that people normally do,” he said. “The bad news is that AI replaces people with machines. The good news is that AI creates far more jobs, and it creates innovation. It creates opportunities for everyone.”
To the question, "What is the single stroke right now?" Lippman responded, “College training in IT is always going to be really important. Where companies used to have their pick before, now more than ever they are going to have to train people.” He summed up by sharing examples that show the positive results from automation, highlighting how automobiles replaced the horse and buggy and created a number of new jobs – better jobs.