Listen
The trend to move some IT jobs offshore actually benefits America, according to a senior vice president with Information Technology of America. Houston Public Radio’s Business Reporter Ed Mayberry has more.
The senior vice president for Government Affairs at ITAA talked with the Greater Houston Partnership about the current status of legislative proposals to restrict global outsourcing by U.S. companies. In a speech at the Houston branch of the Federal Reserve Bank, Joe Tasker said outsourcing of information technology jobs is actually a good thing.
“Outsourcing takes advantage of a global workforce and brings efficiencies to the companies that use it and helps the overall economy of this country–not just the company that does it.”
Tasker recognizes the loss of a job to global outsourcing means workers have to re-tool. But he says most work requires a lifelong education.
“Yeah, we all have to learn to keep up. You know, my members say that they have difficulty finding programmers with the latest and greatest knowledge. There is a shortage of that labor. Some of that labor is available in other countries. Now, if we want to stay competitive, we need to make sure, you know, make sure that we are learning those new things as well as the rest of the world.”
Dell recently announced it plans to build a factory in India, but there are logistical reasons.
“See the global companies build factories outside of the United States to be close to market. You know, if you’re Dell, building stuff when people call you on the telephone and say ‘send it to me,’ then you want to have a factory that’s close to where the phone call comes from.”
Tasker says Dell’s move is recognition that India is becoming an important computer market.
“And that’s good for America because what we want is to develop–countries like India–develop into part of the global economy that uses computers and not be left behind. It’s important to all of us.”
Ed Mayberry, Houston Public Radio News.