Atlanta Forward readers offered their views on the growing economic relationship between India and Atlanta. Here are some comments under the writers’ screen names.
Matt321: Wouldn't it be nice if Georgia took a proactive stance in getting its citizens involved in global trade? For example, mandatory teaching of two to three foreign languages, as they do in Europe? As it is, a disturbing amount of students fail to even graduate from Georgia schools, and those who do have barely mastered English. While we're improving foreign language education (focus on Spanish for South America, Mandarin for China — take your pick), how about mandatory, state-supported, study-abroad programs for Georgia college students so they can build the connections that lead to international trade? Or I guess we can just keep throwing tax breaks at campaign contributors and take whatever low-wage jobs come our way.
Laurie: Exactly what does TCS, Infosys, Wipro and similar companies do? They offshore skilled jobs. I've met a number of people in my field who have lost their jobs to outsourcing. Their jobs do not stay in Atlanta. They are moved to India. To make matters worse, we now have an influx of "skilled" immigrant workers in this country who make up resumes based on someone else's experience and are marketed by Indian-based recruiters at much lower hourly rates.
Mangler: Since the subject is Indian-based companies and the jobs they bring, let's talk about who fills those positions. It's not local talent. It's Indian nationals allowed to come here on visas. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm just saying that's not the same thing as Indian companies setting up shop in Atlanta and hiring Georgians to work for them. The B1 visa allows for lower pay rates than would be acceptable for full citizens. This process also ads to the stigma that foreign nationals are of lesser quality or value since they work for less. So who is an Indian company going to hire? Support staff that expects local market rates, or import staff that does not?
SAWB: While I'm sure some of the jobs created are "low-skilled," we have to remember that Georgia has many low-skilled workers. We need to seek economic growth at all levels. One area Georgia seems to be missing out on is manufacturing. While many see the industry as undesirable, the truth is, manufacturing jobs often pay good wages and provide opportunities for growth to employees. We need to also improve our adult education services so that we can quickly and effectively retrain people as economic and technological trends shift. The technical college system of Georgia needs to develop shorter, industry-focused programs that can provide actual jobs.
