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How To Kill Two Birds With One Stone

There is a steady stream of immigrants coming across the Mexican border into the United States. Various measures including increased border patrols, fences and deportation are and will prove to be mere speed bumps for determined immigrants. The are strongly motivated to overcoming the poverty of their homeland. Vast streams of money pass back over the border to support family members in Mexico and elsewhere. The great majority of the successful “illegals” work at lower than minimum wage jobs. They are often hired by exploitative employers. Illegals are constantly looking over their shoulders, fearful that the long arm of the law will reach out and end their little economic miracle by deporting them.

Meanwhile huge labor shortages are threatening our first world expectations. One example is nursing. Approximately 500,000 registered nurses are needed to meet the demand in the next decade. Another 300,000 nurse’s aids and orderlies are also needed. When the baby boomers start to retire en masse, then these numbers may prove to be conservative. Other job groups that face shortages include customer service, computer professions, customer service, retail, truck drivers, teachers, etc.

How To Use These Two Problems To Solve Each Other

The answer is training! If there was a way to train prospective immigrants in the skills that are in high demand, then there will be 3 major benefits:

1. The immigrant problem - Trained workers would be an asset to our country. Most Americans would welcome this new class of immigrants. There would likely still be “illegals”. However, the number would decrease significantly, if there were legitimate avenues for immigration that permitted the earned right to legal residency.

2. The labor shortage - With the proper skill sets, the new workers would become a vital contributing part of our society. The labor shortages that threaten to hamstring. Important industries would be alleviated, at least in part. It would help ensure that our economy can continue to grow past the retirement of the baby boomers.

3. Illegal immigrants in America - With a good job, a legal immigrant can change a small temporary miracle into a large continuous economic miracle for him and his family. As stated earlier, there will still be illegal immigrants. However, with a few successes widely publicized, it will be an inspiration to prospective immigrants. Who wouldn’t want to work towards being a greater economic success and be a respected legal citizen in their new country? Contrast that to working marginal jobs and being treated like a criminal. Hard choice!

How To Provide The Required Training

There are several avenues for providing the skills training:

1. Scholarships - Foreigners wanting to immigrate to the US, will be offered scholarships to get specific training. Of course they must meet certain qualifications before receiving the scholarship and before being given residency in the US.

2. Student Visas - Why not award student visas to qualified prospective immigrants. When they have learned the required skills for an in demand job, they would receive priority consideration for permanent residency.

3. Revolving Loan Fund - Using the model of the Perpetual Education Fund operated by the LDS Church, the revolving fund could help immigrants/students on a “perpetual” basis.

4. Border Schools - The most radical approach would be to setup schools on the borders. The schools would specialize in the skills in high demand.

Funding could come from a combination of government and industries benefiting from these initiatives. This approach would be a real bargain compared to the band-aid fixes of fences and a larger border patrol bureaucracy.

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