While speaking in Jacksonville this week, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins shared his plan to strengthen Florida’s workforce over the growing issue of H-1B Visas, if elected governor.
The H-1B Visa program allows employers to hire foreign nationals temporarily with a bachelor's degree or equivalent to work in specialty occupations, such as technology, engineering, or medicine.
Lt. Gov. Collins also argued that Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), one of his gubernatorial opponents, has sidestepped the issue. Donalds spoke about H-1Bs in an exclusive interview with The Floridian late last year.
“Byron Donalds won’t talk about this issue because he doesn’t know what Floridian workers are facing on a day-to-day basis,” Collins said. “Critics and globalists claim that America needs foreign labor and that Americans simply aren’t equipped to fill roles in industries like technology. That is a lie."
"American students spend tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars to prepare for the workforce. They deserve a chance to contribute to American industries," Collins continued. "The H-1B program takes advantage of foreign workers through labor trafficking, and it takes advantage of Floridians who spend time and money preparing to enter industries that fail to give them a chance. That will stop when I’m governor.”
Lt. Gov. Collins plan includes the following:
- Prosecute H-1B Visa fraud, labor trafficking, and intellectual property theft from Florida colleges and companies.
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Establishing public-private partnerships for apprenticeships with SkillStorm, an IT and consulting company, and other businesses to ensure Florida graduates and transitioning veterans receive adequate training for jobs that otherwise may go to foreign nationals and contractors.
- Making sure apprenticeship programs properly receive allocated federal funds and do not go to incentivize foreign workers.
Chairman and Co-Founder of SkillStorm Vince Virga praised Collins for his plan.
“It’s great to see that we have a leader who cares about American workers and the future of Florida’s students,” Virga said. “Florida has the best public universities in the nation. I am a product of a Florida university and so are my children. We cannot afford to ship in foreign workers who take jobs that the next generation is more than capable of excelling in.”
