For decades, Canada has tried to stop top graduates in the so-called STEM fields of science, tech, engineering and math from heading elsewhere for work, mainly to the US. Have the country’s immigration policies and emerging tech scene – with some help from US politics – managed to compensate for the “brain drain”?

In 2016, after six years in California working as a software engineer at LinkedIn, Vikram Rangnekar was itching to launch a startup.

India-born Rangnekar was eyeing a move to Singapore – where he founded his first startup – or trying somewhere new like Berlin. He couldn’t see himself launching his project in San Francisco with his H-1B visa.

Source: BBC Canada

Date: May 7th, 2018

Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43930491

Discussion

1) “Getting permanent residency, public-funded healthcare and living in the middle of Canada’s tech capital gave me the freedom and courage to explore that option.”  What is it about these things that give someone “courage”?

2) “even as policy makers made moves to attract highly skilled immigrants, there still aren’t enough people to fill the demand.”  It seems clear that there are not enough skilled workers in the tech field.  What are you doing to become “in demand”?