[ConservingFreedom]

we’re short of qualified workers.

No we're not: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/05/16/scholars-debunk-claims-of-high-tech-workers-shortage-question-industry-s-free-pass/

My personal experience is contrary to your assertion. Could we both be right? Sure.

Absolutely - you may see a shortage in who is available to your organization, while the Breitbart-cited scholars are addressing the national average.

I’m going with what I see every day.

"Going with" in what sense - supporting nationwide policies that don't conform to nationwide realities but do conform to your corner of the world?

[Principled]

I don’t know the motivations or any biases in that “study”; a study can be used to say anything.

I’m not discounting it, just saying it’s no match for what I have seen in stem education for the last fifty years.

We’ve still got the best no doubt. But we also have fewer every year.