A Bunch of BS

I read this article today at siliconvalley.com. It is another FUD story about the future of engineering in the US. I am getting pretty sick of hearing this FUD.

U.S. shortcomings examined by the AeA include some often cited by corporate CEOs and policy-makers, such as inadequate science and math education at the kindergarten through 12th-grade level. The group's report -- ``Losing the Competitive Advantage?'' -- also lamented the decline in federal funding for research and development, slipping enrollments in university-level computer science courses and the barriers preventing skilled foreigners from obtaining U.S. visas.

Inadequate math and science education at the K-12 level? I really don't believe that K-12 math and science makes or breaks successful engineers. I've noted before, the most successful engineers that I have known are not the most technically brilliant. They are good communicators that can work just as well on a whiteboard in front of a room full of strangers as they can behind their desks in private. In addition I have not used that much math in my engineering career. A little bit of differential equations, but very little. One of my projects at Lockheed had a math intensive section. Lockheed would not let anyone without a Phd in mathematics touch it. So, what good would an awesome K-12 math and science program have done? None. I think the real deal with this is that the AEA has some Phd type researchers that have never done practical engineering work outside of the educational system. We keep it simple. Absolutely as simple as possible, but no simpler. If we need help with the math (hasn't ever really happened), we can hire consultants.

Slipping enrollments in university-level computer science courses? Hey guys, do you think that the lack of available employment in that field has anything to do with it? Want a hint? Yes. I'm not saying that the jobs are not out there, they are, but if you are entry level it has been tough to get a decent job since the tech bubble imploded. Something else to note is that most of these jobs are going to be located in major metro areas. The cost of entry level homes in these areas has more than doubled in the last few years, while the salaries for these entry level jobs has basically stayed flat at around $50k. What is the incentive to go into this difficult, stressful field and work long hard hours if you are not going to be able to make a decent living? One thing that the AEA types usually note is that baby boomers are going to start retiring and we will have a huge shortage of skilled workers. Unfortunately, they haven't started retiring yet, and those jobs are not available.

Barriers preventing skilled foreigners from obtaining U.S. visas? Does a lack of jobs qualify for a barrier? I have friends that I graduated with that have never worked as engineers. They could not find engineering jobs when we graduated in 2001 and took what they could get to pay the bills. I lucked out, my Linux/Perl hobby landed me a job. Every time I hear about big companies (Sun, HP etc.) lobbying to increase the H1B quota I have to wonder what the deal is. Have they advertised the jobs they are trying to fill?

Just my .02