Electrical envy

I work in a large office complex and there's always some kind of infrastructure work going on. Maintenance workers are a common sight - so common it's easy to overlook them. The current project du jour is some kind of electrical upgrade on our floor, and the electricians have been bustling around making noise.

Yesterday, as I was passing one doing some work in the hall, I took notice of him. We share a lot in common: a technical-related career, veteran of many projects and well versed in the tools of the trade. But there was something he had that I lacked: job security.

Electrical wiring jobs are not going to be outsourced to India anytime soon. He does not need to fear an abrupt involuntary termination of his career prospects from someone halfway around the world working for 10 cents on the dollar. And he has the added protection of union membership.

Makes me wonder why I'm paying thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition so that my sons can be more than electricians. If our outsourcing continues unabated, at some point there'll either be a lot more clamoring to enter the electrical field or a lot of disgruntled college graduates and parents of college graduates.

Or maybe both.

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