Engineer Shortage

[pm4hire]

www.npr.org/templates/sto...Id=9910492

[Dan]

Ahhh... Just another sour grapes study from a bunch of whiney Americans. Why don't they just shut up and start their own global business?

[I D Shukhov]

Vivek Wadhwa, the study's author, makes the point that when a country loses design capability it loses everything.  He also says that capitalism is amoral and cares nothing about country, community or people, only profit.  American engineers are not being given a chance to practice their profession because American companies are hiring cheaper engineers in other countries.

It's interesting hearing somebody talking in a thick Indian accent saying these things.

[David Cressey]

IDS,

It's also interesting to hear him say that, if he were to return to the profit sector,  he would return to his old ways his research notwithstanding.  

If that is correct,  then two things are true:

First, quality doesn't count for much in the area of research.   He says that the American researchers are the best,  even if they cost too much.  But he still wouldn't hire them.

Second, researchers can't afford the American dream.  Perhaps the American dream is not for innovators any more.  It's just going to be divvied up among salesmen, lawyers, and politicians.  (A politician is basically a cross between  a salesman and a lawyer anyway).

I notice that among women college students,  many, many more are going into law than into technical fields.  They're not stupid.

[pm4hire]

Offshore $19.05 p/h

H1bs $53 p/h

[I D Shukhov]

Quote:First, quality doesn't count for much in the area of research. He says that the American researchers are the best, even if they cost too much. But he still wouldn't hire them.

Over 1/2 of students in graduate engineering programs are foreign nationals, which schools vigorously compete for.  

Presumably, these are the folks who do applied research in universities and companies after they graduate.  I suppose that a large number become citizens.  Are they We then   kemosabe?  

[David Cressey]

Quote:Offshore $19.05 p/h

H1bs $53 p/h

Interesting.

What are you getting for your money?
What are the rates you are paying for American engineers?

[David Cressey]

Quote:Are they We then kemosabe?

At the risk of repeating myself,  one of my favorite quotes is "We have met the enemy, and they is us"  from Pogo Possum.

I'm not concerned about foreign nationals enrolling in American Universities.  I'm concerned about what Americans are doing or not doing.  Again,  the dude on the radio show said American researchers were the best.  His wordsm nto mine.

He also said that the reason he wouldn't hire them was cost.  Again, his words, not mine.

[pm4hire]

I have no choice in this matter, so I am stuck using offshore
resources for relatively low level expertise.  On another
project I am managing that involves an external facing
corporate website, the company went with a name brand
agency for the redesign and is paying major bucks to get the
job done.

From what I've seen so far, the Indian company that my
client uses does older technology well again stuck in the
2003 timeframe no less.

I have noticed that Indians are weak in problem solving
skills, so thinking outside the box is not their strong
point.

[ITLifer]

Top of the line offshore talent costs around $36 per hour. %50-$60 is pretty much the average for above average H1-Bs.


There's an interesting lesson we can take from this. - if onshore H1bs cost $14-$24 more than top of the line offshore, you should do better. If you add value of atleast $10 per hour, you should make $24-$34 more than offshore talent. Assuming you're dealing with the client directly, you should be making $70 per hour.

Not very good, but not too bad either....

[pm4hire]

is a division of my client in Indian.