Robert Green wrote:
Alan Blinder, a Princeton professor and former Federal Reserve vice
chairman, says it won't be surprising years from now if a carpenter in the
U.S. earns more than a college-educated computer operator. In fact, the data
suggest that education bears little relationship to jobs that are vulnerable
to offshoring, he says.

On balance, Blinder says, "there's little doubt a college education is a
good investment for most students."

But he offers this advice: "Don't train yourself or your children [in work]
that a computer can do or a smart kid in China or India can do. Because
that's ferocious competition."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...021,full.story



Guess what? Carpenters will also have to BE computer operators at some
point. Especially free-lance 'jack of all trades' guys doing remodels
from plans provided on disk or e-mail. (Go to any boutique kitchen shop,
and see how they do designs and takeoffs.) Production wood-working
machines, like at a mill, already are sort of like cad-cam machines.
Jobsite tools will likely be that way soon. Some basic level of computer
literacy will soon become a basic requirement of ALL jobs, just like
reading, writing, and basic math did a century ago, when many
blue-collar jobs were held by functional illiterates.

--
aem sends...