Re: Hobbyist electronics courses... extinct?

Pooh Bear wrote:
> Bill Gray wrote:
>
> > Roger Dewhurst wrote:
> > > "Pooh Bear" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > news:43B46C42.C4D47219@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >
> > >>
> > >>Charles Schuler wrote:
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>><longjohnstuartmill@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > >>>news:1135887749.193666.188480@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >>>
> > >>>>After asking several dumb questions on this newsgroup, I realized I
> > >
> > > was
> > >
> > >>>>going to need some extra help if I was ever going to learn this stuff.
> > >>>>So I searched for an electronics course in my community. I couldn't
> > >>>>find one. I found a million yoga classes, but no basic electronics
> > >>>>courses. My only options seem to be an electricians' ticket or an
> > >>>>engineering degree, and I'm not ready for either of those. I live in
> > >
> > > a
> > >
> > >>>>city with ~75 000 people.
> > >>>>
> > >>>>Do you think my problems are due to the community's size, or is this a
> > >>>>problem in most areas?
> > >>>
> > >>>It is becoming more difficult to find community college courses in
> > >>>electronics in most areas. These courses were typically offered for
> > >>>"technicians" and this area of employment is shrinking.
> > >>
> > >>In terminal decline would be more accurate.
> > >>
> > >>Graham
> > >
> > >
> > > Surely someone has design and repair electronic devices. People must get
> > > some training somewhere. Industry, in a general sense, cannot function
> > > without technicians. Engineers may design things but technicians are
> > > necessary to build them and fix them when they go wrong. A society with too
> > > many graduates and not enough technicians supporting them does not function
> > > very well. Too many chiefs and not enough indians!
> > >
> > > R
> >
> >
> > American industry will just outsource it to China or India. There're
> > plenty of technicians there.
> >
> > Bill,
> > Phoenix
>

> Yup. The 'suits' don't give a *** about ppl who spent their lives honing their
> skills when they can get a better bonus by improving tomorrow's bottom line.

And ignoring next year's (after all, they probably won't be there then)

>
> Until there's fundamental culture change in how western businesses are run, don't
> expect any job to be even remotely secure.

Gotta agree.

>
> I wouldn't advise *anyone* to get into engineering in the west these days.
>
> Graham

On another note, though, technicians need to be close to the actual
design. For the design work that does occur in the west, we need techs
near it. I will admit I have had a very hard time (both here in the UK
and in the states when I was there) getting good techs.

Cheers

PeteS

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