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<p>The problem with that logic is that a lack of a skilled American workforce is intertwined with cheap labor. The reason why Jobs and other tech leaders supposedly can’t find a sufficient number of American engineers is simply that those jobs don’t pay well enough to entice more Americans. After all, if engineers were paid as well as employees in the finance industry, Americans would be coming out of the woodwork to become engineers. That’s why you see even graduates with PhD’s in engineering from elite programs such as MIT or Stanford choosing to leave engineering for the finance industry. </p>
<p>One can also look at not-so-long-ago history. During the dotcom boom, thousands upon thousands of Americans enthusiastically learned software and computer-networking skills because they knew that they would be bounteously rewarded once they did. For example, I remember some guys who never graduated from college at all and had only basic IT skills that could have been learned in a few short months were nevertheless commanding $75-100 an hour. </p>
<p>That’s why I’ve always found the comments regarding the lack of engineering supply in the US by tech leaders to be deeply self-serving, because they inherently control the supply of engineers through the salaries they choose to pay. They don’t really pay strong salaries to American engineers, and then wonder why more Americans don’t become engineers, as opposed to become physicians, lawyers, bankers, or alternate careers.</p>