[TriLUG] OT: Outsourcing Grandma to Mumbai

[Glen Ford]

Magnus Hedemark wrote:

>http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/story/0,10801,91588,00.html 
>
>Since the topic of offshoring seems to be of interest to a number of the 
>active members, I thought this article would be of interest.  It makes the 
>point that after most of us geeks lose our jobs to India, doctors and 
>other healthcare practitioners are next (not the general practitioners... 
>yet... but heart & brain specialists are fingered as going first).
>
>Of course, a number of people here are going to get hit with a double 
>whammie if that happens.  I'm referring, of course, to IT professionals 
>who support healthcare specialists.  Even if your job doesn't get 
>offshored directly, it might be indirectly when your "customers" (i.e. 
>doctors, nurses, clinical technicians, etc) are offshored by insurance 
>providers.
>
>  
>
The Feb. issue of Wired magazine has a more indepth and more even handed 
story on outsourcing.
The story likens the outsourcing trend to other major shifts in the work 
force.
I.E.  farmer --> factory ---> office ---> office automation

Each of this shifts displaced workers, but also created new jobs.
The key with the current outsource shift is that:
1. Workers life cycle is shorter. Workers are worrying about re-training 
themsevles midway through their "careers"
2.  Unlike the other shifts, it remains to be seen what new jobs are 
created.

The Wired article hints that "creativity" is the new job field.  
Whatever that means.
Also if our skills can be gotten cheaper overseas, what should the 
schools be teaching to arm the next wave of workers to deal with this 
new reality?
Perhaps things like problem solving skills and the value of being a 
generalist. How about businesses that do depend on physical location? 
Like a geek coffe house or your neighorhood rib joint?


/end rant.
/glen


-- 
Glen Ford
gford at idiom.com