Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jake0302 who wrote (19812)	12/13/1998 8:12:00 PM
From: dreydoc	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 77400

Re: future networkers Clearly Cisco is doing the right thing supporting education in the secondary and technical school tracks. Miscrosoft has adopted the same strategy I believe. As an employer of "Cisco Kids" I would pause to point something out here; I do not foresee paying $40K+ salaries to Cisco networkers indefinitely into the future that you're speaking of here. Consider that while the industry is concerned over a dearth of technically skilled workers forecast for the next three years, some basic economics already come into play: 1) More technical trade schools are quite aware of this gap and in response are already producing data network trained technicians, most of whom are exposed to Cisco routers and other products. We see them here in PA today. They don't go to work for Cisco, they find good jobs working for Cisco powered companies like ours. That's part of the Cisco plan too. 2) As the industry evolves and matures, like most markets it stratifies and the workforce with it. We fully expect to pay commensurate salaries both to network designers and skilled troubleshooters, but also to a strata of workers who are trained in the basics of network infrastructure (aka Cisco products) deployment and management. This need not be construed however as college level skill. 3) With so much intelligence evolving into the software side of networking, I believe that we'll see workforce demographics shape up that places increasingly greater power into fewer skilled hands in the data center/CO, with many more technical hands in the field, attending to abundant access and integration buildout. It's a terrific industry with lots of room and steady work. Still, I think we need to recognize that with it comes diversified skills sets and a a pay scale that reflects it. Of course none of this dismisses the value of education nor the focus on networking in the least. Universal access and opportunity is the key as always. And Cisco wins big here also, which is the harmony we're all singing in the end. Just MHO of course. Comments?