Many may have started to overlook careers in high-tech, but the following quote is a strong statement for why we should continue to encourage young people to consider careers in high technology areas like electrical engineering with emphasis on computer engineering, telecommunications, and RF and wireless.

      "With an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent, and technology stocks taking a beating on the stock market, it is easy to get the impression that there isn't much future in high-tech. Don't for one moment let the headlines confuse you. High-tech is still your best bet for a rich and rewarding future in the American workplace.

      The real victims of the dot-com bust weren't the middle-class, 20-something entrepreneurs who went from riches to rags in just a few years. Instead, the victims may be thousands of young people who may have gotten the impression that technology was just a fad and there are limited rewards in pursuing a technology education.

      High-tech is still the straightest path to the American Dream. On average, electrical engineers make more than $62,000 per year, and an information systems manager makes around $75,000. Not bad for just four years of college.

      Jobs requiring technical skills will still be in great demand for the foreseeable future. Computer and data processing will add more that two million jobs in the next six years alone. And rapid growth is expected for computer engineers, analysts, and support specialists."-

by Tyronne D. Taborn, US BLACK ENGINEER, March/April 2002.