It's a problem of seed corn. You have to save the seeds to plant for the next crop. In the case of IT, you need to build career paths for the leaders of the next generation.

So what happens when the junior jobs go offshore? Simply, the leaders for the next generation of IT management are offshore. In the long-term, an industry that offshores their junior positions sells their "seed corn" and with that act, their next generation of technical leadership. And with great communications infrastructure, almost any position that does not require hands-on at the clients' site can go offshore, and eventually any non-touch part of the business.

Students get this. Computer World reports that Eugene Spafford, a professor at Purdue University told congress that of the 5,500 doctorates in computer science and engineering awarded in American Universities between 1992 and 1997, "only eight were awarded to US citizens."

We need to build career paths for the technical leaders. We need to protect their jobs - or we need to be ready for the entire IT chain to go offshore. How cheap will offshore be when we lack a local alternative? Think about the last time you filled your car with gas.

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