He has been a systems engineer and a systems integrator and is competent in both analog and digital design. And despite the outsourcing of engineering jobs, he has a positive view about the future of "leading edge" engineering jobs in this country.

Just about every U.S. electronics company, as well as its suppliers, faces cutthroat competition. My friend understands why management may have to move manufacturing and lower-level, nuts-and-bolts engineering jobs off-shore to cut costs. Being cost-competitive is necessary for survival.

Face it: Americans won't buy many $3,000 PCs or $250 cell phones. Price moves the merchandise. And despite the cost crunch my friend believes the people who run our companies are smart enough to keep leading-edge design jobs at home to provide the innovative kick needed to move business forward.

His advice to other engineers: Stay flexible and be willing to switch jobs, even change industries. He sees jobs opening up in biotech, medical and other industries, and there will be jobs to rebuild our military weapons systems and infrastructure. Certainly the engineering jobs related to homeland security and national defense will not be outsourced.

Still, it can be gut-wrenching for an engineer to start over, and my friend knows firsthand the cultural shock of changing industries. They do not do things the same way in a big telecom company as in a small entrepreneurial company.

According to the Gartner research data published in our local paper, at least one in 10 U.S. technology jobs will move overseas by year's end. Silicon Valley candidates for state office differ on how to keep jobs in California. Their proposed solutions include tax incentives, workers' compensation reform and investment in education and infrastructure.

How all that squares with competing with overseas engineering jobs paying $6 an hour is not obvious. In this0 election year, there will be many local and national debates, long on rhetoric and finger-pointing but short on solutions.

It may be that there are no solutions-that what's happening is simply the age-old struggle for survival, with business chasing low-cost labor wherever it is.

The factories in my old Chicago neighborhood closed long ago, as did the textile mills in New England. Be cost-competitive, or you're lunch.

When Frank isn't dreaming of simpler times, he can be reached at: fburge@cmp.com.