I came across this article and it hit a sore spot:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100401/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1421
I lived in Cocoa Beach when the Apollo program ended and all those talented workers suffered such layoffs and financial harm. I cannot believe that our government cannot remember this tragedy and have avoided it with better planning. I cannot believe I am seeing it happen again.
I live in Lowell, MA...which is the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. This city used to be the richest city in America and fell hard when that industry left this area.
As a high tech worker, I have no job guarantee, none of us do, but seems like we could avoid trauma in this country with better planning. Watching industries end is inevitable I know, but can we consider the people? Can we not see things coming and figure out a way to truly retrain and reuse the talent? This harsh reality is hard to bear especially in areas where no other jobs exist and folks have to walk away from homes as they did in the Space Coast in the 70s. It was harsh and horrible. I can imagine it is the same for those working in the car industry and other ones that have come and gone.
My father asks me why I do not stay in the same job and have a retirement. My answer is that does not exist for me. In my industry, I am lucky to stay in a job for three to five years. Then I have to retool and retrain an yet another technology. Yes, it keeps me on my toes, I am nimble. I know how to interview and find a job. However, I never expected to have these skills at my age. My mother was enjoying traveling to see her grandkids for long periods of time..this is a luxury I don't really have. I get a few days. Short of winning the lottery this won't change.
Anyway, reading this makes me sad. These people dedicated their lives to make the Shuttle a success, yet we do nothing to use their talent for some years to come. Just stinks.
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