I write about careers and have been very enthusiastic about federal efforts to retrain workers. But today I learned that you actually can get federal aid to train for a job as an outsourcing professional. You read that right. Read more below the fold.
The press release from the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals says that federal funding is available through Career OneStops for people to be trained as outsourcing professionals.
Laid off workers, new entrants to the workforce, veterans and persons with disabilities are among those who can qualify for federal aid to gain entry level and advanced outsourcing certifications from the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals® (IAOP®).
It turns out that working as an outsourcing professional can be quite lucrative (for you):
Surveys conducted by IAOP with the Human Capital Institute (HCI) showed that outsourcing jobs are widespread and well paying. The Outsourcing Professionals Salary Survey found many large organizations operate outsourcing departments with more than 100 employees in this function and compensation for analysts starts at about $51,000 annually with salaries for senior positions in the six-figure range.
I guess the folks at IAOP sensed that somebody might find it a tad ironic that federal money is being used for jobs that help destroy other jobs:
"Having IAOP's certifications approved and listed with CareerOneStop helps individuals who are seeking employment gain the skills and knowledge needed for jobs in the growing outsourcing field," said IAOP Chairman Michael Corbett. "The reality is that outsourcing is helping to create jobs in the U.S. and globally." [Emphasis added]
I'd really like to know what proportion of these outsourcing-created jobs are overseas and how many are here in the U.S. (and are not jobs for outsourcing professionals).
It's bad enough that our tax code encourages companies to offshore jobs. But it's really crazy to encourage out-of-work people to learn to wield the axe.