and there are world wide shortages of skilled workers in trades such as welders, industrial mechanics, engineers, and other mechanical/technical fields...Some say these skills declined because "too man people are attending college", but as an actual former industrial worker, my feeling is that there was a very long time in which these skills were not needed, and were not attractive simply because there were no jobs...
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/...
I have seen these same skills are in great demand not only in the US, but in Canada, Australia and and India among man others...it's pretty much all across the world.
mark