[luckystarmom]

Well, my old co-workers didn't quit, one of them being my husband.

They have degrees in electrical engineering and computer science degrees.

You don't need to take refresher courses, but you do need to stay up on technology.

Most good engineers can read a book and learn. The design methodologies don't change, and that's what makes a good engineer.

The engineers I worked with stayed up with technology. We all use to work for a defense company, and many of the hardware engineers went to wireless companies. The software engineers went to commercial software companies.

It's a very scary time in Silicon Valley.

[speekinout]

The design methodologies don't change, and that's what makes a good engineer.

Actually, they do. The engineers who simply repeat methodologies that have been used for years are the ones who can be replaced by H1B workers. That's a rote task - sure, it's a skilled one, but repetition gets the "bugs" out of any task.
The people who do the best are the ones who make changes to existing methodologies - to make products cheaper, safer, more secure, whatever. That is where Americans have usually done well.

Faithful repetition of existing methodology can be bought cheap. Innovation cannot. And most real innovation is of American origin.