A brief announcement on National Public Radio at the end of March reported that Radio Flyer, while keeping its headquarters in Chicago, plans to outsource manufacturing to China before the end of this year. Thus the Radio Flyer, arguably the most famous little red wagon in the world, becomes just the latest icon of American manufactured products to move offshore. According to the report the Chicago plant where the metal wagons are built is too expensive to maintain, and about half of the 90 people in the plant will lose their jobs because manufacturing the Radio Flyer in China will cost less.

These announcements always stimulate arguments over whether outsourcing is a good thing or a bad thing, and whether we're losing or gaining more jobs in one sector or another. Lost amid these arguments is the equally pressing issue of whether skilled and talented people are actually available to fill some jobs. The tool room may not have the cachet of the engineering department, but without it no manufacturing plant will long continue to manufacture.