It is also interesting to discuss issues like access to shared memory in concurrent env. and different paradigms that are available. I happened to work with java and c++ cohders (creating big complex real time applications that theoretically were to be highly available) and they all suck big time in anything that goes beyond the book they read when they learned their tools of trade. There were cases however, where this (lack of) knowledge was irrelevant.
There are also other areas like project management and communication techniques, planning, maintenance aspects and many other that universities do not teach at all. Why not cover those too - these are useful general skills that most of us lack.
As for the rest of your story - I wonder how it will all change (assuming no dino killing meteor event interrupting the experiment) in few years - more factories coming back to 'developed world' going full automatic so good jobs going away now not only to offshoring but also to automation. What jobs will our kids have to support their families? Human tendency is to go for utopia and end up with dystopia so
The question is: was it worth it?
That is OT but funny how it relates to my QA assignments - I keep on hearing about products being almost ready and how future releases will bring the glory but lowly and not important 9in10 install fails are not worthwhile investigating. eh humans...
I am half burnt now but I still remember times at school when this sort of explanations provided me with joy at learning stuff like physics and math instead of listening to explanation of a teacher that has no f. clue what he is talking about and what role his 'knowledge' has in my and my fellow students reality, combined with explanations in another subject ended with 'it is just so'. I am not sure we have to shoot things into orbit just to find out that parking lot without trees is hotter than one with them but I like when there are formulas at hand when one asks for them.
New York... when civilization falls apart, remember, we were way ahead of you. - David Letterman