Yes, at electronics CM's outside of the US there exists a deep spectrum of workers ranging from "operators" (button-pushers), to RMA/debug-techs, to various typ

Yes, at electronics CM's outside of the US there exists a deep spectrum of workers ranging from "operators" (button-pushers), to RMA/debug-techs, to various types of engineers FMA, process, quality, and manufacturing. Capable workers typically move up the chain and free training is provided by the employer (often US-owned companies like Flextronics and Sanmina). One of the sad things about USA-based manufacturing is that there are very scarce opportunities for the lowest level techs to "climb the ladder". Employers in the US are rigidly fixated on labor as a cost-center rather than as an investment. As a result you have small staff-counts of highly skilled "super-techs" and engineers with degrees, it has stabilized to this in the last ~20 years. Its really great that Siemens is introducing such an apprentice program to the US. Hopefully others will follow the model.