Richard -
I think (just my opinion) your Son would be better off pursuing a career in Visual Basic / Visual Basic for Applications or other programming languages with a minor in Telecommunications. Communications and Computer Programming are both viable career choices, but If I were 18 again, I'd go with Computer Programming and maybe specialize in the Communications field.
My reasoning... I recall, years ago, watching an Info Sys guy programming a port on a router - the interface was, for lack of a better word - "archaic" - kind of like Unix or Telneting today - you had to have good retention and knowledge of commands.
At the beginning of December this year our hotel installed a Hospitality Network (High Speed Internet) and I assisted on the cabling and installation. Like many applications the "archaic" programming method for the routers had been replaced with a nice GUI application - just point and click. No need to retain books and books of command language.
The point - the process of programming/administrating systems will continue to become easier and easier and just about anyone with a book can accomplish tasks. If your Son can program the GUI's for these systems - that's worth something.
A side bar:
VoIP and CTI, will this replace the contemporary switch? My opinion - not anytime soon....
VoIP is still plagued with problems. Quality is poor at times; Firewall and security issues are still a problem -
--- VoIP problems occur on phone calls that originate in the outside world -a big problem when waiting for someone to call you back. Outgoing calls, originating from the user's desktop through the firewall, are generally handled by the firewall opening a pinhole through which replies can pass. The pinhole is closed eventually (after the call ends), and no further external packets are allowed through. However, with incoming calls from an external service provider, security issues arise. Until recently, the only way to allow inbound calls was to leave a permanent hole from the outside world to the user's IP phone.
Here is a good article discussing a major pitfall of VoIP - Fail Programming.
http://www.bcr.com/bcrmag/2002/09/p42.asp Good Luck...
Chas2002