I think one item people have neglected to mention is that the IT shortages seem to be in specific arenas. One common subjet people are after is anyone with storage experience. The basic helpdesk and sysadmin work seems to be oversubscribed at present.

I was out of work for 3 months recently but managed to find a job. According to agencies, as soon as a job is advertised they are getting anything from 200-500 CV's. That says to me there is a glut of people at one level.

Unfortunately, it seems that employers are unwilling to train people in the skills they require. I would be more than willing to learn something new, but I have to do it in my own time. Whatever happened to investing in your staff?