Skills shortage an employer problem?

Let's start the week with a thought experiment.

This piece by Neil Sandell in the Toronto Star discusses how the claim of many CEO's and corporate executives that there is a skills gap is actually a self-inflicted wound. While the articles data and studies are about Canada, the insights are universal. The current trend in corporate hiring is to higher experienced candidates and to no longer train/develop current employees.

We have all probably seen job ads asking for what seems like an impossible combination of education and experience. There are many career/job hunting blog posts across the internet detailing this trend (see some of my other posts on employment trends) of employers fishing for the best possible candidate at the lowest cost. In the short term companies may be acting in their own self-interest... but what will be the long term consequences of these practices?

My personal opinion is that this will have a long term negative impact on the skills of the workforce. Only time will tell if this will be overcome by changing hiring practices, technology or some other change in the way businesses work in the future.

Your thoughts are welcome.