You've probably seen by now data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics which indicates that by the year 2010, we will have a shortfall of 10,033,000 skilled workers.  Companies are already developing workforce plans to deal with the impending shortage. Items to consider when putting together a 5-year plan include:

1.)   Identify the competencies necessary to achieve the objectives of your company's strategic plan.

2.)   Look internally to see who has the ability to obtain the required competencies.

3.)   Develop individual development plans (IDP's) for your employees.  Not only will IDP's help you to fill employment needs as they arise with internal candidates, they are also a great retention strategy.  People like to know that their company is willing to invest in them (which helps with #4).

4.)   Your employees are your best recruiters. Create a culture that spawns ambassadors and then add an effective employee referral system.

5.)   Your HR staff shouldn't be the only well-networked group.  Promote the idea that all professionals should take an active role outside the company (e.g., belonging to associations, serving on charitable boards).  Having eyes and ears in the local community and in national peer groups generates valuable referrals and also promotes your company image.

6.)   Aggressively look for training grants and when grants aren't available, build your case for earmarking dollars for training and development by calculating the ROI.

Why all this? Plan on building and retaining your own skilled workforce, because you may not be able to recruit one down the road.