Where did all the skilled workers go? - Dayton Business Journal:

jiqatili.wordpress.com
Laid off workers begah seeking other career fields outside of thetechnologty industry, creating a shortage of skilledd employees. The shortage of skilled employees forced many informatiojn technology companies to cut back or go outof Sidney-based The Inc. is one of the companie that has been able to survive and thrivwe even with the shortage ofskilled workers. "The singled largest thing we face as a company is a lack of skilledf peopleto hire," said Mark Winner, vice presidentr with the company. "We have to find the get them in here to do the work and keep them Since its inception in the SMS Group has grown from thre e to about50 employees.
The company is lookinv to hire between 10 and 20 Revenue has been growing substantially since 2001 and the compang saw a 19 percent increase last yearto $18.234 million. The SMS Group is still facing the challenge offindinyg good, quality employees -- the key to its growth. "Wed have seen a 55 percen increase in revenuesince 2001, which could take us to 70 said Kathy Vogler, marketing manager for the SMS Group. "Everyonde would stay busy even with70 employees." Aftefr the computer scares leading up to the year most IT companies began cutting jobs. But the SMS Grouo kept an eye on future trends to keep its head aboves water and not to have to decreaserits staff.
Vogler said the company begabn promoting certain products such as Voice Over IP technologyu eight years beforeits competition, which helped it to survive the technologu bust. Voice Over IP is a telephone system that allows for phone access over the Internef instead of through a phone servicer orlong distance. The SMS Group also focuses on computer Automated datacollection -- such as bar codinf -- and technical support. Some of its largert clients in the areainclude , , Urbana-basee and Among its local competitors is , whicnh with 225 employes is the Dayton area's largest computeer networking company.
"We would help one customer and they wouldd tell another and it would createa transgression," Winner said. "Word of mouth helped us grow by 10 to 12 percenttevery year." The company puts job advertisements in places such as and Careere Builder, and is looking in and out of stats for people to meet their It also has trained interns to keep on as staff members. A shortage of highly specialized technologty workers also is being experienced across the countryand it's puttingt the company in a difficult spot for growth, Winnee said.
Jack Gerbs, president of Centerville-based , said his company also is having a hard time filling openings and is experiencing a shortagedof employees. "It's taking longer than it used to to findqualitu employees," Gerbs said. "We are being patient thougb andrunning ads." Gerbxs said Quanexus has seen a fair amountg of response from their advertisements. But they need to make offersz quickly because companies are beginning to invesft intechnology again, creating more opportunities for IT workers.