“Skills gaps” exist in many sectors and professions today, despite nagging unemployment. But it is easy to forget that this is a multi-dimensional problem. Here are five articles and reports that offer contrasting perspectives on critical skill shortages. Each way of framing the problem has different implications for management, public policy and individual career prospects.

“A Remedy for the Looming Geriatrician Shortage“

(Wall Street June 8, 2014)

Most skills gaps need to be solved regionally one job at a time. This article describes the shortage of critical capabilities in a specific growth field – taking care of aging Baby Boomers. Skill shortages require distinct responses. For example, the shortage of experienced welders requires different solutions than the shortfall of primary care doctors. A key factor in managing the shortage is how long it takes to develop competent people in the field.

“Why the Manufacturing Skills Gap is Serious”

(Manufacturing.Net, June 27, 2014)

Some solutions require overcoming a major public relations problem. This article is a good overview of the well-documented shortage of skilled trades workers in the manufacturing sector. One factor manufacturing companies must contend with is the negative stereotype of these being low paying, low-status dead-end jobs. The reality is there are a lot of skilled jobs in society today that are hard to fill because of negative public perceptions, or they’re not sexy enough to attract young workers.

“Tech’s Human Bottleneck: A Shortage of Ready-to-Promote Leaders…“

(Korn Ferry Institute Report, 2014)

The leadership pipeline is dangerously thin in many sectors. Executives increasingly recognize the costs and risks of the leadership skills gap. Read this report by a prominent executive recruiting firm to learn how well known technology companies are trying to resolve leadership shortages that threaten to undermine their growth. The dearth of innovative, experienced leaders is going to become more serious as Baby Boomers retire and the demands on executives running complex, global, fast-changing organizations grow more intense. This problem can’t get enough attention.

“Why The Digital Skills Gap Is A Productivity Killer“

(Inc. Magazine, July 22, 2014)

Are you part of the skills gap? This Infographic suggests a broader skills shortage created by the rapid proliferation of information technologies. It shows that some capability gaps are not defined by one job or industry. The suggestion is that a widespread lack of capabilities in the workforce in areas such as digital etiquette, security and privacy, attention management, and online research are costing organizations billions of dollars. Ironically, the solution to this and other skill shortages virtually always means investing in more training, something most organizations continue to resist.

“Saying ‘No Thanks’ to 87,500 High-Skill Workers”

(Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2014)

Is the solution more foreign workers? Large high-tech firms like Apple, Google and Intel continue to struggle to find enough skilled workers, such as software engineers, in the U.S. The authors of this opinion piece blame the country’s “arbitrary” H-1B quota system for leading large high tech firms to employ thousands of engineers in China that it would otherwise employ in the U.S. The limitation on the number of H-1B visas granted to skilled foreign workers is definitely a controversial factor in creating – and solving – the skills gap in certain sectors.

You’ll be much more successful addressing critical skill shortages if you have a more holistic view of the problem and potential solutions.