ColoradoBiz's guide to Technical Education and Training Programs.

Retaining and retraining: A guide to human resource strategies and educational opportunities for employees

Finding skilled tech workers may be the ultimate challenge for companies in the 21st Century. Demand is so great that practically anyone with aptitude and the right attitude can make between $50,000 to $80,000 in the local market right out of college. Others, with substantive work experience and a successful track record, are being hotly pursued by employment headhunters, often opting to move onto other challenges at other companies. Turnover, rather than long-term loyalty, is the overriding factor in today's work force.

As such, the increased demands for techies and other specialized personnel is nothing short of a nightmare for human resources professionals. The internet explosion has put job seekers in an enviable position. Emerging data reflects the trends [*]:

* About 17% of all information technology employees have been hired within the last year, indicating rapid growth and rapid turnover.

* Workplace attrition is a growing problem with an annual average turnover rate of 12.3% among high-tech companies.

* There are approximately 7,000...