Whenever this subject is discussed, different people are talking about completely different skills and completely different levels of expertise.

So, precisely which skills are in short supply, and at precisely what professional level?

And no, I'm not talking about the trivial difference between technologies; which seem to confuse HR folk, but which can be fixed rapidly by a short conversion course.

Also, it does seem strange that we have to pay "world class" rates for executives... of whom there is a surplus... but we're not prepared to pay for people's technical expertise... when there is such a "shortage."