This is exactly what Ken Chih, CIO of Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) encountered back in 1993, when the company migrated its application infrastructure from mainframe to an object-oriented architecture.

"[Object-oriented programming] was considered a bleeding-edge technology back then, it was impossible for us to find anyone here with the skills and knowledge," he said. "Thus the job was done in San Jose [California], where more technical talent is available."

Although in recent years object-oriented programming has become more acceptable among enterprise, Chih said it is still considered an experimental technology, making it difficult for OOCL to find experienced locals. The same problem occurs in the area of information security, as there are only a few companies in Hong Kong providing information security consultancy and they are all foreign-managed, added Stagg.

Enterprise training

Some employers are addressing this skill shortage through training. "As an executive, I'm not only running an IT shop, but I'm also in a job of training people," said Lee. "More employers realized the existing staff is their biggest asset. Since they understand the business, it's definitely a low-risk/high-return investment to train staff."