Companies need to prepare themselves for the retirement of key information technology professionals within the next decade, according to a report by Cutter Information Group, an Arlington, Mass.-based IT consultancy.

A recent Cutter report recommends that companies do the following to avoid a shortage of IT talent: Train existing staff rather than just hire new workers who already have skills needed in the company, monitor the average age of IT workers and train younger staff more aggressively while working to keep older IT professionals longer.