Nearly four out of five companies are now reporting a major gap in their potential talent pool, with 40 per cent revealing that this feel this is an acute problem. And while the majority of companies can recognize this problem it seems only a small number are prepared for the potential loss of skills and knowledge (14 per cent). This problem is being exacerbated by a range of problems, say experts, including low fertility rates, speed of change, underinvestment in education and the ageing workforce.