IT Talent Crunch Hits Federal Government

Moran estimates that 34 percent of federal employees will be eligible for retirement in five years, with much of them coming from the government's IT workforce, which would be cut in half if all those eligible choose to retire.

"It's very important that we come up with innovative ways to address what truly will be a crisis," Moran says.

Davis recently introduced a bill that would allow IT professionals from the private sector to work for the federal government for up to two years. In turn, federal employees will be outsourced to private companies in what Moran calls an "exchange program."

"We will undoubtedly get some high-level people coming into the government for at least a short period of time," Moran says. "Federal employees, too, will gain a better appreciation of what the private technology sector is accomplishing."

In addition, both congressmen say the federal government will begin to rely more heavily on private sector technology companies for solutions rather than agencies doing the work in-house.

Kevin Plexico, executive vice president of INPUT's public sector group, also says the talent shortage in the government may create more opportunities for private IT firms.

"The government is almost certainly going to have to outsource a lot of IT functions and projects," Plexico says.