Computerworld thinks that the credit crisis might just be helping to ease the "inadequate pipeline for IT professionals" which exists in the US.

Bryant said he expects that the troubles on Wall Street will likely influence some students to switch majors in the coming months from business to other fields, including computer science. He also urges caution to those students.

"I like to tell students that if you make your career choice that quickly based on what is hottest this month, you're going to be graduating in four years and that field may not be hot anymore," Bryant said. "I tell them to major in something they like and not what's a likely short-term fluctuation in the job market."

There is certainly plenty of finance talent on the market, and likely to be more over the coming months, but organizations who need finance graduates (and are there any that don't?) might want to consider how future graduation trends might be impacted, even if only for a short term. IT, however, might have something to smile about!

This is an example of an external environment factor that needs to be considered in workforce planning....one of umpteen such factors that show why you can't plan your future workforce using just your historical data. Are you scanning your environment and incorporating emerging trends into your workforce plans?