[frossie]

I think part of it is flatter organizations and cutbacks in middle management.

I think you're right - you need excess capacity in your senior/middle management layer that can absorb training. I would also add "cutbacks in general". Taking in green people means hiring somebody a significant amount of time before you really need them. This means that if you are in the "don't spend a dime until you really really have to" mode, you will wait until the crisis hit and then you will want somebody who can start being productive TOMORROW.

It's a shame, because taking in inexperienced people means potentially ending up with a "perfect" person because you don't have to work against any previously acquired bad habits, you can inculcate him with your own ethic and so on.