Sometimes writing articles about IT trends can be less than fun, but I have to say I enjoyed writing this recent piece on CIOs and training IT pros.

Now I'll be the first to say it isn't my finest work. But let's get past that for a second. IT training has become one of the more complex issues CIOs have to deal with, particularly in the past year. And with limited (or non-existent) budgets and increased pressure to deliver, few IT leaders have been able to make this a top priority.

Just check out SIM's list of top CIO priorities. HR issues like recruiting and retaining top IT pros has been atop the list (or close to it) for years, but these concerns didn't crack the top 10 in this year's survey.

What I found in my reporting is that training for various IT certifications just isn't enough. Sure, it's great that your people are up to speed on everything, but that shouldn't be the CIO's big concern.

What's more important, as some really sharp CIOs told me, is to expand the thinking around training to include more strategic issues, like teaching lower-level IT pros how to effectively communicate and collaborate with the business.

It's a big part of CIO leadership. But with so many other things to worry about, it sounds like a lot of IT leaders have lost sight of its importance. Maybe because it's not all about them.

How important is IT training today at your organization? Have you seen a drop-off this year?