What sources of job applicants would a company use to gain skilled workers?

The question -- what sources would be used in recruiting skills workers -- is very vague, as "skilled workers" could refer to any category of prospective employee, from construction to accounting to health care to restaurant service. This is important because the field of prospective workers is directly related to the nature of the work for which a company is seeking applicants. A hospital seeking applicants for the position of health unit coordinator, head nurse,...

The question -- what sources would be used in recruiting skills workers -- is very vague, as "skilled workers" could refer to any category of prospective employee, from construction to accounting to health care to restaurant service. This is important because the field of prospective workers is directly related to the nature of the work for which a company is seeking applicants. A hospital seeking applicants for the position of health unit coordinator, head nurse, or surgeon would solicit applicants nationally, advertising through newspapers in major urban areas across the country and contacting human resource agencies in all regions of the country. A construction company seeking to add to its workforce -- most of which would be "skilled" -- might limit its search to newspaper want-ads in surrounding communities or neighboring states. It all depends upon the type of company and the nature of the work. Major law firms in large metropolitan areas might limit their search for "skilled workers," which in a law firm could include lawyers, paralegals, or administrative assistants, the solicitation of applications for which would expand geographically according to the level of skill. In other words, the search for a respected attorney could involve a national search utilizing human resource agencies that specialize in highly-paid "white collar" professionals. 

Again depending upon the nature of the work involved, "skilled workers" can be located in any number of venues. A "skill" can involve the unique expertise needed to repair an automobile's transmission or emission control system, or it can refer to a physician who specializes in certain categories of diseases or ailments. Employment agencies are contacted for many "white collar" positions, while newspaper want-ads are utilized for many "blue collar" jobs, such as those in construction or assisted-living facility service positions. Basically, it all depends upon the priority the company places on the position to be filled. A search for a new principal for a school can be national, while a search for a new teacher for fourth-grade students might be limited to the specific state in which the school in question resides, state certifications being important in such professions. There is no one answer. Human resource departments solicit applications in a manner that correlates directly to the type of position to be filled, skilled or not.