As much as aging baby boomers worry about becoming obsolete, some also expect impending mass retirements to create large gaps in valuable IT talent and experience.

When older IT workers exit, along with them go tech skills, industry and company knowledge, and seasoned judgment, including how to weigh the many factors that contribute to decision-making, says Kathy Battistoni, a partner in IT consulting and services firm Accenture. All of which are key to IT's role as a strategic business partner, she says.

Mature IT pros have project-management and process-management expertise, often learned the hard way, says Gary Robertson, a former automotive industry CIO with more than 30 years in IT who retired from full-time work a few years ago. "We're smart enough to know not to make the same mistakes again," he says. Robertson now works as a consultant and as a recruiter at Executive Search Partners.

"When my generation gets up and leaves the table, it'll be a bumpy ride," predicts Hal Weiss, a systems engineer at Baptist Memorial Health. The hospital "freaked out" when Weiss

said he wants to retire in August, a month after he turns 62. He's training "two people who are very sharp and very quick," he says, but "even if

you have all the skills in the world, good decisions are based on learned experiences."

Moreover, there may be a backlash to IT offshoring, if companies fail to realize benefits or are faced with difficult cultural, customer service, and other issues. That could worsen the potential IT talent gap, Robertson says.

Companies can prepare for the exodus by developing younger staff and tapping into the older workers' knowledge through collaboration, mentoring, and intern programs, Battistoni says. They can find ways to entice near-retirement workers to stay on part-time or in a job-sharing arrangement that helps the company maintain a pipeline to the older generation's core experience, she says.

The gap could create a cottage industry for older IT professionals. "A lot of the old guys" will be asked to consult to help support their former companies post-retirement, predicts Morris Campbell, a 60-year-old systems manager working on a government contract in Norfolk, Va.

If a talent gap does occur, Robertson says, "having gray hair will be a big job advantage."

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