Experienced maintenance workers have acquired tacit knowledge: activities that made them proficient at their job. Activities most of them take for granted were learned over time and became a part of their skill set. Very basic skills such as knowing which way to turn a bolt to tighten or loosen it are honed at an early age. More complex skills become part of their tacit knowledge with training and practice. An electrician who quickly troubleshoots motor control circuits is using a higher level of tacit knowledge that has been honed by practice. Many companies fail to realize the importance of tacit knowledge in their employees until they are gone. This knowledge loss is now being compounded with the looming shortage in skilled trade labor. With fewer young workers entering the skilled trades, many maintenance jobs will go unfilled. At the same time, the few new workers entering maintenance do not possess the skill set needed to replace those retiring. A scarcity in maintenance labor will develop during the next five to 10 years as the Baby Boom generation begins to retire. A proactive approach to a skills deficiency is imperative for a company hoping to remain competitive. Let's face it, many industrial companies will be competing for the same group of skilled workers in the future.