Mitigating the Loss of Critical Knowledge

AbstractThe publication of retirement trends in recent times highlights the anticipated dearth in engineering knowledge and skills within the UK in the next decade as a large number of skilled engineers approach retirement; a challenge facing many organisations with an ageing workforce. Whilst this potentially presents an operational risk to organisations it also offers the opportunity to utilise new approaches that enhance the retention of critical expert knowledge. The evidence set out in this paper seeks to provide safety and reliability practitioners with ideas of how to mitigate the loss of specialist knowledge. This evidence draws on the current literature as well as practical experiences of implementing knowledge transfer techniques. The techniques described focus on how to transfer deep rooted tacit knowledge of engineering systems and products acquired through years of experience in ensuring their safety and reliability. How to encourage a culture that supports the transfer of work-related know-h...