The learning environment within the aerospace industry is unique, and is referred to as tribal learning. Engineers learn tacit knowledge experientially, on the job and in teams led by an experienced manager. The absence of a senior engineer as a result of retirement may endanger the cycle of learning and performance within the aerospace environment.
The combination of a rising rate of retirement in the aerospace industry and the aging of the aerospace workforce will leave the aerospace industry with a shortage of critical technical capability. The National Science Board published a report estimating one of every four U.S. engineers and scientists is 50 years old or older and will retire by 2010. Differences of opinion exist on the severity and timing of the skills gap but experts agree a widening gap exists in the supply and demand of higher skilled and higher educated talent.
Why is the chasm so large?
• Barriers to entry are greater, especially in defense, because of citizenship requirements and clearance issues.
• Changes in visa criteria as a result of new Homeland security initiatives reduced the number of guest-worker and student visas issues.
• Approximately one third of all scientists and engineers in the U.S. were born abroad. Graduate programs expect a 20 to 30% decrease in enrollment from international students.
• Exodus of immigrants back to their native countries is highest among the leading-edge professions such as science and engineering.
• Boom of high-tech companies
• Declining matriculation rates in engineering programs in the 1990’s
• Attrition rate among new graduates is two times greater in the aerospace industry than in the overall new graduate population.
• Globalization has increased competition for market shares as well as human capital.
• When faced with a reduction aerospace will layoff most recently hired.
• Voluntary exodus of younger engineers disillusioned by the eroding defense job market. Former workers not interested in returning to aerospace.
• Many baby boomers in the industry have pension plans & 401k’s encouraging them to retire early.
Tacit knowledge transfer is costly and time consuming requiring leaders to determine if the immediate cost impact of collecting the tacit knowledge is justifiable when compared with the potential future loss of the unique tacit knowledge. By skillfully managing the transfer of knowledge from retiring employees, leaders can maintain the organizations competitive advantage and potentially surpass competitors that do not successfully extract the knowledge of retiring employees.
One obstacle facing organizational leaders is the communication problem between the generations impacting the level of trust and openness between the cohorts. To extract the knowledge of baby boomers, organizational leaders must facilitate the appreciation and acceptance of different intergenerational values and beliefs or risk the mass exodus of the tacit knowledge residing within the baby boomers heads.
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