As part of the Knowledge Management and Transfer Project, the Electricity Sector Council is releasing a new report and Web Portal on Knowledge Management (KM) and Knowledge Transfer (KT) for the electricity and renewable energy industry.

The electricity industry will be losing almost 30% of its employees in the next half decade due to retirements.

"With experienced, specialized, technical employees leaving the industry, it's crucial for organizations to plan how they will capture and transfer this unique knowledge to both new and existing employees" said Michelle Branigan, executive director of the Electricity Sector Council. The KMAT Web Portal has been developed to share practical and valuable information to help organizations effectively put into place KM and KT processes. The Web Portal features definitions of KM/KT, communication material for securing company-wide buy-in, an extensive toolkit filled with tools and resources for every step of the process, and examples and case studies of emerging and innovative KM/KT practices.

The KMAT Web Portal and final report, Investing Today for a Brighter Future, offer the industry a convenient way to begin or improve on their KM/KT systems. Sector representatives from across Canada agree that organizations should make this a business priority to ensure a smooth transition between retirements and new hires.

"We have all heard that knowledge is power and when it comes to Canada's electricity system this axiom should be taken literally," said Bob Menard, chair of the KMAT Steering Committee. "The ESC KMAT report, Web Portal and community of interest squarely places the power in the hands of the sector to ensure a smooth intergenerational collection, retention and transfer of critical information, knowledge and skills."

Implementation of formal KM structures and KT initiatives will be crucial in preserving an organization's intellectual capital from being lost as individuals retire and new workers are hired. Without such tools, strategies, and processes in place, corporate memory will be lost which will have grave implications for competitive positioning, safety, productivity and business continuity, not to mention the need for understanding company-specific intellectual knowledge and know-how.

This program is designed for organizations of all sizes whether they are advanced in their implementation of KM/KT practices or just getting started. The portal and the final report can be accessed by visiting www.brightfutures.ca/kmat.