In 2015, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) developed a new strategic plan that included five goals that would support the agency’s mission and vision. Goal 5 of the plan is: Develop a workforce to meet the strategic needs of the agency. VTrans leaders were concerned with the loss of employees due to turnover and the subsequent impact of knowledge loss on the operations of the agency. This applied research study used a mixed methods approach in data gathering to help determine the state of employee retention and knowledge management (KM) at VTrans and to provide tools that could help with both retention and KM issues. Key steps in this study involved an organizational assessment of turnover and KM practices at VTrans, a scan of other state DOTs concerning retention and KM practices, and a pilot project to address both issues. With guidance provided by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), the decision was made to focus most of the research in specific units of the Highway Division.

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Employee retention is a critical issue for organizations of all types. Public sector groups such as the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) are no exception. Not only can the costs of recruitment, training, and orientation approach 100% of the annual salary for the position being filled, but work disruption and loss of organizational memory can impact organization performance. Vermont is not alone in facing a transportation workforce challenge. A recent publication from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program for state departments of transportation stresses the importance of knowledge management (KM) in these organizations and provides guidelines for enhancing retention and talent management, two key issues to an effective workforce. As the report acknowledges, the constraints of retirements, departing mid-career employees, and the changing workplace expectations of the millennial generation all play into an organization that may face a steady decline in resilience, unless a clear plan is in place to address retention and implement KM practices. Recognizing these critical issues, VTrans leaders embraced an applied research project intended to assess the state of both retention and KM at the agency and develop pilot projects to address both areas. This policy brief summarizes the findings of that study.

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This report is one of two NCST Research Reports produced as part of a project to evaluate the state of practice and adequacy of technical tools for resiliency and adaptation planning. A companion report, Network Requirements for Assessing Criticality for Climate Adaptation Planning, focuses specifically on the technical challenges of conducting criticality assessment for climate adaptation and resiliency planning. Because climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of many extreme weather events, climate adaptation and resiliency planning are increasingly important tasks for transportation agencies at all levels of government. While specific climate threats and adaptation needs varies by location throughout the United States, all agencies face challenges in terms of resource availability (including staffing levels and staffing expertise) and the quality of the technical tools for adaptation planning. In 2015, the University of Vermont Transportation Research Center conducted a survey of planning organizations in the U.S. concerning climate adaptation planning intended to assess the adaptation planning capacity, workforce development needs, and current preparation levels of local and state agencies as well as the adequacy of currently available technical tools. The survey consisted of 14 multiple choice or open-ended questions and garnered 154 respondents, including representatives from planning organizations, state transportation agencies and others involved in transportation planning. Respondents in this study affirmed that workforce development is an important part of advancing climate adaptation and resiliency planning. More work is needed in examining the workforce development needs of transportation agencies by factors such as region and type of organization. In addition, a higher level of specificity of the skills and qualifications is needed to inform development of new training, new hires, and educational curriculum that prepares the future workforce. The authors' recommendations include additional targeted funding, developing a continuum of workforce development offerings, developing professional communities of practice and using online technology as a platform for climate adaptation planning workforce development.

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Because climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of many extreme weather events, climate adaptation and resiliency planning are increasingly important tasks for transportation agencies at all levels of government. Considering the variety of events that impact the transportation system, transportation professionals must consider a host of different adaptation actions, ranging from changes in maintenance and communication procedures to changes in design and even the relocation or replacement of infrastructure.

The importance and complexity of this work is spurring a rapid expansion of new adaptation tools and numerous adaptation pilot projects. The roles for different types of agencies in implementing these measures have yet to be clearly delineated. Moreover, while workforce development in transportation is recognized as a critical issue, relatively little is currently known about the specific workforce development needs for climate adaptation.

This policy brief summarizes findings from the Climate Adaptation Planning Survey (CAPS), an online survey of planners and other professionals conducted in June 2015, that assessed the adaptation planning capacity, the adequacy of technical tools, and current preparation levels of local and state agencies, as well as the workforce development needs faced by transportation planning agencies as they increasingly focus their work on adaptation to climate change.

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