Towards a high-skilled, low-waged workforce? A review of global trends in education, employment and the labour market

This monograph examines the claim that national economic competitiveness, social justice and individual prosperity, depend on developing a high-skill, high-wage workforce. Based on an analysis of global trends in education, employment and the labour market, we challenge the policy focus on upgrading...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Brown, P, Ashton, D, Lauder, H, Tholen, G
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) 2008
Subjects:
_version_ 1797060891630370816
author Brown, P
Ashton, D
Lauder, H
Tholen, G
author_facet Brown, P
Ashton, D
Lauder, H
Tholen, G
author_sort Brown, P
collection OXFORD
description This monograph examines the claim that national economic competitiveness, social justice and individual prosperity, depend on developing a high-skill, high-wage workforce. Based on an analysis of global trends in education, employment and the labour market, we challenge the policy focus on upgrading the skills of the workforce, as it will fail to meet its policy objectives. Without a broader industrial strategy, high skills are a declining source of competitive advantage, given the exponential increase in the global supply of 'knowledge' workers. Equally, the assumption that it would take decades for emerging economies to compete for high-end manufacturing and services, including research and development, have been rapidly undermined. Global competition is now based on quality <em>and</em> price, transforming the relationship between education, jobs and rewards. While we identify a need for further detailed analysis of these issues, there is enough evidence to suggest that the human capital assumption on which government policy rests is no longer 'fit for purpose'.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T20:23:21Z
format Book
id oxford-uuid:2e94e90e-e0f9-4b52-b5ba-2b18d92abfb8
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T20:23:21Z
publishDate 2008
publisher ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE)
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:2e94e90e-e0f9-4b52-b5ba-2b18d92abfb82022-03-26T12:49:48ZTowards a high-skilled, low-waged workforce? A review of global trends in education, employment and the labour marketBookhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_2f33uuid:2e94e90e-e0f9-4b52-b5ba-2b18d92abfb8EducationEmploymentEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE)2008Brown, PAshton, DLauder, HTholen, GThis monograph examines the claim that national economic competitiveness, social justice and individual prosperity, depend on developing a high-skill, high-wage workforce. Based on an analysis of global trends in education, employment and the labour market, we challenge the policy focus on upgrading the skills of the workforce, as it will fail to meet its policy objectives. Without a broader industrial strategy, high skills are a declining source of competitive advantage, given the exponential increase in the global supply of 'knowledge' workers. Equally, the assumption that it would take decades for emerging economies to compete for high-end manufacturing and services, including research and development, have been rapidly undermined. Global competition is now based on quality <em>and</em> price, transforming the relationship between education, jobs and rewards. While we identify a need for further detailed analysis of these issues, there is enough evidence to suggest that the human capital assumption on which government policy rests is no longer 'fit for purpose'.
spellingShingle Education
Employment
Brown, P
Ashton, D
Lauder, H
Tholen, G
Towards a high-skilled, low-waged workforce? A review of global trends in education, employment and the labour market
title Towards a high-skilled, low-waged workforce? A review of global trends in education, employment and the labour market
title_full Towards a high-skilled, low-waged workforce? A review of global trends in education, employment and the labour market
title_fullStr Towards a high-skilled, low-waged workforce? A review of global trends in education, employment and the labour market
title_full_unstemmed Towards a high-skilled, low-waged workforce? A review of global trends in education, employment and the labour market
title_short Towards a high-skilled, low-waged workforce? A review of global trends in education, employment and the labour market
title_sort towards a high skilled low waged workforce a review of global trends in education employment and the labour market
topic Education
Employment
work_keys_str_mv AT brownp towardsahighskilledlowwagedworkforceareviewofglobaltrendsineducationemploymentandthelabourmarket
AT ashtond towardsahighskilledlowwagedworkforceareviewofglobaltrendsineducationemploymentandthelabourmarket
AT lauderh towardsahighskilledlowwagedworkforceareviewofglobaltrendsineducationemploymentandthelabourmarket
AT tholeng towardsahighskilledlowwagedworkforceareviewofglobaltrendsineducationemploymentandthelabourmarket