Global policy developments towards industrial policy and skills: skills for competitiveness and growth
探讨技能政策如何最好地支持产业增长,警告不要采取过于简单化的技能发展方法,并主张在地方层面投资广泛的课程,同时政策制定者可能需要主动帮助雇主更好地利用技能以提高生产率和增长。
There is a rising interest in both skills policy and industrial policy in OECD countries following the economic downturn. But how can skills policy best support industrial growth? In the UK, the coalition government is arguing for an industrial policy which is bottom-up, supporting networks of employers and helping to build productive local supply chains. There is simultaneous investment in a more ‘employer-led’ skills policy, in order to better tackle skills shortages and gaps. But is an employer-led skills policy the best way of boosting industrial growth in all UK regions? Are there potential market failures in employer-led policies of which the public sector should be aware? This article warns against taking an overly simplistic approach to skills development, arguing that while skills policies should be flexible to the needs of employers, there is still justification for investing in a broad educational curriculum at the local level. Further, policy-makers may need proactively to help employers to better use skills in some regions in order to boost productivity and growth.