Training and employee use of skills in Scotland : some evidence

Sutherland, John (2009) Training and employee use of skills in Scotland : some evidence. Fraser of Allander Economic Commentary, 33 (1). pp. 60-64. ISSN 2046-5378

[thumbnail of FEC_33_1_2009_SutherlandJ]
Preview
PDF. Filename: FEC_33_1_2009_SutherlandJ.pdf
Final Published Version
License: Unspecified

Download (214kB)| Preview

Abstract

Increasing labour productivity is considered to be the most important means by which the Scottish Government will achieve its principal economic objective of increasing sustainable economic growth (Scottish Government, 2007a, p.1); and the policy assumption is that labour productivity will increase, directly and indirectly, as a consequence of increasing workforce skills levels (Leitch Review of Skills, 2007: Scottish Government, 2007b, p6). However, increases in human capital investments, especially over the last two decades, have not been translated into improvements in labour productivity. As the Scottish Government (2007a) itself acknowledges: “… strong performance on skills and qualifications does not feed through effectively enough to productivity” (p14).