In the Reform Era, the Chinese Government has placed great emphasis on the role of education in ensuring the economic success of individuals and of the country as a whole. While vocational and academic post-secondary qualifications are officially set at the same level, vocational education is positioned at the bottom of the educational hierarchy…

Since 2020, the ETF has conducted multiple studies ('Future of Skills' studies) to examine how various drivers of change -- both technological and non-technological -- are affecting occupations and related skill needs in selected sectors and countries, and how education and training systems are adapting to these evolving needs. This has led to…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify workforce skills that protect an occupation from elimination due to automation technology. Design/methodology/approach: The authors apply a Gaussian process (GP) classifier, based on the level of non-automatable work activities in an occupation, to USA and Colombian occupational datasets. Findings:…

This dissertation focuses on the structures and impacts of digital skills in the rapidly transforming labor market. It is rooted in the premise that understanding the value of digital skills requires a relational perspective, acknowledging that these competencies are not isolated, but form complex structures across different occupations. The…

There is a workforce shortage in middle-skill occupations requiring some educational training but not a 4-year college degree, such as skilled trades (e.g., construction), transportation (e.g., drivers), and manufacturing. Identifying factors that promote adolescent interest in middle-skill occupations is crucial in combating this shortage. This…

This report presents findings from an assessment of the implication of skills in Moldova's smart specialisation strategy. The ETF's role is to support Moldova as it endeavours to give vocational education and training systems a clear role in the implementation of its smart specialisation strategy. The report explores skills data at sub-sectoral…

Today, creativity is considered a success factor in many occupational fields and a core competence of the 21st century. In vocational education and training (VET), creativity is defined as problem-solving ability and ascribed to the transversal competences. Creativity is always context-dependent in terms of the work environment and specific…

This study focuses on the agri-food sector in Morocco and 'drivers' of change for skills. It alerts education and training institutions to prepare workers for the jobs of the future. The Moroccan society and economy depend heavily on agriculture production, employing around one third of the population and accounting for around 12% of GDP over the…

This study focuses on the stories of four newly arrived women and their choices of vocational education and profession. The study highlights the women's life courses and addresses how their vocational skills from their home countries can influence their choices of vocational education and profession, and how these skills are utilised in Sweden.…

We study how human capital diversification, in the form of double majoring, affects the response of earnings to labor market shocks. Double majors experience substantial protection against earnings shocks, of 56%. This finding holds across different model specifications and data sets. Furthermore, the protection double majors experience is more…

Whether there is or should be a relation between 'occupation' and 'qualification' is a contested issue in vocational education and training (VET). The privileged shelter of structured occupational labour markets stands pitted against the near impossibility of access by those at the margins of employment opportunities. This paper investigates the…

The upheavals of the last few years within higher education and the labor force have catalyzed leaders in arts and design postsecondary education to question assumptions within their institutions about "what it means to be embarking on a career and life" in arts and design today (Novak-Leonard, Dempster, Scotto Adams, & Walters,…

This study aimed to examine the literature on the skill sets of autistic individuals and determine how these skills align with current and projected future labour market needs. Based on a literature review, researchers identified the following skill categories common to autistic individuals: visual skills, attention to detail and systemizing…

Previous research revealed associations between an individual's occupation and cognitive abilities. However, the underlying causal relation is not always clear and only few studies focused on a critical component of executive functioning, namely working memory updating (WMU). Study 1 examined whether restaurant ticket collectors (N = 53) have a…

The study investigated supervision of trade skills and effectiveness of entrepreneurship programme in universities in Cross River State, Nigeria. Two research questions were raised and two null hypotheses were stated. Survey research design was adopted for this study and a sample of 241 students (130 male and 111 female) were randomly selected for…