Employer Voices, Employer Demands, and Implications for Public Skills Development Policy

Cunningham, Wendy ; Villasenor, Paula

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ABSTRACT THINKING;    ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE;    ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE;    ACHIEVEMENT TESTS;    ADOLESCENCE;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-6853
RP-ID  :  WPS6853

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Educators believe that they areadequately preparing youth for the labor market whileemployers lament the lack of skills. A possible source ofthe mismatch in perceptions is that employers and educatorshave different understandings of the types of skills valuedin the labor market. This paper uses economics andpsychology literature to define four skills sets:socio-emotional, higher-order cognitive, basic cognitive,and technical skills. The paper reviews the literature thatquantitatively measures employer skill demand, as reportedin preference surveys. A sample of 28 studies revealsremarkable consistency across the world in the skillsdemanded by employers. Although employers value all skillsets, there is a greater demand for socio-emotional andhigher-order cognitive skills than for basic cognitive ortechnical skills. These results are robust across economysize and level of development, sector, export-orientation,and occupations. Employers perceive that the greatest skillsgaps are in socio-emotional and technical skills. Thesefindings suggest the need to re-conceptualize education andtraining systems. Taking into consideration thedevelopmental process to acquire the skills identified byemployers, this implies the need to recognize that (a) thejob-skills development process necessarily begins at birthand continues throughout the life cycle so skills policyshould, as well; (b) schools play a relevant, but limited,role in skills development and the role of parents, mentors,and the work place must be defined and enhanced; and (c) theskills most demanded by employers -- higher-order cognitiveand socio-emotional skills -- are largely taught (theformer) or refined in secondary school, which argues for ageneral education until these skills are formed.