Certifying the workforce: economic imperative or failed social policy?

Autor/inn/en	Wolf, Alison; Jenkins, Andrew; Vignoles, Anna
Titel	Certifying the workforce: economic imperative or failed social policy?
Quelle	In: Journal of education policy, 21 (2006) 5, S. 535-565Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Beigaben	Tabellen
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0268-0939; 1464-5106
DOI	10.1080/02680930600866124
Schlagwörter	Kompetenz; Sozialpolitik; Wirtschaftssystem; Qualifizierung; Erwachsenenbildung; Zertifizierung; Europa; Großbritannien
Abstract	The education policies of governments have become increasingly directed towards economic ends, including the development of workforce skills. UK governments have been particularly committed to such policies and have adopted some quite distinctive tools, relying heavily on targets and emphasizing certificated rather than uncertificated learning. The underlying assumptions of such policies have been subject to sustained critique, but there has been relatively little empirical evidence available regarding their impact on individual adult learners. This paper uses a large national longitudinal data set to examine whether governments in the UK have met their objectives and how far these are consistent with the learners' own. It provides, in particular, detailed information on the factors affecting acquisition of additional formal qualifications in adult life and whether there has been any shift in favour of the less skilled in recent years. It also examines the extent to which qualifications, and especially those prioritized by government, lead to increased earnings for their holders. The results strongly suggest that current policies are failing even on their own terms. In conclusion the paper provides some possible explanations for the findings and sets them in an international context. (DIPF/orig.).
Erfasst von	DIPF \| Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsinformation, Frankfurt am Main
Update	2007/3