Perspectives and Debates on Vocational Education and Training, Skills and the Prospects for Innovation

Authors

  • Phillip Toner Department of Political Economy. University of Sydney.
  • Richard Woolley INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), Universitat Politècnica de València

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22325/fes/res.25.3.2016.319

Keywords:

Vocational education and training system, skills, innovation, technical workforce

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the theoretical perspectives and key debates regarding the role and contribution of the vocational education and training system (VET) and vocationally-trained workforce in technical innovation. It considers contributions to these debates from innovation studies, varieties of capitalism research, neoclassical human capital theory and the work organization discipline. Historically, the primary role assigned to the VET system in innovation has been in relation to technology diffusion, particularly the generation, adaptation and diffusion of technical and organizational change and incremental innovation. Differences between national VET systems have been linked to large disparities in the level of skills qualifications, which is in turn a major factor in determining differences in patterns of innovation and key aspects of economic performance between advanced economies. The article finished by considering barriers to maximizing the contribution of VET to innovation linked to future social and economic challenges.

Author Biographies

Phillip Toner , Department of Political Economy. University of Sydney.

Doctorado en Economía Política en 1997 en la Universidad de Sydney (Australia) y es miembro de honor del departamento de Economía Política de dicha universidad. Su tesis sobre el papel de la industria manufacturera en el desarrollo económico fue merecedora del premio de la Sociedad Australiana de Pensamiento Económico y publicada por Macmillan Press en 1999. Entre sus áreas de investigación se incluyen el análisis de la estructura industrial, la economía del cambio técnico, los sistemas nacionales de cualificaciones profesionales y el análisis del mercado de trabajo.

Richard Woolley , INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), Universitat Politècnica de València

Doctor en Sociología por la Universidad de Western Sydney, Australia (2002). Durante diez años ha trabajado en proyectos sobre política científica e innovación en Australia y el Sureste Asiático, entre los que se incluye un estudio sobre el papel de técnicos y trabajadores cualificados en la I+D realizado bajo la dirección de Phillip Toner. Desde 2011 es investigador en el instituto INGENIO, CSIC, Universitat Politècnica de València.

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Published

2016-09-01

How to Cite

Toner, P., & Woolley, R. (2016). Perspectives and Debates on Vocational Education and Training, Skills and the Prospects for Innovation. Spanish Journal of Sociology, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.22325/fes/res.25.3.2016.319

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 3 (2016): Special Issue: Vocational Education and Innovation

Section

Articles

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