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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FORMAL EDUCATION AND SKILL ACQUISITION IN YOUNG WORKERS' FIRST JOBS *
Author(s) -
VERHAEST DIETER,
OMEY EDDY
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the manchester school
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.361
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1467-9957
pISSN - 1463-6786
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9957.2012.02305.x
Subject(s) - flemish , vocational education , dreyfus model of skill acquisition , sample (material) , psychology , demographic economics , formal education , labour economics , economics , pedagogy , economic growth , chemistry , archaeology , chromatography , history
We analyse whether formal education and on‐the‐job skill acquisition are substitutes or complements for a sample of Flemish school‐leavers. Skill acquisition is measured directly through subjective assessments. We find that higher educated workers are more likely to acquire additional skills. While this is primarily explained by between‐occupation effects, also within‐occupation effects are revealed. Undereducated workers have lower overall skill acquisition probabilities than adequately educated workers in similar occupations; overeducated workers with a vocational degree acquire fewer transferable or general skills than their adequately educated colleagues. Overeducated workers also acquire fewer additional skills than adequately educated workers with similar educational backgrounds.