Socio-economic inequalities in health in Catalonia

In this paper we measure the degree of income related inequality in mental health as measured by the GHQ instrument and general health as measured by the EQOL-5D instrument for the Catalan population. We find that income is the main contributor to inequality, although the share of inequality in mental health that can be explained by income is much greater than the corresponding share of inequality in general health. We also find that the variation in demographic structure reduces income related inequality in mental health but increases income related inequality in general health. The regional variations in both instruments for health are striking, with the Barcelona districts faring relatively bad with respect to the rest of geographical areas and Lleida being the health region where, all else held equal, the population reports the greatest level of health. A big share of inequality in the two health measures, but specially mental health, is due to the favourable position in both health and income of those who enjoy an indefinite contract with respect to the rest of individuals. We also find that risky working conditions affect both health measures and are able to explain an important share of socio-economic inequality.Health inequalities, decomposition analysis, Spain

Innovation in the continuing vocational education and training (CVET) government-run programme in Catalonia

L’objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi doctoral va ser analitzar com es treballa la innovació en el marc d'un programa governamental de formació professional per a l’ocupació (CVET, en anglès) dirigit per a persones desocupades a Catalunya (Espanya), des de la perspectiva de l'aprenentatge permanent. Tot i que aquest és un tema rellevant per a la "societat de la informació" en què vivim, s'ha estudiat molt poc, i fins i tot menys empíricament, per tant, aquest estudi està explorant i posant les bases per a la investigació addicional en aquesta àrea. El capítol 1 presenta el marc teòric de l'àrea d'estudi, limita l'objecte d'estudi, estableix els objectius i l'estructura de la tesi. El capítol 2 està dedicat a l'anàlisi d'impacte social, incloent el paper de la innovació en els documents normatius de la Unió Europea i la UNESCO. A més, contrasta l'activitat del programa CVET amb els 4 objectius estratègics del Marc Estratègic Educació i Formació 2020 de la UE. Els capítols 3 i 4 se centren en l'anàlisi de la innovació realitzada al programa CVET donant veu als responsables dels centres i als estudiants i antics alumnes d'aquest programa, respectivament. El capítol 5 analitza les limitacions, conclusions i altres línies de recerca. Tot i que és una exploració empírica de l'àrea de CVET i la innovació, els resultats que es presenten en aquesta tesi poden contribuir a millorar la política i la pràctica existents en l'àrea de CVET, millorant encara més el que funciona i treballant sobre el que manca, i també en altres àrees de l'educació formal, com la formació professional o l'educació superior, que poden aprendre de les fortaleses del tipus de formació analitzada en aquesta tesi, i treballar juntament per aconseguir una educació i una formació de millor qualitat per a tothom.El objetivo principal de esta tesis doctoral ha sido analizar cómo se trabaja la innovación en el contexto de un programa gubernamental de formación profesional para la ocupación (CVET, en inglés) para desempleados en Cataluña (España), dentro de la perspectiva del aprendizaje permanente. Aunque este es un tema relevante para la "sociedad de la información" en la que vivimos, ha sido muy poco estudiado, y aún menos empíricamente, por lo tanto, este estudio explora y sienta las bases para futuras investigaciones en esta área. El Capítulo 1 presenta el marco teórico del área de estudio, limita el objeto de estudio, establece los objetivos y la estructura de la tesis. El Capítulo 2 está dedicado al análisis del impacto social, incluido el papel de la innovación en los documentos de políticas de la Unión Europea y la UNESCO. Además, contrasta la actividad del programa CVET con los 4 objetivos estratégicos del Marco Estratégico Educación y Formación 2020 europeo. Los Capítulos 3 y 4 se centran en el análisis de la innovación realizada en el programa CVET dando voz a los responsables de los centros y a los alumnos y ex alumnos en este programa, respectivamente. El Capítulo 5 discute las limitaciones, conclusiones y otras líneas de investigación. Aunque es una exploración empírica del área de CVET y la innovación, los resultados presentados en esta tesis pueden contribuir a mejorar la política y prácticas existentes en el área de CVET, mejorando aún más lo que funciona y trabajando en lo que le falta, y también en otras áreas de la educación formal, como la formación profesional o la educación superior, que pueden aprender de las fortalezas del tipo de capacitación analizado en esta tesis, y trabajar juntos hacia una educación y formación de mejor calidad para todo el mundo.The main objective of this doctoral thesis has been to analyse how innovation is trained in the context of a continuing vocational education and training (CVET) government-run programme for unemployed people in Catalonia (Spain), within the perspective of lifelong learning. Although this is a relevant topic for the ‘information society’ that we live in, it has been very little studied, and even less empirically, therefore this study is exploring and laying the foundations for further research in this area. Chapter 1 introduces the theoretical framework of the area of study, limits the study object, it states the objectives and the structure of the thesis. Chapter 2 is dedicated to the social impact analysis, including the role of the innovation in the policy documents of the European Union and the UNESCO. Furthermore it contrasts the activity of the CVET programme with the 4 strategic objectives of the EU Strategic Framework Education and Training 2020. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on the analysis of the innovation carried out in the CVET programme by giving voice to the heads of the centres and to the students and former students in this programme, respectively. Chapter 5 discusses the limitations, conclusions and further venues of research. Although it is an empirical exploration of the area of CVET and innovation, the results presented in this thesis can contribute to improving the existing policy and practice in the area of CVET, by further improving what it works and working on what it lacks, and also in other areas of formal education, such as vocational education and training (VET) or higher education, which can learn from the strengths of the type of training analysed in this thesis, and work together towards a better quality education and training for all

Does geographical exposure to language learning centres matter in a bilingual city?

In this paper, we investigate the effects of geographical exposure to local language training centres in a bilingual urban labour market, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, exploiting the implementation of a language policy that provided publicly subsidized Language courses for adults. Our variable of interest consists in a measure of spatial availability of language schools that captures potential exposure and its expansion over time. First, we focus on the formation of local language skills, adopting a reduced-form approach. Our results indicate that exposure to language learning opportunities matters for language skills, since individuals residing in neighbourhoods with a higher supply of language centres are more likely to be able to speak and write in Catalan, the local language. The effect is quantitatively modest but very robust to falsification exercises and several sensitivity checks and is strongly heterogeneous in favour of younger individuals born in Catalonia with a low level of education. Second, we analyse whether accessibility to language centres also affects employment, Working hours, employment sector, and occupation. The evidence regarding labour market outcomes is inconclusive, possibly due to the fact that the impact of geographical exposure on language skills is too small in size to improve performance in the local labour market

ESF ex-post evaluation synthesis 2007-2013 Country report: Spain

The country synthesis report covers the programming period up until the end of 2014 and includes the analysis of expenditure, outputs and results in Spain across all policy themes. It builds on the Human Capital, Social Inclusion and Access to Employment ex post evaluations, Annual Implementation Reports and on other available ESF evaluations carried out in Spain

Scientific Findings of the Neskak Gora Project on Second Generation Immigrant Girls and Young Women from North African and South Asian Families in Europe

Research project “Neskak Gora” on discrimination against young second generation female migrants in six European countrie

Landscapes of Lifelong Learning Policies across Europe

This open access book explores different landscapes of Lifelong Learning policies (LLP), producing case-based examinations of their institutional, discursive, and relational dimensions. Across Europe, young people develop their life courses amidst diverse living conditions and are confronted with a variety of institutional and structural arrangements that impact on their opportunities in education and labour. Considering the relevance of LLP in shaping those opportunities, the chapters draw from multi-level, mixed-methods research and offer original insights on the interplay of discourses and governance patterns in the processes of policy-making and deliverance. The book yields noteworthy insights into the widely differing realities across the European landscape, and also into the diverging ways young people deal with and actively participate in LLP

Misusing our talent? Overeducation, overskilling and skill underutilisation among Spanish PhD graduates

The 'knowledge economy' is said to depend increasingly on capacities for innovation, knowledge-generation and complex problem-solving - capacities attributed to university graduates with research degrees. To what extent, however, is the labour market absorbing and fully utilising these capabilities? Drawing on data from a recent cohort of PhD graduates, we examine the correlates and consequences of qualification and skills mismatch. We show that job characteristics such as economic sector and main work activity play a fundamental and direct role in explaining the phenomenon of mismatch, experienced as overeducation and overskilling. ..

Socio-economic inequalities in health in Catalonia

In this paper we measure the degree of income related inequality in mental health as measured by the GHQ instrument and general health as measured by the EQOL-5D instrument for the Catalan population. We find that income is the main contributor to inequality, although the share of inequality in mental health that can be explained by income is much greater than the corresponding share of inequality in general health. We also find that the variation in demographic structure reduces income related inequality in mental health and in general health. The regional variations in both instruments for health are striking, with the Barcelona districts faring relatively bad with respect to the rest of geographical areas and Lleida being the health region where, all else held equal, the population reports the greatest level of health. A big share of inequality in the two health measures, but specially mental health, is due to the favourable position in both health and income of those who enjoy an indefinite contract with respect to the rest of individuals. We also find that risky working conditions affect both health measures and are able to explain an important share of socio-economic inequality.This paper derives from the project “La dinámica del estado de salud y los factores socieconómicos a lo largo del ciclo vital. Implicaciones para las políticas públicas”, which is supported by the Fundación BBVA

Changes in forms of transition in contexts of informational capitalism

This article identifies the forms of transition of young people towards emancipation from the family based on earlier research, applying this theoretical approach to a survey of young people in an advanced capitalist region, with the aim of obtaining a picture of their educational, employment and emancipation profiles. Four basic forms of transition are described; young people between the ages of 26 and 29 are empirically classified in these four categories, and an examination is made of the key hypothesis that states that the categories of early success and working class itineraries are being displaced by the successive approach and paths of precariousness. An analysis allows a relationship to be drawn between changes in the structure of capitalism and changes in the forms of transition of young people towards emancipation and social status. Particular emphasis is laid on the form of testing used by young people, and what this means at a lifestyle level. «In the ways in which transition and the uncertainties of the future are faced (testing), we have seen substantial changes in forms of transition which increase the difference in experience and perception between parents and children, and we have observed that institutions have a broad area in which they can act to modify careers that would seem to present a negative future».L'article identifica les modalitats de transició dels joves vers l'emancipació familiar a partir de recerques anteriors i aplica aquest enfocament teòric a una enquesta a joves d'una zona de capitalisme avançat, amb la finalitat d'obtenir una distribució de trajectòries escolars, laborals i d'emancipació. S'hi descriuen quatre modalitats bàsiques de transició, s'hi realitza un exercici empíric de classificació de joves de 26 a 29 anys en aquestes modalitats i s'hi verifica la hipòtesi clau segons la qual s'afirma la recessió de les modalitats d'èxit precoç i de les trajectòries obreres, en favor de les modalitats d'aproximació successiva i de precaritat. L'anàlisi permet relacionar els canvis en l'estructura del capitalisme i els canvis en els models de transició dels joves a l'emancipació i la posició social. Particularment, s'hi insisteix en la forma de tempteig dels joves i el que això significa a nivell d'estil de vida. «En les formes d'encarar la transició i la incertesa del futur (el tempteig), intuïm canvis substancials en les modalitats de transició que augmenten la diferència d'experiències i percepcions entre pares i fills i percebem que les institucions tenen un camp d'acció ampli destinat a modificar trajectòries que anuncien futurs negatius»