What affects lifelong learning of scientists and engineers?

This paper greatly enriches the discussion on the determinants of lifelong learning of scientists and engineers (S&Es). In our analysis, which is based on a survey among S&Es in the Netherlands, we take account of both formal training and different modes of informal learning. We find that S&Es employed in firms which apply innovative production processes more often participate in formal training and also benefit from the informal learning potential of their jobs. Therefore, public policies that stimulate process innovation also prevent skills obsolescence among S&Es. However, lifelong learning is not triggered in firms with many product innovations. S&Es who are employed in firms which operate on highly competitive markets also participate in formal training less often. The same holds for S&Es employed in small firms, although the latter compensate their lower participation in formal training by more hours of self-teaching. S&Es employed in jobs which require a high level of technical knowledge have more formal training, whereas those employed in jobs which require more general skills are significantly more involved in informal learning. Furthermore, older S&Es with long firm tenures participate in formal training less often and have fewer opportunities for learning in their jobs. Therefore, their competence level is at risk.labour economics ;

Training, Task Flexibility and Low-Skilled Workers' Employability

In this paper we analyse whether the training participation and task flexibility of low-skilled workers contribute to their firm-internal and external mobility. We find that both workers’ training participation and task flexibility merely contribute to workers’ firm-internal employability. However, the workers’ participation in training plays a much more explicit role in workers’ firm-internal careers than their task flexibility as it appears to be an important means to enhance their opportunities on the firm-internal labour market. Both workers’ participation in training and their task flexibility do not contribute to the external employability of the low-skilled workers. Task flexible low-skilled workers even less often expect to be externally employable than non-task flexible workers. The focus of low-skilled workers on their firm-internal employability can be explained by the fact that they usually have more opportunities to improve their position in the firm-internal labour market than on the external labour market.education, training and the labour market;

The Effects of Human Resource Management on Workers' Wages and Firm Productivity

We analyze whether the effects of human resource practices on workers’ wages and firm productivity are similar or different. We find that firms’ wage policies overestimate the relevance of sector-specific skills and underestimate the productivity enhancing effect of computer skills. Moreover, only the firm benefits from performance related pay, whereas only the workers benefit from performance evaluation interviews. Finally, our estimation results show that in small firms a more advanced HRM system may not result in a convergence of interests between workers and the firm.education, training and the labour market;

What affects lifelong learning of scientists and engineers?

This paper greatly enriches the discussion on the determinants of lifelong learning of scientists and engineers (S&Es). In our analysis, which is based on a survey among S&Es in the Netherlands, we take account of both formal training and different modes of informal learning. We find that S&Es employed in firms which apply innovative production processes more often participate in formal training and also benefit from the informal learning potential of their jobs. Therefore, public policies that stimulate process innovation also prevent skills obsolescence among S&Es. However, lifelong learning is not triggered in firms with many product innovations. S&Es who are employed in firms which operate on highly competitive markets also participate in formal training less often. The same holds for S&Es employed in small firms, although the latter compensate their lower participation in formal training by more hours of self-teaching. S&Es employed in jobs which require a high level of technical knowledge have more formal training, whereas those employed in jobs which require more general skills are significantly more involved in informal learning. Furthermore, older S&Es with long firm tenures participate in formal training less often and have fewer opportunities for learning in their jobs. Therefore, their competence level is at risk.education, training and the labour market;

Why do Part-Time Workers invest less in Human Capital than Full-Timers?

We analyze whether lower investments in human capital of part-time workers are due to workers’ characteristics or human resource practices of the firm. We focus on investments in both formal training and informal learning. Using the Dutch Life-Long-Learning Survey 2007, we find that part-time workers have different determinants for formal training and informal learning than full-time workers. The latter benefit from firms’ human resource practices such as performance interviews, personal development plans and feedback. Part-time workers can only partly compensate the lack of firm support when they have a high learning motivation and imagination of their future development.education, training and the labour market;