Training and employee use of skills in Scotland : some evidence

Increasing labour productivity is considered to be the most important means by which the Scottish Government will achieve its principal economic objective of increasing sustainable economic growth (Scottish Government, 2007a, p.1); and the policy assumption is that labour productivity will increase, directly and indirectly, as a consequence of increasing workforce skills levels (Leitch Review of Skills, 2007: Scottish Government, 2007b, p6). However, increases in human capital investments, especially over the last two decades, have not been translated into improvements in labour productivity. As the Scottish Government (2007a) itself acknowledges: “… strong performance on skills and qualifications does not feed through effectively enough to productivity” (p14)

Inside the Scottish workplace : employee perspectives from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey

Employee perspectives of their jobs, their managers and management-employee relationships at their places of work are important for two reasons. First, they help explain the current behaviour of some workers, such as lateness, absenteeism, or shirking on the job, all contributing to low worker productivity. Secondly, they help predict the future behaviour of all workers, notably their likelihood of quitting their present job

The structure of employment and graduate employment in Scotland, 2001 – 2009

The current policy scenario in Scotland presumes the development of what is commonly referred to as a ‘knowledge economy’. Moreover, the policy assumption is that, in time, most of those who participate in the labour market will find work in occupations compatible with being ‘knowledge workers’, subsequent to and consequential of personal human capital investment in education, most especially to degree level (Reich, 1993: Warhurst, 2008)

The qualifications/jobs mismatch in Scotland

Two important features within the Scottish economy over recent decades have been the investments made in education and training and the subsequent and consequential enhancement of the skills profile of the workforce (Scottish Government, 2007a)

Underemployment : a skills utilisation perspective

More than half of all employees believe that the skills they possess are higher than those required to do their present jobs. This is one of several findings reported in a research paper on "under-employment" in the current edition of the University of Strathclyde's Fraser of Allander Review published today. According to the author of the paper, John Sutherland of the Scottish Centre for Employment Research at the university, this provides further evidence that "under-employment" is as important a policy problem as "unemployment"

John Macrone: Victorian publisher

I do not delude myself that even colleagues in English literature will be excited by the detailed chronicle of the fall of a minor Victorian publisher. But I shall be grateful for any general reaction to the larger project of which the following essay is part. It is widely agreed that we know too little about the publishers who were partners (if sometimes sleeping partners) in the production of nineteenth century literature. He need, as one Dickensian critic recently put it, a "magisterial" book on the subject. There isn't any such work in prospect. Nor is there any comprehensive history of British publishing (even more urgently needed) under way. Either of these tasks would exceed the power of any single critic, in my opinion. But it is possible to make some contribution -- even at this preliminary stage -- to what will eventually be (as I expect) a collaborative venture. What I intend is to publish a series of articles which will profile the fiction-publishing activities of leading Victorian houses. What follows, on John Macrone, is the first in the series. I am writing another at the moment on Henry Colburn (the principal purveyor of "silver fork" romance to early and mid- Victorian circulating libraries). After that, have sketched out a study of Chapman and Hall's fiction-publishing policy 1836-64 (when the feeble Fred Chapman took over); a piece on Bradbury and Evans and the production of serialized fiction; a short house history of Tinsley Eros. {who largely succeeded Colburn as suppliers of three deckers to the libraries in the 1860. and 70s), and so on. It is fairly easy to devise and plan these essags, and to anticipate their final connected design. There remains the immediate problem of placing them. Editors, generally, do not like purely expository contributions; especially if they are liberally accompanied by lists, tables and business history. The one journal which would suit, Publishing History, seems moribund. ~ Library and PBSA are obvious first choice journals. Thereafter, one will have to publish where one can, presumably. (The fincrone piece will appear in Dickens Studies~, sometime over the next three years.

Sound propagation elements in evaluation of en route noise of advanced turbofan aircraft

Cruise noise from an advanced turboprop aircraft is reviewed on the basis of available wind tunnel data to estimate the aircraft noise signature at the source. Available analytical models are used to evaluate the sound levels at the ground. The analysis allows reasonable estimates to be made of the community noise levels that might be generated during cruise by such aircraft, provides the basis for preliminary comparisons with available data on noise of existing aircraft during climb and helps to identify the dominant elements of the sound propagation models applicable to this situation

Examining inequalities across travel to work areas in Scotland

This article examines inequalities across the 45 travel to work areas in Scotland, using four indicators of labour market performance viz. the employment rate; the economic inactivity rate; the percentage holding level 4 (or higher) qualifications; and the percentage having no formal qualifications. The results are then contextualised in a discussion of the possible explanations for these inequalities and their implications for policy

Job quality in Scotland

This article examines job quality and job satisfaction for individuals who are employed at workplaces located in Scotland. Using a series of indices constructed from responses in the survey of employees associated with the 2011 Workplace and Employment Relations Study, it investigates how job quality and job satisfaction differ across individuals. It also examines whether job quality and job satisfaction for individuals employed in Scotland are different from individuals employed elsewhere in Britain. Individuals employed at workplaces in Scotland are seen to have positive perspectives about the quality of their jobs. Although most maintain that they work very hard, nonetheless they are seen to have considerable control over most aspects of their jobs; are confident about their job security; and view their workplace managers as being supportive. In terms of differences across individuals, who have higher (lower) levels of job quality depends upon the index of job quality used. With the exception of their pay, individuals are seen to be satisfied with all aspects of their jobs, although the level of satisfaction does vary across individuals. There is little difference between employees located in Scotland and employees located elsewhere in Britain with respect to either job quality or job satisfaction

Inequalities in the distribution of training in Britain

This article examines the inequalities in the distribution of training which exist in Britain. It does so by using a binomial logit regression model to examine training incidence and an ordered logit regression model to examine training intensity. The investigation uses a matched worker–workplace data set with origins in the 2011 Work and Employment Relations Study. Training inequalities are seen to correlate with both the personal characteristics of the individual and the characteristics of the workplace at which he/she is employed, notably age band, pay grade, tenure and the size of the workplace. However, the training premia which have traditionally accrued to males, graduates, those who have permanent contracts of employment and union members appear to be diminishing if not disappearing