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This conference paper evaluates the role of improved education and training provision in increasing the labour market activity rates and employment among older workers. The authors argue that the increase in human capital, or enhanced knowledge and skills, resulting from this provision needs to be economically productive if it is to improve the labour market position of recipients. The paper focuses on this and begins by providing a brief outline of the nature of labour market disadvantage suffered by older workers, who are defined as those over 54 years of age. The authors then discuss the causes of the disadvantage and consider whether better education and training might alleviate the problem. Some policy initiatives are evaluated and it is concluded that education and training have only a limited role to play unless there are accompanying policy measures.

Selected papers from the conference are indexed from TD/TNC 87.81 to TD/TNC 87.84. Show less

In this paper, the author argues that the obsolescence of human capital, or the deterioration of the skills workers have acquired in the past, is central to the key challenge for western economies to achieve a knowledge-based society through lifelong learning. The first section outlines a typology of the various possible causes of human capital obsolescence, in which five different kinds of human capital obsolescence are identified: the wear of skills due to ageing, or illness that may be related to working conditions; the atrophy of skills due to insufficient use; job-specific obsolescence due to technological and organisational change; sector-specific obsolescence due to shifts in employment; and firm-specific skills obsolescence due to displacement. This is followed by a discussion of the different ways in which the obsolescence of human capital can be measured: (1) objective method: testing; (2) subjective method: asking workers or their employers; (3) workers' wages; and (4) the probability of losing their jobs. The next section reviews the evidence on skills obsolescence that exists in the literature. An example of some empirical indicators of the potential risks of human capital obsolescence for workers in the various sectors of industry in the Netherlands is presented. The discussion then moves to what kinds of learning or training activities could be remedies for the different kinds of human capital obsolescence and some empirical evidence on training participation in the various sectors of industry in the Netherlands is presented. Training participation in the various sectors of industry in relation to the specific potential risks of human capital obsolescence in each sector is discussed, with particular reference to older workers. The author concludes with some policy issues.

Selected papers from the conference are indexed from TD/TNC 87.81 to TD/TNC 87.84. Show less