17-38

• Asonitou, S.

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the emergence of skills and competences in the economy and the society in the last decades. In addition it attempts to present the special efforts of theorists and policy-makers to investigate and unpack the word “skill” in view of the complexities it is associated with and the impact it has on our professional lives. Finally it refers to the long debated “gap” between the desired and the actual skill level of the workforce and the responsibility of Higher Education to support graduates’ employability by enhancing their professional skills.

• Economics and Business

• Economics

professional skills, competences, business, Higher Education, development, skills’ gap

JEL Classification: J24, I25, M00

1. Albrecht, W.S., Sack, J. R. (2000). Accounting Education: Charting the Coursethrough a Perilous Future, American Accounting Association, AccountingEducation Series, 16American Heritage Dictionary. (2015). Last accessed on 20/4/2013 at http://www.yourdictionary.com/skill#americanheritageApostolou, B., Dull, B. R. and Schleifer, F. L. (2013). A Framework for thePedagogy of Accounting Ethics, Accounting Education: An International Journal, 22 (1), 1-17Aristotle. (1925). Nichomachean ethics (D. Ross, Ed.) ch. VI, 4-7 , London: DentAron, R. (1962). Dix-huit leçons sur la société industrielle, Paris: NRFAshton, D. (1999). The Skill formation Process: a paradigm shift? Journal ofEducation and Work, 12 (3), 347-350Ashton, D., Green, F. (1996) Education, training and the global economy,Aldershot: Edward ElgarAttewell, P. (1990). “What is skill?”, Work and Occupations, 17 (4), 422-448Baldry, C., Bain, P., Taylor, P. (1998). “Bright Satanic Offices: Intensification,Control and Team Taylorism”, in P. Thompson and C. Warhurst (eds),Workplaces of the Future, London: MacmillanBarabasch, A. and Watt-Malcolm, B. (2013). Teacher preparation for vocationaleducation and training in Germany: a potential model for Canada?, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 43 (2), 155-183Barrett, S., Burgess, J., Campbell, I. (2005). “The Australian Labour Market in2004”, Journal of Industrial Relations, 47 (2), 133-150Belfiore, M. E., Defoe, T. A., Folinsbee, S., Hunter, J. and Jackson, N. S. (2004) Reading Work: Literacies in the New Workplace, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence ErlbaumBell, D. (1974). The Coming of Post-industrial Society, New York: Basic BooksBentley, T. (1998). Learning Beyond the Classroom, London: RoutledgeBirwatkar, P. V. (2015). Investing in Emotional Economics, Journal of Regional Socio-Economic Issues, 5 (1), 62-77Boisot, M. (1998). Information Space (London, Routlege) Braverman, H. (1974). Labor and Monopoly Capital Twenty Years After: AnIntroduction”, Monthly Review, 46 (6), 1-13Brown, J. and Duguid, P. (1991). “Organisational Learning and Communitiesof-Practice: towards a Unified View of Working, Learning and Innovation”,Organisation Science, 2 (1), 40–57.Brown, P. (1999). Globalisation and the Political Economy of High Skills, Journal of Education and Work, 12 (3), 233-251Brown, P., Lauder, H. (1999). “Education, Globalization and Economic Development”, in J. Ahier and G. Esland (eds), Education, Training and theFuture of Work, London: RoutledgeBrown, P., Lauder, H. (2001). Capitalism and Social Progress, Basingstoke:PalgraveBuchanan, J., Watson, I., Briggs, C. (2004). Skill and the Renewal of Labour: The Classical Wage-Earner Model and Left Productivism in Australia, in C. Warhurst, I. Grugulis and E. Keep (eds), The Skills That Matter, London, Palgrave MacmillanCarnoy, M. (1998). “The Changing World of Work in the Information Age”, New Political Economy, 3 (1), 123-128Carr, D. (2003). Making sense of education (London, Routledge)Castells, M. (1999). “Flows, Network and Identities: A Critical Theory of theInformational Society”, in M. Castells, R. Flecha, P. Freire, H. A. Giroux, D. Macedo and P. Willis (eds), Critical Education in the New Information Age, Lanham: Rowman LittlefieldCBI (Confederation of British Industry, 2003) Business and Higher Education– Promoting effective collaboration, London: CBICedefop (2011). Glossary Quality in Education and Training, (Luxembourg,Publications Offices of the European Union), http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/publications/17663.aspx, last accessed 2013-08-14Clarke, L., Herrmann, G. (2004). The Institutionalisation of Skill in Britain andGermany: Examples from the Construction Sector, in C. Warhurst, I. Grugulis,E. Keep (eds.), The Skills That Matter, London, Palgrave MacmillanClarke, L., Winch, C. (2006). A European skills framework?-but what are skills? Anglo-Saxon versus German concepts, Journal of Education and Work, 19 (3), 255-269Collins, R. (1979). The credential society, New York: AcademicCook, M., Downie, R., McMullen, J. A. (2004). Labour Force Ageing and SkillShortages in Canada and Ontario, Canadian Policy Research Networks No. 31511. Retrieved on January 25, 2006 from http://www.cprn.com/en/doc.cfm?doc=1087 Council for Industry and Higher Education (1996). Helping students towardssuccess at work, London: CIEHCrossouard, B. (2010). Reforms to higher education assessment reporting:opportunities and challenges, Teaching in Higher Education, 15 (3), 247-258Crouch, C., Finegold, D., Sako, M. (1999). Are Skills the Answer? The PoliticalEconomy of Skill Creation in Advanced Industrial Societies, Oxford: Oxford University PressDevlin, M. and Samarawickrema, G. (2010). The criteria of effective teachingin a changing higher education context, Higher Education Research &Development, 29 (2), 111-124Drake, J. (2011). Adding Value to Audit Education through “Living” Cases,Accounting Education: An International Journal, 20 (2), 203-222Drucker, P. (1993). The Post-industrial Society (London, Heinemann)DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) (1998). Our Competitive Future: Building the Knowledge-Driven Economy Cm4176, London, HMSODunne, J. (1993). Back to the rough ground, Chicago, IL, Notre Dame PressEC (2006). Progress towards the Lisbon objectives in education and training (No. SEC (2006) 639). Brussels: European Commission.EC (2008) New Skills for New Jobs, Anticipating and matching labour marketand skills needs, Brussels, COM(2008) 868/3EC (2010). An Agenda for new skills and jobs:A European contributiontowards full employment, COM(2010) 682 final, Brussels: European CommissionFenwick, T. (2006). Learning as Grounding and Flying: Knowledge, Skill andTransformation in Changing Work Contexts, Journal of Industrial Relations, 48 (5), 691-706Finegold, D. (1999). “Creating Self-Sustaining High-Skill Ecosystems”, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 15 (1), 60-81Finegold, D., Soskice, D (1988). “Creating Self-sustaining, High Skill Ecosystems”, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 4 (3), 21-53Geary, J., Dobbins, A. (2001). “Teamworking: A New Dynamic in the Pursuit of Management Control”, Human Resource Management Journal, 11 (1), 3-23Godard, J., Delaney, J. (2000). “Reflections on the “High Performance” Paradigm’s Implications for Industrial Relations as a Field”, Industrial andLabor Relations Review, 53 (3), 482-502Goleman, D. (1996). Emotional Intelligence, London: BloomsburyGreen , A., Sakamoto, A. (2000). “The Place of Skills in National Competition: Strategies in Germany, Japan, Singapore and the UK”, The High Skills Project Working Paper, London: Institute of EducationGrugulis, I., Warhurst, C., Keep, E. (2004). What’s Happening to “Skill”?, in C. Warhurst, I. Grugulis and E. Keep (eds), The Skills That Matter, London: Palgrave MacmillanGuo, S. (2005). “Difference, Deficiency, and Devaluation: Non-recognition ofForeign Credentials for Immigrant Professionals in Canada”. ConferenceProceedings Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education, University of Western OntarioHall, R., Buchanan, J., Considine, G. (2002). “You Value What You Pay For” – Enhancing Employers Contribution to Skill Formation and Use”, A Discussion Paper for the Dusseldorf Skills Foundation, SydneyHamel, G., Prahalad, C.K. (1994). Competing for the Future (Harvard, MA, HBP)Hammer, M. (1996). Beyond Reengineering, London: Harper Collins BusinessHandy, C.B. (1990). The Age of Unreason, Boston, MA: Harvard Business SchoolHassall, T. and Milne, J. M. (2004). Using case studies in accounting education,Accounting Education, 13 (2), 135-138Herbert, I., Rothwell, A. (2005). Managing your own placement, a skills-basedapproach, Palgrave: MacmillanHilton, M. (2008). Skills for Work in the 21st Century: What Does the ResearchTell Us?, Academy of Management Perspectives, 22 (4), 63-78Kathy, N. (2001). “Emotional Intelligence and Social Skills: Necessary Components of Hands-On Learning in Science Classes”. Journal of ElementaryScience Education, 13 (2), 22 - 34.Keep, E. (2000a). Creating a knowledge –driven economy-definitions, challenges and opportunities, SKOPE Policy Paper 2, Coventry, SKOPE,University of Warwick Keep, E., Mayhew, K. (1998). “Was Ratner Right?”, Economic Report, 12 (3),London: Employment Policy InstituteKnight, T. P. and Yorke, M. (2003). Assessment, Learning and Employability,General Editor: Heather Eggins, SRHE and Open University PressKraft, P. (1979). “The Industrialisation of Computer Programming: From Programming to “Software Production”, in A. Zimbalist (ed.), Case Studies in the Labor Process, New York: Monthly Review PressLane, R. E. (2000). The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies, NewHaven: Yale University PressLauder, H. (1999). “Competitiveness and the Problems of Low Skills Equilibria: A Comparative Analysis”, Journal of Education and Work, 12 (3), 281-294Leadbeater, C. (2000). Living on Thin Air, London: VikingLevy, Sissons, Holloway (2011). A plan for Growth in the Knowledge Economy, The Work Foundation, last accessed on August 11/ 2013/ athttp://www.theworkfoundation.com/DownloadPublication/Report/290_Plan%20for%20growth%20in%20the%20knowledge%20economy%20June%2011.pdfLiagouras, G., Protogerou, A., Caloghirou, Y. (2003). Exploring MismatchesBetween Higher Education and the Labour Market in Greece, European Journal of Education, 38 (4), 413-426Lisa, A.W. (2007). An examination of the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership style. Paper Presented at the Academy of HumanResource Development International Conference (AHRD) (Austin, TX, March 3-7, 2007) 1151-1158.Livingstone, D. (1999). The Education-jobs Cap: Underemployment or Economic Democracy, Toronto: Garamond PressLloyd, C., Payne, J. (2004). The Political Economy of Skill: A TheoreticalApproach to Developing a High Skills Strategy in the UK, in C. Warhurst, I. Grugulis, E. Keep (eds.), The Skills That Matter, London, Palgrave MacmillanLloyd, C., Payne, J. (2010). “Developing a Political Economy of Skill”, Journalof Education and Work, 15 (4), 365-390Marchington, M., Grugulis, I. (2000). “Best Practice” Human Resource Management: Perfect Opportunity or Dangerous Illusion?”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11 (6), 1104-1124Marriott, P. and Keong Teoh, L. (2012). Using Screencasts to Enhance Assessment Feedback: Students’ Perceptions and Preferences, Accounting Education: An International Journal, 21 (6), 583-598Mournier, A. (2001). “The Three Logics of Skill”, ACIRRT Working Paper No.66, ACIRRT, SydneyNonaka, I., Takeuchi, H. (1995). The Knowledge Creating Company (NewYork, Oxford University Press)OECD (2011). Skills for Innovation and Research, OECD Publishing, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264097490-enPolanyi, M. (1958). Personal Knowledge, London: RoutledgePwC (2015). 2015 US CEO Survey, accessed on 20 March 2015, at: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/ceo-survey/index.html?WT.mc_id=cs_us-herohome_CEO-survey Reeder, D. (1979). “A Recurring Debate: Education and Industry”, in G. Bernbaum (ed), Schooling in Decline, London: MacmillanStehr, N. (1994) Knowledge Societies, London: RoutledgeStes, A., De Maeyer, S., Gijbels, D. and Van Petegem, P. (2012). “Instructionaldevelopment for teachers in higher education: effects on students’ learningoutcomes”, Teaching in Higher Education, 17 (3), 295-308Tomé, E. (2007). “Employability, skills and training in Portugal (1988-2000):evidence from official data”. Journal of European Industrial Training, 31 (5), 336-357Tonge, R. and Willett, C. (2009). “Learning to Think: Using Coursework toDevelop Higher-order Academic and Practitioner Skills among Final YearAccounting Students”, Accounting Education: An International Journal, 18 (2), 207-226Trist, E. L. (1974). “The Structural Presence of Post-industrial Society”, in N.Cross, D. Elliott and R. Roy (eds), Man-Made Futures, London: HutchinsonTurner, H. A. (1962). London: George Allen and UnwinWarhurst, C., Nickson, D. (2001). Looking Good, Sounding Right, London:Industrial SocietyWatson, I., Buchanan, J., Campbell, I. and Briggs, C. (2003). FragmentedFutures: New Challenges in Working Life, Sydney: FederationWestwood, A. (2004). Skills that Matter and Shortages that Don’t, in C. Warhurst, I. Grugulis and E. Keep (eds), The Skills That Matter, London:Palgrave MacmillanWilton, N. (2012). “Τhe impact of work placements on skills development and career outcomes for business and management graduates”. Studies in Higher Education, 37 (5), 603-620Young, M. (1998). The Curriculum of the Future, London: RoutledgeZimbalist, A. (1979). “Introduction, in A. Zimbalist (ed.), Case Studies in theLabor Process, New York: Monthly Review Press