Workplace Skills in Practice: Case Studies of Technical Work

Many believe that the workplace has changed in ways that require workers with higher and more varied skills--and that schools are not producing students with such skills. In this study, the authors sought to better understand skills required in technical work, the institutional context in which work takes place, and employers' strategies for meeting perceived skill requirements. The study used a sociocultural approach to examine skills and work-related dispositions (tendencies to use one's capabilities on the job) in four diverse industries. A rich picture emerged, demonstrating that work context matters in the consideration of skills: workplaces are complex, dynamic social systems that defy simplistic categorization of skills and straightforward matching of skill requirements to jobs. The study also found that employers do not necessarily understand the skills required, especially for frontline workers, nor adopt effective strategies for identifying and developing those skills. For example, employers have few connections to education providers and do not fully utilize industry skill certification. These and other findings raise questions about current public policy on school reform and skill standards.

This study explores skills and work-related dispositions in technical work. It adopts a sociocultural approach to closely examine skills in seven target jobs in worksites representing diverse industries--health care, traffic management, transportation, and semiconductor manufacturing. It explores employers' strategies for obtaining the skills they need under conditions of technological or organizational change.