Two Types of Construction Training: General  associated with handicraft production  greater level of worker control over production methods  skills are transferable so worker mobility between firms is high  many employers benefit from utilizing the “well-rounded” worker

Specific Training  associated with standardized production  greater level of employer control over work processes  technology investment to replace craft skills  greater division of labor ( task specialization)  skills have more limited transferability so mobility is lower  greater attachment (dependence) to single employer  firms must recoup their own training costs so there is a greater incentive to hold on to skilled workers

Can Any Type of Work Be Considered Unskilled?  Name a job that requires no thought whatsoever about organization of tasks or how work is to be performed.  To some extent, skill development is the collection of productive knowledge and its reorganization by employers. However, industrial engineers can’t possibly make all decisions about the organization of work.

Unskilled Work?  Occupational shifts into skilled work cannot easily account for the last century's mass “upgrading” of farm labor to manufacturing work.  How much of farm work really was "unskilled?"

Unskilled?  The adoption of computer technology in higher education clerical jobs presents a similar skill definition problem. For many workers, computers represent a more efficient typewriter.  There has been no widespread occupational shift to high wage work as a result of this technical innovation.

What About Education?  Definitions of skill depend on the amount of education and training necessary to fill an occupational category. Often, these definitions do not include cognitive ability or knowledge.  How much do educational credentials serve as the basis for staffing desirable jobs?  Are Harvard graduates more “skilled” than those from IU?

Predictions for the Future According to Andre Gorz:  Future workforce is segmented not only by skills but by attachment to individual firms.  Stable core of elite employees whose skills are maintained by employer through continuous in- house training.  An administrative periphery performing routine monitoring and servicing tasks.  An external workforce employed as independent contractors includes both highly skilled professionals and low-status service workers  A temporary workforce rotates in and out of the labor market.