ABSTRACT

Measuring Competence And Knowledge Using Employee Surveys:
Evidence Using The British Skills Survey Of 1997

CRIC Discussion Paper No. 50

Dr Mark Tomlinson

There have been some recent attempts to measure learning in the UK economy and to relate this to competence building systems using employee level data. There is a large array of employment data available that has been under-utilised by the innovation studies community. Thus there is a potentially useful body of data available that can be used alongside more traditional economic data and innovation surveys to provide a more complete picture of the learning economy and the role of knowledge in economic systems. The analysis presented uses the 1997 UK Skills Survey, a large scale representative survey of employees concentrating on their skills and competence building ability. Conclusions will be drawn relating to the learning economy framework and policy conclusions drawn. It can be shown, for instance, that much of the dynamism of recent times is concentrated around the use of technology, HRM practices and also more concentrated in the new service economy than in manufacturing. This has obviously important implications for policy making and competitiveness.

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