The Skills That Matter

'Skills have become an increasingly important component of political rhetoric - perhaps the vital ingredient in a raft of social and economic policies across the developed world. This important and timely collection describes the real impact of skills in today's workplaces and national economies and explains why they appear ever more highly in our politicians' plans.' - Will Hutton, Chief Executive, The Work Foundation '...a thought-provoking and stimulating read.' - Kim Hoque, Nottingham University Business School 'The Skills That Matter, which offers a timely and incredibly thought provoking range of analyses on the current state of skills policy both in the UK and within other developed economies...very well written and provide[s] a great deal of material that is well presented.' - Nicholas Clarke, International Employment Relations Review 'This book...contributes significantly to several fields including the sociology of work, education and training, human resource management and management to name a few.' - Melissa White, Work, Employment and Society

The Skills That Matter is an edited collection written by leading academics from the UK, Europe, the USA and Australia in the area of skills acquisition, formation and development.The Skills That Matter is an edited collection written by leading academics from the UK, Europe, the USA and Australia in the area of skills acquisition, formation and development. It combines academic evidence and policy debates with a critical analysis, making it an asset to students of HRM, industrial relations, sociology of work and business and management at both undergraduate and postgraduate level as well as being a useful resource to researchers and policy makers working in the field of skill formation.