Labour market intermediaries: a corrective to the human capital paradigm (mis)matching skills and jobs?

Dobbins, Tony; Plows, Alexandra

doi:10.1080/13639080.2016.1255315

Cited by 21 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…On the supply side, the variation of supply and demand shapes the distribution of earnings (Katz & Murphy, 1992). According to the labour market intermediary theory (Dobbins & Plows, 2017), increasing the supply of graduates may provide employers with a noisy signal. The crowding‐out effect (Gu & Han, 2013) forces graduates to accept jobs intended for people with lower levels of education.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Class origins, higher education and employment in China during the 21st century

Lin

Chan

2020

Higher Education Quarterly

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The liberal theory of industrialism is one of the chief political theories impacting education. Such a framework associates academic achievement directly with employability and establishes education's dominant position in mediating social mobility. However, Chinese graduates are confronted with the broken promises of higher education, since college credentials are no longer regarded as ‘golden tickets’ that guarantee decent jobs or high social status. Therefore, this paper establishes a critical framework for analysing the liberal theory of industrialism. By referencing to empirical research, the current study provides an in‐depth discussion from the national perspective and offers explanations from both quantitative and qualitative evidence. The study suggests that the implementation of the theory in egalitarian societies has been largely compromised with regard to meritocratic selection. Meanwhile, the theory relies on a veil of ignorance, for it assumes that people would have a unanimous perception regarding social status. In both respects, it is argued to be incompatible with the contemporary Chinese context. Thus a more comprehensive and flexible perspective is needed to identify functions of higher education in developing countries. 摘要工业自由主义提出教育是促进就业与提升社会地位的决定因素, 其理论对当代教育产生深远影响。然而,当大学毕业文凭已不再是‘金饭碗’的保证, 中国大学毕业们面临着逐渐暗淡的就业前景与日益渺茫的阶级跨越机会。因此, 本文就工业自由主义进行批判性探讨。通过引用研究数据, 结合量性与质性证据, 本文从国家层面进行深度探讨。本文提出,工业自由主义与精英教育相左,同时, 由于此理论搭建于人们对于社会地位的一致认知的假定, 其论证受 “无知之幕”矇昧。本研究旨在说明工业自由主义难以解释当代中国高等教育的困境, 并呼吁制定更全面理论, 采用更灵活的视角来了解发展中国家的高等教育模式。

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Class origins, higher education and employment in China during the 21st century

Lin

Chan

2020

Higher Education Quarterly

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“…In fact, their feelings represent what the supply-side approach neglects to articulate i.e. the number of quality skilled jobs would not necessarily increase even if the economy grows at the national average, in particular in vulnerable regions which receive less policy support and investment by firms (Dobbins and Plows, 2016). However, such scepticism is outweighed by a more pervasive optimism on increasing skill demand in the process of formulating local (and regional) industrial and skills policies.…”

Section: Local Policy Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skills policy for growth and development: The merits of local approaches in Vietnam

Mori¹,

Stroud

2021

International Journal of Educational Development

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“…The model has been roundly critiqued, for example it offers no incentives to employers to enhance job quality nor any momentum to utilise skills more effectively (eg. Payne 2009Payne , 2018Lloyd and Mayhew 2010;Dobbins and Plows 2017;Dromey, McNeil, and Roberts 2017;Green et al 2016). In the UK context, employers can offer low paid dead end jobs without cost in a context where 22% of all jobs require no education beyond compulsory schooling (Keep 2016).…”

Section: Social Policies For the 'Rediscovered' Middlementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Devins et al 2017). Here, as in specific occupational sectors, there has been interest in job quality and the design of progression pathways (Dobbins and Plows 2017;Findlay et al 2017;Green et al 2016). The focus on job design and reward and the nature of progression opportunities offer examples of policy where support for young people is as much focused on employment demand and career pathways as it is on young people themselves.…”

Section: Skills Development and Shaping Opportunitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Young people in the middle: pathways, prospects, policies and a new agenda for youth research

Irwin

2020

Journal of Youth Studies

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Recent decades have seen important changes in education to work transitions in the UK. For secondary and further education leavers there are extensive challenges in accessing jobs with prospects. Recently, policy makers have renewed their focus on this middle grouping who are not bound for HE or NEET. However, there is a relative paucity of research into the experiences of these young people and surprisingly little youth researcher engagement with vocational pathways and their framing in policy. The paper interrogates changing experiences and opportunity 'in the middle' and linked policy framings and interventions. Policy remains framed in individualising terms which focus on young people's capacities and positions them, and represents their interests, in very specific ways. School mediated employer engagement is an interesting exemplar here, and is contrasted with alternative interventions which seek to restructure opportunities more fundamentally. The paper argues for a new agenda for youth research which would hold a mirror to experiences in the middle, critically interrogate assumptions embedded in policy and practice and enhance understanding of differentiated pathways and prospects for young people.

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Labour market intermediaries: a corrective to the human capital paradigm (mis)matching skills and jobs?

Cited by 21 publications

References 35 publications

Class origins, higher education and employment in China during the 21st century

Class origins, higher education and employment in China during the 21st century

Skills policy for growth and development: The merits of local approaches in Vietnam

Young people in the middle: pathways, prospects, policies and a new agenda for youth research

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