Collective Skill Formation in a Knowledge Economy: Challenges and Dilemmas

Collective skill formation systems have been long hailed for their capacity to provide high quality vocational training, thereby straddling the twin demands of supplying relevant skills to employers and offering access to stable and relatively well-paid jobs for individuals without university education. Yet the rise of the knowledge economy has put a question mark over whether such efficient and solidaristic outcomes are still sustainable. This introductory chapter reviews structural economic, social, and macro-political trends that challenge collective skill formation systems. The focus is on the growing relevance of knowledge-intensive production processes. However, other macro-trends that are crucial for these systems’ ability to perform an integrative function are also emphasized: the rise in social inequality and the emergence of multicultural societies. In addition, this chapter identifies the two main dilemmas collective skill formation systems face in a knowledge economy: (1) balancing efficiency and inclusiveness in an increasingly knowledge-intensive economy and (2) collective action in the age of decollectivization.