Skill Shortages,Demographic Aging,and Training Implications for Skill-Based Economies

This article draws on a study of the supply of technician training in engineering and science and technology sectors in Oxfordshire in southeast England. The study conducted between January and May 2004 set out to identify the challenges facing training providers and employers in the context of an increasing age profile of technicians, while the skills demanded of technicians are changing. Some forty interviews were conducted with local providers of training, employers, and industry organizations. The study shows that a key part of the Oxfordshire labor market is undergoing radical changes in structure and function. So far these changes have not been matched by a coherent training response.