Skill and work experience in the European knowledge economy



In contrast, the use of the term ‘key qualification’ in Germany and in the Netherlands
refers to a much more holistic notion of skill. It explicitly embraces the relationship
between the formal component of education (i.e. school/college) and the context (i.e.
workplace) in which skills are acquired (Onstenk forthcoming). The idea of ‘key
qualifications’ traditionally denoted the abilities that transcended traditional divisions
of labour and traditional occupational profiles (Simoliet
et al 1991), for example, the
personal competences needed either to ‘unlock’ the potential to memorise and retrieve
information or to understand work processes and work relationships. They now also
take explicit account of the need to integrate specialist knowledge, social and
participative competences and opportunities to master new production concepts and
contribute to the development of organisational learning cultures (Kamarainen &
Streumer 1998). Thus, a central tenet of German and Netherlands policy is that
competence / skill development presupposes that young people have opportunities to
explore the relationship between ‘codified’ and ‘everyday’ knowledge. In this sense,
the idea of ‘key qualifications’ implies a more contextual and less individualistic
conception of skill.

The concept of generic skill has been used in industrial sociology and political
economy to refer to the specific capabilities which are required for professional and
technical work. Flecker & Hofbauer (1998), for example, employ the term
‘intrapreneurial’ skills to describe the ability of skilled workers to combine ‘technical’
skills (i.e. knowledge of products and operational systems), ‘functional skills’ (i.e.
managing personal performance) and ‘motivational skills’ (i.e. commitment to
organisational goals) in order to ensure to continuous improvement in modern
production systems. In contrast, Reich (1991) has identified the type of generic skills
required by graduates who are seeking employment in the knowledge economy. He
employs the term the ‘symbolic analyst’ to describe the capability to solve problems,
take risks, broker solutions and maintain a systems perspective on work roles.
Although Flecker and Hofbauer and Reich are describing the skills required for

22



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