Shrinking skills

Demand for high-level skills has never been greater. In the workplace, routine tasks are being automated, destroying jobs that were once middle-class bulwarks. Increasingly, economies demand workers skilled in problem-solving, communications and collaboration and reward those with the ability to recognise and exploit new technologies.
In the words of OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, “Skills have become the global currency of 21st Century economies. They transform lives and drive economies.”
But it’s clear that some OECD countries are not doing as well as others in  developing these vital skills. Too many people are being left behind, dimming their own economic prospects and depriving their societies of their full contribution. These issues are highlighted in the first edition of the OECD Skills Outlook, which reports on the findings of a survey of adult skills in more than 20 OECD and partner countries. More...