Template-type: ReDif-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Heijke,Hans
Author-Name: Meng,Christoph 
Author-Name: Ramaekers,Ger
Author-workplace-name: ROA rm
Title: An investigation into the role of human capital competences and their pay-off
Abstract: Learning is possible both in school and later on when working. The learning process is thereby dependent on the context wherein it takes place. This implies that in particular three groups of competences can be distinguished. First of all, competences acquired in school, which are of direct use in later work, secondly, competences acquired in school, which facilitate acquiring new competences after graduation from school and finally, competences acquired mainly in a working context. Using a unique dataset on Italian university graduates, the target of this paper is to show that these three competences can indeed be distinguished and to discuss their different roles and pay-offs in the labour market.We will show that, firstly, the level of field-specific skills obtained in higher education offers graduates a comparative advantage when working inside the own field-specific domain and therefore has a pay-off for those graduates who are able to find a job in their own field-specific domain; secondly, that management skills are valued in the labour market but seem to be more effectively acquired in a working context than in higher education and thirdly, that general academic competences acquired in higher education do not pay off directly but have a significant supportive role when learning skills that have a direct pay-off in the labour market but are more effectively acquired outside education.
Keywords: labour market entry and occupational careers; 
Series: Research Memoranda
Creation-Date: 2003
Number: 001
File-URL: http://edocs.ub.unimaas.nl/loader/file.asp?id=701
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 188752
Handle: RePEc:unm:umaror:2003001