Économie et Statistique n° 388-389 - 2005 Training-Employment (II): Training and Quality of Employment
Training specialization generally plays a secondary role in employment access
Olivier Chardon
Training does not automatically provide access to the profession or job for which it is intended. This is due to both labour market irregularities and the different methods of skill acquisition, ranging from certificate courses through to on-the-job training. Profession and training specialization are closely linked in approximately one job in three. In some cases, access to these professions necessitates a degree (e.g. medicine and the legal profession). Some professions, traditionally those of artisans (such as carpentry, plumbing and baking), also fall into this bracket, as do professions requiring specific technical skills (e.g. car repair and accountancy). Conversely, roughly one third of jobs require skills for which little training is required. Some of these offer the chance of a career change, while others open up job opportunities for young people with few qualifications. In most cases, employees who have acquired skills via different routes coexist within the same profession. Such a trend illustrates how the importance of specialized training for professions is a matter of debate. In large businesses, for example, employees who have been promoted internally through experience work side by side with younger staff who have followed specialized training.