Investment in education and training and shifts between jobs in the slovenian labour market
Investment in education and training and shifts between jobs in the slovenian labour market

Summary/Abstract: Job mobility is commonly dealt with as a function of individual resources and characteristics as well as structural factors. Labour market structures determine mobility opportunities, whereas individual resources and characteristics enable individuals to make use of these opportunities. Educational attainment is regarded as an individual resource, which is likely to open firms' doors, while its impact on internal job mobility is less clear. Some people continue to invest in their human capital later on in their working lives, be it to improve their level of education or to obtain job/occupation specific qualifications. This article deals with the importance of educational attainment and the effects of completed education during employment, as well as participation in non-formal further training on job mobility processes in the Slovenian labour market. The overall job transition rate, intrafirm job transition rate and inter-firm job transition rate are taken into consideration. Retrospective data on job histories covering the period 1974-1994 are analysed, which enables us to point out differences caused by changes in labour market structures in the period of transition to a market economy. The findings show that people with higher levels of educational attainment are more likely to change jobs, but also that labour force experience and non formal further training seem to make up for missing educational certificates in overall job shifts and inter-firm job shift, whereas original occupation has the same function in intra-firm job shifts processes. Additionally the function of education completed during ones working life, as job mobility resource is much less clear than expected. Neither labour force experience nor further training function as a retention mechanisms i.e., they do not chain people to existing jobs; organised non formal training supports job shifts. The transition period significantly increases intra firm job shifts, however it does not seem to alter the significance of human capital variables and original occupations on job transition rates.

• Details
• Contents