The knowledge-based economy, skills and graduate retention

Scott, Alexanderina (2006) The knowledge-based economy, skills and graduate retention. MLitt(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The point of departure for this thesis is the observation that there now exists a new conventional wisdom, stating that highly skilled labour are a, if not the, key driver of growth in the contemporary knowledge-based economy (KE). This concept is often articulated in terms of the importance of the 'knowledge-worker' or 'talent' to the competitiveness of firms and even place. As such, in the contemporary period there is a heightened emphasis upon the role of human capital in fostering growth. At an organisational level, competitiveness is felt to rest upon finding the right 'talent' for the right job. Within the context of place, cities and regions are encouraged to compete on the basis of labour quality and as a result, place-marketing is often targeted at attracting highly-skilled, mobile knowledge workers. The knowledge-based economy narrative is also notable for an optimistic interpretation for employment expansion in which the demand for skilled labour is set to rise. This thesis explores this new conventional wisdom and demonstrates how the higher education sector has been adopted as an important adjunct within the KE narrative. The higher education sector is now under increasing pressure to meet various economic and social objectives in relation to the immediately surrounding region. The emphasis upon the need to regionalise university activity has also been extended to include the employment outcomes for graduates and more recently, their employability, in a bid to capture an expected expansion in knowledge-occupations. As such, this thesis considers the regional return to both public and private investments into higher education within the context of development towards a knowledge-based economy. It also draws some tentative conclusions about whether or not the labour market experience for graduates, in different places across the UK, accurately reflects employment expansion as predicted by the KE narrative.

• Item Type: Thesis (MLitt(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: knowledge-based economy.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General); H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences
• Supervisor's Name: Turok, Prof. Ivan
• Date of Award: 2006
• Depositing User: Mrs Monika Milewska-Fiertek
• Unique ID: glathesis:2006-39022
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Dec 2018 12:57
• Last Modified: 03 Apr 2024 15:18
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.39022
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/39022