KRIVET Issue Brief People are Our Hope
Skill Changes and Demand for Vocational Training
- Changes in trends related to occupation and skills offer insights into the demand for education and training.
• We extracted implications surrounding education and training from the changes in skills trends using occupation information of the US.
• The US occupation information analysis results were interpreted, bearing in mind the differences between the occupational worlds of the US and Korea.
- The analysis indicated that individual occupation types display substantial variations in the emergence of new skills and changes in skills. The analysis also indicated that such differences must be considered when dealing with relevant education and training.
• Regarding the re-education of lower-skilled workers, it is necessary to focus on reinforcing existing skills. For highly skilled workers, however, it is crucial to focus on tackling new skills.
• The shift from how education and training centered on traditional functions and skills (installation, activation, maintenance, and repair) to a new paradigm should be reviewed. This is especially important for the cultivation of new workforces for lower-skilled occupations, including manual labor. The increase in the importance of basic skills (reading, writing, mathematics, and science), analytical skills (judgment, analysis, and assessment), learning skills (abilities to criticize and learn), and problem-solving skills is being witnessed in manual labor as related to traditional manufacturing.
Publisher: Young Sun Ra | Date of issue: October 13, 2020 | Issued by: Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET)
2020
No.19501 Need for analysis and analysis data
| It explores the implications of vocational training demands by analyzing changes in occupation, work, and skills.
The discussion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and smart factories should extend beyond the general level of discussion surrounding education and training in response to job losses and the emergence of new jobs. For a more detailed discussion, vocational training demands for each occupation type must be analyzed.
- Trend analysis of occupational and skill changes is useful for education and training demand analysis.
There are limits for the Korea Network for Occupations and Workers regarding the verification of skill change trends.
Based on the general tendency of occupational and skill changes to occur alongside technological change, occupational information from the US was analyzed, and implications applicable to Korea were examined.
- Korea’s occupation information is not accumulated enough to analyze long-term changes.
- When interpreting the US’s occupation information, the difference between the occupational world of the US and Korea must be taken into consideration. In the US, one’s work within their occupation is fixed, and when the work changes significantly, an addition or a replacement is considered. In Korea, one’s work in their occupation is highly flexible, and new work does not become a new
| Data for analysis: Data from the US occupation information in 2010 and 2019 (O*Net): Level of skill according to occupation
The US occupation information (O*Net) annually updates approximately 100 occupations, and some occupations are dropped while others are added or replaced. This study compares the 854 occupations on O*Net in 2010, with the 968 occupations included in 2019.
KRIVET Issue Brief
I Note I 1] Key characteristic
occupations presented among the added and replaced occupation information
2] The existing occupations in the information analysis occupation category (mathematician, statistician, etc.) require theoretical expertise. Newer occupations are related to application technologies (computer network support specialist, database designer, etc.).
I Footnote I
1) As US occupation classification differs from that of Korea, interpretation must be done with caution. For example, Logistics analysts, risk management specialists in the US are similar to Korea’s office jobs “sales and transportation manager” and professional
“management specialist,” but they are not the same.
I Footnote I
2) Even in the comparison using the seven skill indicators for each occupation type, there is no significant difference in average skill level between the years 2010 and 2019.
- Of the 854 occupations in 2010, 64 were dropped in 2019. The occupation information of 790 is maintained. However, by 2019, 178 occupations had been added or replaced since 2010. This totaled 968 occupations with the information included on O*Net in 2019.
When examining the structure of O*Net in terms of skill information, the skill levels offered by O*Net are displayed as 35 specific skills, that may be classified into seven groups:
- Basic skills: reading comprehension, active listening, writing, speaking, mathematics, and science - Learning skills: critical thinking, active learning, learning strategies, and monitoring.
- Social skills: social perceptiveness, coordination, persuasion, negotiation, instructing, and service orientation - complex problem solving skills: complex problem solving
- Systems skills: judgment and decision making, systems analysis, systems evaluation
- Technical skills: operations analysis, technology design, equipment selection, installation, programming, operations monitoring, operation and control, equipment maintenance, troubleshooting, repairing, and quality control analysis
- resource management skills: time management, management of financial resources, management of material resources, management of personnel resources
Method of analysis: The average skill level of the occupations added and replaced between 2010 and 2019 and the average skill level of the maintained occupations were compared. By comparing each occupation type, this study aims to understand the changes in skills by type of occupation.
- Assuming that trends in skill changes by occupation type happen in line with the changes in the occupational world due to new technological changes, this study aims to provide implications for Korea’s occupational training and development.
- The classification system of O*Net consists of 22 occupations at the multi-classification level of the standard occupational classification, with sub-categories within those 22.1) This study focuses on manufacturing jobs (e.g., engineering, technical, menial work, etc.), information analysis occupations that perform key roles in the recent expansion of information technology, and other occupations (e.g., managerial and business occupations) that display many changes.
[Table 1] 2019 occupation information (added or replaced) compared to 2010
[Unit: No. of occupations]
Occupation type Total New Ratio of
new Added or replaced in 2019
11 Manager 56 26 46% Managerial quality control systems managers, aquacultural managers, etc.
13 Business manager 50 17 34% Business logistics analysts, risk management specialists, etc.
15 Information Analysis* 33 26 79% Information analysis computer and information research scientists, database architects, etc.
17 Engineer 70 22 31% Engineering fuel cell engineers, non-destructive testing specialists, etc.
19 Basic Science & Social Science 60 8 13% Basic science & social science bioinformatics scientists, etc.
21 Social Service 14 1 7% Social service community health workers
23 Legal Profession 8 1 13% Judicial law clerks
25 Education Librarian 61 7 11% Education & books adapted physical education specialists, etc.
27 Entertainment and Sports Media 43 0 0% Entertainment and sports & media
29 Medical Service 86 32 37% Medical sports medicine physicians, art therapists, etc.
31 Health Support 18 5 28% Health support endoscopy technicians, etc.
33 Security Service 29 3 10% Security service intelligence analysts, etc.
35 Cooking 17 1 6% Cooking baristas
37 Building Management 8 0 0% Building manager
39 Private Service 32 4 13% Private services, travel guides, etc.
41 Sales 24 3 13% Sales energy brokers, etc.
43 Office and Administration 63 3 5% Office administration freight forwarders, etc.
45 Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 17 0 0% Agricultural and fisheries
47 Construction 61 4 7% Construction solar photovoltaic installers
49 Technician 54 4 7% Technical wind turbine service technicians
51 Low-skilled work 111 8 7% Menial recycling and reclamation workers 53 Transportation 53 3 6% Transportation recycling coordinators, etc.
Total 968 178 18%
02 Overall change in skill level
| While the changes in skills in the existing occupations are not significant, the emergence of new occupations shows an increase in skills.
The skill changes in the US occur through the addition and replacement of occupations rather than through adaption of pre-existing occupations.
- When comparing the seven skill indicators for the 790 occupations that have been maintained since 2010, the analysis shows no statistically significant change.2)
October 13, 2020
- Alternatively, when comparing the 790 occupations that have been maintained since 2010 and the 178 occupations that were added or replaced by 2019, all seven skills indicators were significantly higher than the new occupations.
[Figure 1] Comparison of the average skill level of existing occupations versus new occupations
In the US occupational arena, skill changes occur through the emergence of added and replaced occupations. In contrast, in the Korean occupational world, skill changes occur by creating new work within an existing occupation.
- Implications for the Korean occupational world include that skill changes are not significant in the existing work but that new skills increase through the appearance of new work.
임.
임.
03 The changes in the skill levels for each occupation type
| There is a significant difference regarding the emergence of new skills and skill changes between the occupation types. Thus, different vocational training for each occupation type must be taken into consideration.
Classifying the US manufacturing-related occupation’s skill changes into engineers, technicians, and menial workers shows that new occupations in the menial work category (added or replaced) have a higher level of skills than existing occupations do. However, for engineers, the skill level of new occupations is not higher than that of existing occupations.
- The existing 103 occupations and 8 new occupations in the menial work category are less than 10% of the new occupations.
Moreover, the level of skills of the new menial tasked occupations was significantly higher than that of existing occupations for all seven skill indicators.
- The proportion of new occupations in technical work also falls short of 10%, with 50 existing occupations and four new occupations. The change in the level of skills was not significant between existing and new occupations.
- Regarding engineering work, the proportion of new occupations is almost 50%, as there are 48 existing occupations and 22 new occupations. The skills of new occupations are mostly insignificantly different from the skills of the existing occupations. The one exception to this was for technical skills, which showed that the new occupations required higher skill levels.
As of 2010 As of 2019
I Note I
Probability of significance: *:
p<0.05; **: p<0.01; ***: p<0.001 Existing occupation (790) New occupation (178)
2.91 2.92 3.15 3.17
2.85 2.83 3.06 3.07
1.35 1.33
2.67 2.72
2.06 2.05 4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Basic skills Learning skills Social skills Problem-solving
skills Systems
skills
Technical skills Management
skills Average skill score (out of seven)
790 occupations maintained since 2010
2.92
3.37 3.17
3.58
2.83
3.21 3.07
3.50
1.331.49
2.72 3.31
2.05 2.48 4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Basic
skills*** Learning
skills*** Social
skills*** Problem-solving
skills*** Systems
skills ***
Technical
skills** Management
skills***
Average skill score (out of seven)
Existing occupations vs. new occupations, as of 2019
KRIVET Issue Brief
｜ KRIVET Social Policy Building, Sejong National Research Complex, 370, Sicheong-daero, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea ｜ Tel: 044-415-5000/5100 ｜ www.krivet.re.kr ｜ I Note I
Probability of significance: <.001
‘***’, <.01 ‘**’, <.05 ‘*’ I Note I
*: p<0.05; **: p<0.01; ***: p<0.001
[Table 2] Comparison of the skill level of existing and new occupations in the manufacturing-related occupation type
[Unit: average skill score (out of 7)]
Skill indicators Engineering work Technical work Menial work
Existing (48) New (22) Existing (50) New (4) Existing (103) New (8)
Basic skills 3.82 3.79 2.52 2.63 2.28 2.58**
Learning skills 3.68 3.65 2.85 2.88 2.62 2.90**
Social skills 3.03 3.02 2.54 2.35 2.21 2.59***
Problem-solving skills 3.79 3.77 2.97 2.97 2.59 2.86**
Technical skills 2.09 2.40* 2.49 2.71 1.87 2.18*
Systems skills 3.54 3.54 2.62 2.72 2.13 2.50**
Management skills 2.58 2.6 1.92 1.95 1.66 1.86
There is a difference between the types of occupations with regard to skill for existing and new occupations within the realm of information analysis. This played a key role in the recent expansion of information technology, as well as for business and managerial occupations.
- Within information analysis occupations, 26 new occupations emerged in addition to the existing 7 occupations, which is a significant change. When compared to the existing occupations, the level of skills for new occupations is low overall, while technical skills and management skills have increased overall.
- The increase in technical skills for information analysis occupations was evident, while systems skills decreased. This is related to the fact that existing occupations require theoretical expertise, whereas new occupations typically focus on technology application.
- Both business and managerial occupations observed an increase in systems skills.
- Management skills increased overall in all information analysis, business, and managerial occupations.
[Table 3] Comparison of the skill level of existing occupations and new occupations in information analysis, business, and managerial occupations
[Unit: Average skill score (out of 7)]
Skill indicators Information analysis Business Managerial
Existing (7) New(26) Existing (30) New (26) Existing (33) New (17)
Basic skills 4.33 3.42*** 3.47 3.41 3.3 3.31
Learning skills 4.03 3.61*** 3.82 3.9 3.48 3.6
Social skills 2.65 3.07** 3.54 3.7 3.17 3.29
Problem-solving skills 4.28 3.76*** 3.73 3.67 3.38 3.54
Technical skills 1.15 1.90*** 1.4 0.96 0.75 0.94
Systems skills 3.82 3.63 3.64 3.66 3.29 3.46
Management skills 2.03 2.38 3.33 3.61 2.35 2.71
04 Implications
There are significant differences between occupation types with regard to the emergence of new skills and the skill changes. Thus, different vocational education and training for each occupation type must be considered.
In menial work, which is considered a lower-skilled occupation, an increase in skills was witnessed. Meanwhile, no increase was witnessed in engineering and information analysis occupations, which are considered highly skilled occupations.
Regarding the implications this has for vocational education and training, retraining for a vocational field is required for lower-skilled occupations to increase skills. Measures are needed in response to newly emerging skills for highly skilled occupation types.
- In the menial work of the manufacturing field, new work has a higher level of skills than existing work does.
- In engineering work, it cannot be said that the level of skills of new work is higher than that of existing work.
- In information analysis, the skill level for new work is generally lower than that of existing work, but newly emerging work has its own characteristics.
In terms of specific skills, management skills and systems analysis skills have generally increased.
- Education and training for finance, resources, human resources, and so on, a part of management skills, must be strengthened entirely. Education and training for judgment, analysis, and evaluation, parts of systems skills, should also be improved overall.
There were significant increases in basic skills (reading, writing, mathematics, science), systems skills (judgment, analysis, evaluation), learning skills (ability to criticize and learn), and problem-solving skills for menial work in occupations related to manufacturing. This presents the need for change from the existing education and training that focuses on technical skills (installation, operation, maintenance, reparation).
- The fact that the skill level is higher for new occupations in menial work than existing occupations must be considered when improving education and l training.
