Essays on the complementarities between workers’ education, firms’ organization, and digitalization

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this dissertation is to assess the role of vocational and professional education and training (VPET) in determining firm productivity and employment growth compared to other input factors. To do this, this thesis investigates the complementarities between VPET and other production factors, especially digitalisation in the form of information and communication technologies (ICT). The results suggest that at firm level workers with an upper-secondary VET education are complementary to workers with a tertiary academic education, while workers with no post-compulsory education are complementary to workers with a tertiary professional education. The results further suggest that skilled workers benefit more than other workers do from the introduction of firms’ organisational practices. With regard to new technologies, this thesis shows that the use information technologies is particularly beneficial for workers with a tertiary vocational education, while communication technologies are especially complementary to workers with a tertiary academic education. Finally, analyses at labour market level suggest that ICT had an upskilling effect over the Switzerland, meaning that ICT decreases the demand for low-skilled workers, while it increases the demand for high-skilled workers, especially workers with a tertiary vocational education. The findings contained in this thesis enable evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, professional associations, and firms.