Shortages of qualified labour in Britain: a problem of training or of skill utilisation?

Possible underutilisation of skilled workers and engineers is as important a source of poor economic performance as shortages of qualified labour. The article explores some of the evidence for underutilisation of skilled personnel in British industry, and possible reasons for it. To some extent, skill shortages are a cause of underutilisation as they militate against a high degree of transparency in skilled labour markets. Greater transparency and more effective utilisation depend ultimately upon acceptance in the place of work, and hence upon negotiation between employers, employee representatives and professional bodies.