A well-trained workforce is generally seen as an important precondition for economic growth. But decisions about investments in education and training must be taken under uncertainty, because the benefits will only be reaped in the long term. To predict what these future benefits may be, it is necessary to have some insight into how the labour market functions with respect to education and training. There are various theories, in the literature, which outline a picture of the role played by education and training in the labour market. This paper begins with a sketch of the various policy approaches to the match between the education system and the labour market and an explanation of the importance of labour market information for policy choices. Five labour market theories in which workers'' educational backgrounds is an important factor will be described. Then, on the basis of these theories, we infer what labour market information could be significant in educational decisions. Some basic principles for the preparation of labour market forecasts are identified, and a structure which could be used in making forecasts is outlined. The paper concludes with a plea for a European approach.
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Paper provided by Maastricht : ROA,Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market in its series Working Papers with number
002.
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