Abstract |
Skill training in the workplace is a major concern among manufacturers in most developing countries. Using Thai manufacture firm-level data, this study finds a positive relationship between firm size and skill training. Skill training is found to be more prominent among firms that are more capital/technology intensive. Firms employing labor as a major input, on the other hand, provide less training opportunities for their workers. Firms employing lower educated workers or lower skilled workers are likely to provide less skill training while firms employing a higher percentage of technical staff show more interest on providing training courses. This suggests that training opportunities are rather biased toward higher skilled, better educated, rather than unskilled workers with low education that tend to amplify skill gaps among employees. Vacancies and general dissatisfaction with low-level workers may discourage firms from offering their own training, in favour of relying more on outside training. |