Policies and practices for improving skills utilisation locally

This chapter highlights why it is increasingly important for policy makers to focus on demand-side skills policies. Traditional supply-side approaches often overlook how employers are using skills in the workplace, which can undermine productivity and growth and weakens the demand for skills. Across the OECD, many countries are dealing with stagnant productivity growth while inequalities are simultaneously rising across a number of key employment and social measures. Policies to better use skills can create the conditions for enterprise growth and new economic opportunity and development but they remain under-developed across many countries. This chapter also highlights a number of areas, where policies can be targeted for better results on the ground.