What’s Happening to ‘Skill’?

Abstract

This introductory chapter explores the nature of skill, highlighting the changing definitions of skill and its implications. It considers upskilling and deskilling, skill polarisation and skill expansion, and generic skills and competences. The chapter concludes that the concept of skill 'has become bigger, broader and much fuzzier around the edges' and that 'more than ever before, skill is a subjective as well as an objective phenomenon'. While skills are important, they are not necessarily the first factor that is considered for the betterment of work, employment and the economy. Changes beyond the workplace are required for upskilling to occur.

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