Participants will acquire knowledge of economics of education, and economic theories of labour and skill formation. Students will acquire knowledge about the measurement of skills, how such measures can be used for educational policy and their limitations.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHOD(S) USED IN THIS COURSE IS WITH RESERVATION. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE IS BASED ON THE COURSE SETUP PRIOR TO THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE CRISIS, COURSE COORDINATORS MAY BE FORCED TO CHANGE THE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS USED. THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEACHING/ASSESSMENT METHOD(S) WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE COURSE SYLLABUS.

In education and at work people acquire the skills that they need to proceed at school and are valuable for them throughout their career. In this course we discuss, based on economics of education and economic theories of labour and skill formation what determines these decisions,how they affect individual development and productivity, and how they provide the flexibility that is needed to cope with the ongoing changes in the labour market. Such theories include human capital theory, school choice, supply and demand in the labor market and theories of technical change.. We also discuss how the relevant skills can be measured, how such measures can inform policy but also how the limitations of such measures affect decision about skill formation. Topics that are covered include inequality in the labour market, life long learning, gender wage gaps, non-cognitive skills, school choice and technological change.