IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pid/journl/v44y2005i4p387-409.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Skills and Competitiveness: Can Pakistan Break Out of the Low-Level Skills Trap?

Author

Listed:
  • Rashid Amjad

    (Policy, Planning, Employment Sector, International Labour Organization, Geneva)

Abstract

The paper argues that if Pakistan is to survive and prosper under the competitive conditions of the new global economy, then it must move away from its overwhelming dependence on “cottonomics” into more technology- and knowledge-based productswhere global growth is concentrated. For this to happen, it must break out of the “lowlevel skills trap”, which is the result of the very low levels of education and skills of its work force. It then poses the question whether the development of a well-educated and skilled labour force is sufficient for the country to graduate from labour-intensive to higher value-added, skill-intensive, technologically advanced sectors. The paper argues that while this is essential, the real challenge is to change the mind-set and develop institutions which recognise the value of investing in people and provide dignity, respect, and a fair deal for working men and women.

Suggested Citation

  • Rashid Amjad, 2005. "Skills and Competitiveness: Can Pakistan Break Out of the Low-Level Skills Trap?," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 44(4), pages 387-409.
    • Handle: RePEc:pid:journl:v:44:y:2005:i:4:p:387-409
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.pide.org.pk/pdf/PDR/2005/Volume4/387-409.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lucas, Robert E, Jr, 1993. "Making a Miracle," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 61(2), pages 251-272, March.
    2. Amjad,Rashid, 2008. "Private Industrial Investment in Pakistan," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521053617, January.
    3. Azizur Rahman Khan, 1967. "What Has Been Happening to Real Wages in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 7(3), pages 317-347.
    4. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Jamil & Ahmed Imran Hunjra & Babar Khalid, 2014. "Important Factors of Human Resource Development in Pakistan," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 3(1), pages 1-12, March.
    2. Muhammad Khan & Fozia Aftab Kiani & Afsheen Ashraf & M. Iftikhar-Ul- Husnain, 2009. "Skills, Competitiveness and Productivity," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 48(4), pages 473-486.
    3. Asghar Ali & Iqbal Ahmad & M. Anees-ul-Husnain Shah, 2017. "Exploring Factors Influencing Employability ofVocational Training Graduates in Pakistan:A Factor Analysis," Global Regional Review, Humanity Only, vol. 2(1), pages 389-404, June.
    4. Ahad Hassan Afridi, 2016. "Human Capital and Economic Growth of Pakistan," Business & Economic Review, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan, vol. 8(1), pages 77-86, April.
    5. Rashid Amjad, 2006. "Why Pakistan Must Break-into the Knowledge Economy," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 11(Special E), pages 75-87, September.
    6. Uzma Zia, 2007. "International Competitiveness  Where Pakistan Stands?," Development Economics Working Papers 22222, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    7. Hina Amir & Muhammad Khan & Kanwal Bilal, 2014. "Role of Educated Labor Force in Economic Growth of Pakistan: A Human Capital Respective," International Journal of Empirical Finance, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 3(4), pages 212-224.
    8. Matthew McCartney, 2014. "The Political Economy of Industrial Policy: A Comparative Study of the Textiles Industry in Pakistan," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 19(Special E), pages 105-134, September.
    9. Makino, Momoe, 2012. "What motivates female operators to enter the garment industry in Pakistan in the post-MFA period?," IDE Discussion Papers 374, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    10. Naila Bano & Siliu Yang & Easar Alam, 2022. "Emerging Challenges in Technical Vocational Education and Training of Pakistan in the Context of CPEC," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-16, June.
    11. Shaukat Hameed Khan, 2009. "Making People Employable: Reforming Secondary Education in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 48(4), pages 603-617.
    12. A. R. Kemal, 2005. "Skill Development in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 44(4), pages 349-357.
    13. Matthew McCartney, 2012. "Competitiveness and Pakistan: A Dangerous, Distorting, and Dead-End Obsession?," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 17(Special E), pages 213-241, September.
    14. Muhammad Azhar Khalil* & Rashid Khalil & Iqra Arshad & Muhammad Khuram Khalild, 2018. "Global Trade and Technology as Indicators of Competitiveness and Economic Development: A Study of Pakistan’s Position in International Market," The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, pages 498-504:2.
    15. Muhammad Kashif & Umair Altaf & Hafiz M. Ayub & Umer Asif & John C. Walsh, 2014. "Customer Satisfaction at Public Hospitals in Pakistan: PAKSERV Application," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 15(4), pages 677-693, December.
    16. Matthew McCartney, 2016. "Costs, Capabilities, Conflict and Cash: The Problem of Technology and Sustainable Economic Growth in Pakistan," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 21(Special E), pages 65-98, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andersson, Fredrik N.G. & Edgerton, David L. & Opper, Sonja, 2013. "A Matter of Time: Revisiting Growth Convergence in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 239-251.
    2. Richard E. Baldwin & Philippe Martin & Gianmarco I. P. Ottaviano, 2021. "Global Income Divergence, Trade, and Industrialization: The Geography of Growth Take-Offs," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Firms and Workers in a Globalized World Larger Markets, Tougher Competition, chapter 2, pages 25-57, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Berthelemy, Jean-claude & Soderling, Ludvig, 2001. "The Role of Capital Accumulation, Adjustment and Structural Change for Economic Take-Off: Empirical Evidence from African Growth Episodes," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 323-343, February.
    4. Gali, Jordi, 1995. "Product diversity, endogenous markups, and development traps," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 39-63, August.
    5. G Cameron, 1996. "Innovation and Economic Growth," CEP Discussion Papers dp0277, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    6. Tubiana, Matteo & Miguelez, Ernest & Moreno, Rosina, 2022. "In knowledge we trust: Learning-by-interacting and the productivity of inventors," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
    7. Durlauf, Steven N. & Quah, Danny T., 1999. "The new empirics of economic growth," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 235-308, Elsevier.
    8. Ben-David, Dan & Loewy, Michael B, 1995. "Free Trade and Long-Run Growth," CEPR Discussion Papers 1183, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Márquez, Miguel A. & Ramajo, Julián & Hewings, Geoffrey J. D., 2011. "Public Capital and Regional Economic Growth: a SVAR Approach for the Spanish Regions," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 21, pages 199-223.
    10. Horii, Ryo, 2012. "Wants and past knowledge: Growth cycles with emerging industries," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 220-238.
    11. Gong, Guan & Keller, Wolfgang, 2003. "Convergence and polarization in global income levels: a review of recent results on the role of international technology diffusion," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1055-1079, June.
    12. David B. Audretsch, 2020. "Entrepreneurship and culture," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, March.
    13. Markus Eberhardt & Francis Teal, 2011. "Econometrics For Grumblers: A New Look At The Literature On Cross‐Country Growth Empirics," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 109-155, February.
    14. Rodriguez-Oreggia, Eduardo & Rodriguez-Pose, Andres, 2004. "The Regional Returns of Public Investment Policies in Mexico," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1545-1562, September.
    15. Kim, Se-Jik & Kim, Yong Jin, 2000. "Growth gains from trade and education," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 519-545, April.
    16. Papageorgiou, Chris & Perez-Sebastian, Fidel, 2006. "Dynamics in a non-scale R&D growth model with human capital: Explaining the Japanese and South Korean development experiences," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 901-930, June.
    17. Sabau, Gabriela L., 2010. "Know, live and let live: Towards a redefinition of the knowledge-based economy -- sustainable development nexus," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 1193-1201, April.
    18. Cabrer-Borras, Bernardi & Serrano-Domingo, Guadalupe, 2007. "Innovation and R&D spillover effects in Spanish regions: A spatial approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 1357-1371, November.
    19. Rivas, Luis A., 2003. "Income taxes, spending composition and long-run growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 477-503, June.
    20. Gopinath, Munisamy & Arnade, Carlos & Shane, Mathew & Roe, Terry, 1997. "Agricultural competitiveness: The case of the United States and major EU countries," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 16(2), pages 99-109, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pid:journl:v:44:y:2005:i:4:p:387-409. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Khurram Iqbal (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/pideipk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.