Training and labour market flexibility: Is there a trade-off?

This paper explores the nexus between work-related training and labour mark et 'flexibility' (which we proxy by contract type, parr-time employment and lack of union coverage), using the first five waves of the British Househo ld Panel Survey (BHPS) conducted over the period 1991-5. Our results show t hat workers on short-term employment contracts, who are working part-time o r are not covered by a union collective agreement, are significantly less l ikely to be involved in any work-related training to improve or increase th eir skills. These findings suggest that there is a trade-off between expand ing the more marginal forms of employment and expanding the proportion of t he work-force getting work-related training.