Debate continues to feature prominently in many countries on such notions as skills, skill shortages and employability. Clearly such notions remain significant internationally in the rhetoric of both economic reform and training policy and practice. However, the problem remains of differing perceptions. The purpose of this comparative study was to examine the expectations of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) when they recruit young people. Focusing on Germany, Australia and the United States, interviews were held with 30 managers in two diverse job roles—hospitality front-desk staff and automotive technicians. In addition to differences in the range of desired skills between the job roles in these countries, difficulties in recruiting young people were highlighted by the study. Generational differences and academization were perceived as having effects on the hiring of young workers. Various problems with each country's general education system were also emphasized, as managers perceived many young people being inadequately prepared for work. The study also demonstrates the influence of the skill formation system of the countries is less relevant in comparison to the sector in which the SMEs are active.

中文翻译：

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中小企业雇主在德国，澳大利亚和美国招募年轻人的期望的比较研究

在许多国家，关于技能，技能短缺和就业能力等问题的辩论继续很突出。显然，在经济改革以及培训政策和实践方面，这种观念在国际上仍然具有重要意义。但是，问题仍然存在不同的看法。这项比较研究的目的是检验中小企业招募年轻人时的期望。以德国，澳大利亚和美国为重点，与30位具有两种不同工作职责的经理进行了访谈-接待前台人员和汽车技术人员。该研究指出，这些国家的工作角色之间在所需技能范围上存在差异，此外，在招募年轻人方面存在困难。人们认为，代际差异和学术化对雇用年轻工人有影响。还强调了每个国家的通识教育系统存在的各种问题，因为管理人员认为许多年轻人没有充分的工作准备。该研究还表明，与中小企业活跃的部门相比，这些国家的技能形成系统的影响不那么重要。