The article develops a framework to explain an empirical observation that runs counter received wisdom in comparative political economy, namely the co-existence of large higher education systems and thriving manufacturing sectors in advanced capitalist countries. Introducing the concept of skill breadth, the article hypothesizes that: (i) advanced manufacturing firms have narrow skill needs concentrated around STEM skills; (ii) these skills are likely to be under-supplied by the higher education system unless dedicated public policies are put in place; and (iii) governments intervene in higher education policy to ensure the availability of those skills that are crucial for firms located in key sectors of national knowledge economies. Cross-country survey data of employer preferences for higher education graduates and case studies of recent higher education policy change in Germany and South Korea provide strong support for the argument. The article advances our overall understanding of skill formation systems in the knowledge economy and testifies to the persistent presence of policy levers that governments can employ to manage the economy and to support domestic firms.

中文翻译：

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工程化高等教育的扩展：高技能、先进制造和知识经济

本文开发了一个框架来解释与比较政治经济学中公认的智慧背道而驰的实证观察，即发达资本主义国家的大型高等教育系统和繁荣的制造业并存。引入技能广度的概念，文章假设：(i) 先进制造企业的技能需求集中在 STEM 技能上；(ii) 除非制定专门的公共政策，否则高等教育系统可能无法提供这些技能；(iii) 政府干预高等教育政策，以确保提供对位于国家知识经济关键部门的公司至关重要的技能。高等教育毕业生雇主偏好的跨国调查数据和近期德国和韩国高等教育政策变化的案例研究为该论点提供了有力的支持。