Innovators, exporters and new skills development

This chapter analyses participation in training and skills development activities on the basis of other characteristics within the firm such as innovative activity, sector and export orientation. In this chapter we use these characteristics as a proxy for growth potential firms. There is extensive literature on the relationships between innovative activity in firms, and revenue and employment growth over the longer term. Exporting firms are also more likely to develop new markets and therefore present similar growth prospects. This allows some conclusions about the association of training activities and the characteristics of these firms to be drawn. The chapter also examines the performance of organisations in skills development within emerging skills areas such as entrepreneurship and green skills.