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A skilled worker is any worker who has some special knowledge or (usually acquired) ability in his work. A skilled worker may have attended a college, university or technical school. Or, a skilled worker may have learned his skills on the job.
Overview
While most (if not all) jobs require some level of skill, "skilled workers" bring some degree of expertise to the performance of a given job. For example, a factory worker who inspects new televisions for whether they turn on or off can fulfil this job with little or no knowledge of the inner workings of televisions. However, someone who repairs televisions would be considered a skilled worker, since such a person would possess the knowledge to be able to identify and correct problems with a television.
In addition to the general use of the term, various angencies or governments, both federal and local, may require skilled workers to meet additional specifications. Such definitions can affect matters such as immigration, licensure and eligibility for travel or residency. For example, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, skilled worker positions are not seasonal or temporary and require at least two years of experience or training.
Skilled work varies in type (i.e. - service versus labour), education requirements (ie - apprenticeship versus graduate college) and availability (freelance versus on-call). Such differences are often reflected in titling, opportunity, responsibility and (most significantly) salary.
Both skilled and non-skilled workers are vital and indispensable for the smooth-running of a free-market and/or capitalist society. Generally, however, individual skilled workers are more valued to a given company than individual non-skilled workers, as skilled workers tend to be more difficult to replace. As a result, skilled workers tend to demand more in the way of financial compensation because of their efforts.
Education
Education can received in a variety of manners, and is acknowledged through various means. Below is a sampling of educational conventions.
- On-the-job training - (Examples: fashion model, telecommunicator, entertainer)
- Apprenticeship - (Examples: welder, mechanic, farmer, mason)
- Vocational certification - (Examples: cosmetologist, dental assistant, licensed nurse practitioner, chef)
- Associate Degree - (Examples: legal assistant, commercial artist)
- Undergraduate Degree - (Examples: school teacher, software developer, nurse, coach)
- Professional Degree - (Examples: Architect, lawyer, medical doctor)
- Graduate Degree - (Examples: Astronaut, international businessperson, psychiatrist, professor)
- Other - Education can be received in other manners other than, and sometimes in conjunction with, what is mentioned above. For example, summer or post-graduate internships are very common for persons with advanced education but little experience. Also, many fields, including medicine, may require re-certification for various procedures or the profession in general. - (Examples: Post-doctorate fellow, medical resident, software intern)
Procurement
Due to globalisation, regional shortages of skilled workers, migration, outsourcing, and other factors, the methods of procuring skilled workers has changed in recent years.
Migration
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