Beyond the deskilling controversy

✍ Scribed by William Cavestro

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 1011 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0951-5240
• DOI: 10.1016/0951-5240(90)90169-f

✦ Synopsis

This paper attempts to analyse the relations between new technology based on microelectronics and changes in skills and training. Its starting point is a critique of the deskilling thesis put forward by Friedmann and Touraine in France and Braverman in the USA. In continuous process industries (such as chemicals and cement) and discontinuous process industries (mechanical engineering), automation and the introduction of microelectronics have thrown up new skills concerning control, the anticipation of breakdowns and the maintenance of automated plants (NC machine tools, robots, etc.). In a situation of rising skill levels, training has occupied a secondary role in France as needs have been badly evaluated. In particular, training based on the direct use of machines has difficulty in integrating the complexity of automated systems and human intervention in the .['ace of malfunctions and breakdowns.