Title: Continuing vocational training and innovation in Europe

Authors: Teemu Makkonen; Binshan Lin

Addresses: Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. ' Business School, Louisiana State University in Shreveport, One University Place, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA

Abstract: This paper hypothesises that continuing vocational training (CVT) should have a positive effect on the innovativeness of nations. Using correlation analysis and several variables from the continuing vocational training survey (CVTS), which depicts various aspects of CVT, the hypothesis of a positive connection between CVT and innovation, as measured in patents, is confirmed in the European context: those nations where the commitment to CVT is the highest are also the most innovative countries in Europe. Consequently, investments and commitment to CVT, when properly planned and executed, have a positive effect on the innovativeness of firms and, subsequently, nations.

Keywords: continuing vocational training; patents; Europe; intellectual property; innovativeness; correlation analysis; positive connections; innovative countries; training investments; training commitment; Finland; Denmark; Luxembourg; Germany; Sweden; Norway; Sweden; United Kingdom; UK; Ireland; Holland; Netherlands; France; Austria; Belgium; Czech Republic; Italy; Slovenia; Spain; Estonia; Greece; Hungary; Portugal; Lithuania; Latvia; Poland; Bulgaria; EU; European Union; innovation; learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2012.047135

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2012 Vol.11 No.4, pp.325 - 338

Published online: 28 Aug 2014 *

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