Gastrow M., (2012) Innovation, Skills Development and South African Labour Market Intelligence. Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa

Innovation studies is based on a conceptual framework of evolutionary Neo Schumpeterian economics, and commonly adopts a National Systems of Innovation approach. Innovation studies research employing these approaches measures and analyses the characteristics of the actors within systems of innovation, the nature of their relationships, and drivers of innovation (skills, knowledge, funding, regulation, markets, networks, etc.) as dynamic and evolutionary processes. Innovation is a
driver of economic growth, creates demand for high-end skills, fosters global knowledge linkages, and drives skills upgrading at all levels. A theoretically and empirically informed understanding of the relationship between the institutions of the National System of Innovation and the national labour market is a critical part of a national labour market intelligence research programme. The interface between innovation and skills development is relevant to a range of policy imperatives, including those outlined in the Medium Term Strategic Framework, the Department of Higher Education’s National Skills Development Strategy III, and the DST’s 10 Year Innovation Plan. In the context of a brief assessment of the policy context, this paper sets out a proposed research agenda in which data relevant to innovation and skills development are included in the labour market information framework, and mechanisms for interpreting these data are built into the labour market intelligence
system.