The Technology of Skill Formation

Cunha, Flavio; Heckman, James J.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.958713

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The Technology of Skill Formation

IZA Discussion Paper No. 2550

39 Pages Posted: 23 Jan 2007

See all articles by Flavio Cunha

Flavio Cunha

University of Pennsylvania - Department of Economics

University of Chicago - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); American Bar Foundation; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

There are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 2007

Abstract

This paper develops a model of skill formation that explains a variety of findings established in the child development and child intervention literatures. At its core is a technology that is stage-specific and that features self productivity, dynamic complementarity and skill multipliers. Lessons are drawn for the design of new policies to alleviate the consequences of the accident of birth that is a major source of human inequality.

Keywords: self productivity, skill multiplier, dynamic complementarity, accident of birth

JEL Classification: J13, J24, I38

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Cunha, Flavio and Heckman, James J., The Technology of Skill Formation (January 2007). IZA Discussion Paper No. 2550, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=958713 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.958713