In recent years, skills development has become a priority among developed
and developing countries alike. Having a skilled workforce has been recognized
as paramount to boosting competitiveness in an increasingly global and
interdependent economic environment, fostering innovation and business
creation and increasing productivity. Since individuals with the right skills and
knowledge are more likely to find employment, skills development can also have
positive effects in reducing unemployment, raising incomes, and improving
standards of living.
The World Bank Group, in its quest to end extreme poverty and promote shared
prosperity, has joined efforts with countries and multilateral development
partners to ensure that individuals have access to quality education and training
opportunities and that employers can find the skills they need to operate. Several
means have been used toward this end, including funding operations, convening
policy dialogue, providing technical assistance, and conducting research and
analysis.
The Skills Towards Employability and Productivity (STEP) Skills Measurement
Program is part of the World Bank’s portfolio of analytical products on skills.
The STEP program consists of two survey instruments that collect information
on the supply and demand for skills in urban areas: a household survey and
an employer survey. Because it provides a set of core questionnaires and
implementation materials, the STEP program not only offers information that
can be used for country-level policy analysis but also builds comparable country
databases on skills. STEP has been implemented in waves, the first surveys
being implemented in seven countries in 2012 (Bolivia, Colombia, Ghana, Lao
PDR, Ukraine, Vietnam, and the Yunnan Province in China), and the second in
five countries in 2013 (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kenya, and Macedonia
FYR). The data presented in this publication correspond to these countries.