EurOccupations

EurOccupationsDeveloping a detailed 7-country occupations database for

comparative socio-economic research in the European Union

Project period: May 2006-May 2009

Judith de Ruijter, Arbeid Opleidingen Consult

EurOccupations

Project partnersThe Netherlands Erasmus University Rotterdam, dept. Sociology (Co-ordinator)

Arbeid Opleidingen ConsultUniversity of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for AdvancedLabour StudiesWageIndicator Foundation

Belgium Catholic University of LeuvenUnited Kingdom University of Warwick, Warwick Institute for Employment ResearchPoland University of Economics PoznanSpain Foundation Centre for European initiatives and research in

theMediterranean (CIREM)

France Centre d’études et de recherches sur les qualifications (CEREQ)

Germany AWWW GmbH (ArbeidsWelt - Working World)

EurOccupations

Project background• Lack of a harmonized occupational classification• Lacking / incomplete correspondence tables NOC –> ISCO• Many occupations end up in category ‘not elsewhere

classified’• ‘New’ occupations are not included• Difficulty of question ‘what is your occupation’ in survey

research

Need for a tool to collect comparable, disaggregated and reliable data on occupations in cross-country research

EurOccupations

Project objectives1. To obtain a harmonized, EU occupations database for 7 large

European MS (Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, UK)

2. To develop search tools that can be used in self-administered computer assisted questionnaires

3. To test the database on possible skill & gender bias

4. To promote the use of the database in research and policy and disseminate the project’s results and outcomes

5. To offer a tool to collect comparable, disaggregated and reliable data on occupations across countries by means of a survey among individuals

EurOccupations

Participating countries1. United Kingdom

2. France

3. Spain

4. Germany

5. Poland

6. Belgium

7. The Netherlands

EurOccupations

Project outline1.Construction of EurOccupations Database

2.Data collection benchmark occupations

3.Testing and research activities

4.Dissemination

EurOccupations

The EurOccupations database• Building a ‘masterfile’ of occupations (1.000 - 1.500 occupational titles), including:

general information (ISCO- & NOC-codes, occupational titles & synonyms in

different languages)

information on distribution of gender, education and age groups in each country

detailed information on appr. 150 benchmark occupations (job content, skill level,

required competencies), with special attention for ‘problematic’ occupations

make use of the expertise of statistical offices in building this masterfile

• Online and offline search program for several categories of users, e.g. survey

respondents in self-administered computer-based questionnaires, interviewers,

researchers

• Toolkit/manual to extend EurOccupations database to other countries

EurOccupationsData collection benchmark occupationsGathering information about 150 benchmark occupations for 7 countries, to be

included in the EurOccupations database

1. Deskresearch (national occupation databases, competency profiles, etc.)

2. Consultation of experts (representatives of statistical offices, employer organisations, unions, vocational training institutes, knowledge centers, etc.):

• Standardised questionnaires for benchmark occupation

• Interviews

• Webbased discussions

• National and international workshops

EurOccupations

Clusters of occupations1. Care & welfare occupations

2. Education, childcare, research occupations

3. Technology, manufacturing occupations

4. Crafts & trade, agriculture, nature & fishing occupations

5. Services occupations

6. Transport, communications, travel occupations

7. Professional occupations

8. Administration, clerical occupations

EurOccupations

Testing and research activities• Check on gender and skill bias

• Match database to existing work-related websurveys (f.e. WOLIWEB)

• Testing recoding program for not-self-administered surveys

• Researching into occupational structure Poland

• Researching into the socio-economic status of occupations in 7 countries

• Researching into ‘problematic’ occupations

EurOccupations

Dissemination1. Spreading information about the project (statistical offices,

scientific community, researchers, national experts etc.):• Website www.EurOccupations.org

• Newsletters, working papers, reports

• Organisation workshops, standard presentation

• Manual researchers, report on how to use database

2. Mobilisation of networks to extend the EurOccupations database to other countries

3. Dissemination of occupation information to employers’ organisations, professional bodies, trade unions, educational institutes, research institutes etc.