Comparative advantages of school and workplace environment in skill acquisition

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the questions as to how important skills are; which skills can best be learned at school, and which skills can be acquired better in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach The authors exploit data from a survey among professional tertiary education and training business administration students and their employers in Switzerland. Findings The authors find that skills used in the business processes strategic management, human resource management, organizational design, and project management are most suitable to be taught in school. However, the results further suggest that soft skills can be acquired more effectively in the workplace than at school. The only exceptions are analytical thinking, joy of learning and organizational soft skills, for which school and workplace are similarly suitable. Practical implications The paper provides empirical evidence regarding the optimal choice of the learning place for both human resource managers as well as educational decision makers who aim to combine education and training, e.g. in an apprenticeship. Originality/value Little evidence regarding the optimal learning place exists.