Is Computing Different? Comparing the Determinants of Computer-Related and Other Subject Matter Training in New Zealand

There is growing interest by policy makers in the gap between those who have skills in information technologies and those who do not, due, in part, to the concern that this gap contributes to rising income inequality. In this paper, unit record data are used to examine the factors that determine whether individuals study computer-related subjects and participate in computer-related training provided by employers and other agencies. The results from bivariate probit models suggest that the factors determining participation in computer-related training differ significantly from the factors determining participation in other subject matter training. Thus, general policies to raise training rates may have less impact on the acquisition of information technology skills than would more specific interventions that focus on the factors, such as school attainment and non-metropolitan location, that have significantly greater effect on the receipt of computer training than they do on other forms of training.