The Employment and Skill Implications of the Adoption of New Technology: A Comparison of Small Engineering Firms in Core and Peripheral Regions

This paper examines the direct post-adoption effects of the introduction of new technology, specifically CNC machine tools, by small independent metalworking firms in three regions of the UK, the South East of England, Scotland and Wales. The research reports upon the impact of CNC adoption upon employment levels; the skills of operatives; the effect of CNCs upon skills and pay rates; the organisation of work and job content; and training. A benign interpretation of new technology's effects upon employment and deskilling is substantiated. The impact of CNC adoption upon enskilling has been similar in both the core and periphery of Britain. Also, there is scant evidence that CNC adoption has led to an increasingly polarised workforce.