The Missing Middle : Technicians, Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing
This essay explores the nature and causes of the so-called ‘missing middle' (that is, the UK's failure to train sufficient technicians or workers with intermediate-level skills). Evidence is drawn from studies of UK advanced manufacturing industries, in particular those seeking to innovate by deploying new technologies. The root cause of the problem lies in a 'system failure' - as that term is understood in the innovation systems literature - in the UK education and training system