ABSTRACT
Drawing out implications for government policy from research on the labour process is a delicate thing to do. Policy implications of a more immediate practical value lie in the field of vocational training. Some policy implications are general, others are specific. Employment policy, in order to be effective, has to be linked to the provision of government incentives. Employers' complaints about the lack of trained workers are universal and too often governments are 'invited' or 'bullied' into supporting industrial training, all in the name of economic growth and paving the way for modern technology. A crucial factor is that in industries such as textiles and clothing, more modern technology tends to make it easier to substitute one worker for another. Intra-industry comparisons in the textile and clothing industry revealed that it is rarely an advantage to work in an advanced technology factory.
