TY  - JOUR
AU  - Heckman,James J.
TI  - Policies to Foster Human Capital
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 7288
PY  - 1999
Y2  - August 1999
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w7288
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w7288.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
James J. Heckman
Department of Economics
The University of Chicago
1126 E. 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Tel: 773/702-0634
Fax: 773/702-8490
E-Mail: jjh@uchicago.edu
AB  - This paper considers the sources of skill formation in a modern economy and emphasizes the importance of both cognitive and noncognitive skills in producing economic and social success and the importance of both formal academic institutions and families and firms as sources of learning.  Skill formation is a dynamic process with strong synergistic components.  Skill begets skill. Early investment promotes later investment.  Noncognitive skills and motivation are important determinants of success and these can be improved more successfully and at later ages than basic cognitive skills. Methods currently used to evaluate educational interventions ignore these noncogntive skills and  therefore substantially understate the benefits of early intervention programs and mentoring and teenage motivation programs.  At current levels of investment, American society underinvests in the very young and overinvests in mature adults with low skills.
ER  -