Is Human Capital the future of Countries ?

The notion of human capital can take several meanings. In a productivity-focused vision, human capital is all the knowledge and other immaterial resources that an individual has available to make a contribution to wealth creation. This vision may be extended: beyond the productive activity, an individual’s capacity to freely enact his choices is critically dependent on their knowledge –and therefore his training– and his health. Taking care of human capital means making sure that everyone is able to develop all their capacities, productive or otherwise. Since work is the main source of income, access to jobs must also be one of the main goals of maintaining and developing human capital.

How do we adapt education and vocational training to better prepare future workers for the jobs of tomorrow –or those of a more distant future– in a world undergoing huge technological change? If protecting health is not only concerned with the “productive body”, why should access to healthcare remain linked to salaried work entitling people to welfare benefits?