Strategies for developing knowledge-based employment in Yazd Province

The category of knowledge has always been the subject of human discussion, and its yield in the field of economics is the presentation of the knowledge-based economy concept, which emphasizes on the production and distribution of goods and services and takes into account the share of knowledge. Employment in the knowledge-based economy is characterized by increasing demand for highly skilled workers, and the member countries of economic cooperation and development tend to have high-tech intensive knowledge in the production and employment sectors. In developing countries, knowledge-based economy and knowledge-based employment are carried out in a scattered manner and a fixed and incomplete pattern. In Iran, the issue of educated unemployment in the provinces is one of the problems that has always attracted the attention of provincial officials. According to the statistics, 49% of the graduates of the universities in Yazd have bachelor's degrees, 26% associate degrees, 20% master's degrees, 2% professional doctorate degrees, and 1% specialized doctorate degrees in the fields of humanities, technology, engineering, art, medicine, basic sciences, agriculture and veterinary medicine. Most of the male graduates are in technical and engineering fields and humanities, and the female graduates studied humanities and arts. Most of the graduates are from the universities of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (20%), technical and vocational centers (20%) and Islamic Azad universities (19%). Most of the graduates of the province studied in Yazd, Meybod, Taft and Ardakan cities. According to the statistical yearbook of Yazd Province, the unemployment rate in the population of graduates or students studying in higher education is 14031, and the number of the unemployed is 45912. Therefore, one of the main problems in the province is the growing unemployment rate, especially among university graduates looking for a job. Also, the slow trend of sustainable employment and employment of students in the country hinders the full realization of the knowledge-based economy. In this regard, the present study seeks to provide solutions to increase the employment of knowledge-based people in Yazd Province.

Given the lack of theoretical foundations regarding the concept of knowledge-based employment and the need to recognize its dimensions and a comprehensive explanation of the factors affecting the development of knowledge-based employment in the field, this exploratory study is conducted on fundamental themes, dimensions and concepts through interviews with experts. In the target community, the other related sources were extracted and, at the same time, the data analysis and coding were performed using the Atlas IT8 software.

The process of analysis in theorizing began with the coding of the data, and then the relationship between the categories produced in the open coding stage was established. In this process, one category was recognized as the central or main category and then the other categories were set as sub-categories. Under the various headings of the paradigm model, the main category was related, and, in the last stage, the concepts were regularly related together. According to the results, the development of employment as a causal condition, the interaction of university, industry and government as a central category of information and communication technology, social capital, policy institution, innovation and marketing, education system and macroeconomic conditions of the country as institutional factors were identified as the context for regional development, economic growth, development of knowledge-based companies, and dissemination of collaborative learning based on mutual trust as strategies, interactions and actions. They provide a framework for the development of knowledge-based employment.

Interaction of university, industry and government in the context of institutional conditions such as institutional convergence, dissemination of institutional learning, cohesion and integration of the institutional structure of society under the influence of intervening factors such as information and communication technology, social capital, political institution, innovation and marketing, education system, and the macroeconomic conditions of the country lead to strategies of interaction and action such as regional development, economic growth and development, development of knowledge-based companies, and the dissemination of collaborative learning based on mutual trust. The result of these strategies is the development of knowledge-based employment with issues such as networking between academic institutions and knowledge-based companies, the consideration of science and technology policy as national assets, possession of a well-educated human resources, production of knowledge based on community needs in practical contexts, the activity of universities as scientific-economic institutions and academic groups as knowledge enterprises, improvement of technological capability in major industries, networking between academic institutions and private companies, activities and interdisciplinary learning based on real operational issues, and integration of science and technology by developing strategies and macro-policies.