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skilled worker

skilled worker

10 3.1
A person with special training for a specific job
  • noun
  • /skɪld ˈwɜrkər/
translation icon : trabajador cualificado
  • The company is looking to hire skilled workers who can efficiently operate complex machinery.
  • highly skilled workers
  • shortage of skilled workers
  • need for skilled workers

You, you get very highly skilled workers and often they're called guilds, like the writers guilds.

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Examples

  • Many industries are struggling to find enough skilled workers to fill their job vacancies.

  • But it's interesting to see that AI can reduce the advantage that highly skilled workers have over lower skilled workers.

  • Therefore, you should not be allowed to find your skilled workers somewhere else.

    Academic text (1990)
  • So, it is your own fault if you cannot find skilled workers, not ours.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Skilled workers in America often create more value when working with other skilled workers.

    Academic text (2012)
  • So it's just a collection of highly-skilled workers providing a service.

  • Increase the number of skilled workers in the United States by encouraging skilled immigrants.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Professionals would like to view these categories of skilled workers on a job-specific basis.

    Academic text (1990)
  • However, many experts are predicting a shortage of skilled workers in the next century.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Furthermore, the new fruit-growing estates employ skilled workers, not traditional cultivators.

    Academic text (1994)

Synonyms

expert
vsskilled worker
3.2

A person who knows a lot about a subject and can help others

means a trained person with job expertise, not necessarily top-level knowledge
specialist
vsskilled worker
352 3.9

A person who knows a lot about one area of work or study

is more general, covering trained people across various occupations rather than narrow focus
technician
vsskilled worker
  • Specialized
184 3.7

A trained person who installs and fixes machines or equipment

applies to trained people across fields, not only to technical process work
craftsman
vsskilled worker
39 2.8

A person who makes useful or beautiful things by hand and is very skilled

covers trained people in many areas, not only traditional manual craftsmanship
adept
vsskilled worker
3 4.7

A person who is very skilled at something

describes a trained job person whose competence may be wider but not exceptional
tradesman
vsskilled worker
1 3.2

A skilled worker who does building or repair work

is broader, applying to trained people in many different jobs beyond manual trades
trained worker
vsskilled worker
1 2.4

A person who has learned special skills for a job

emphasizes broader expertise and experience beyond initial instruction
tradesperson
vsskilled worker
1 3.6

A person who does skilled physical work like an electrician or carpenter

is any person with specialized training across many occupations, not only manual trades
skilled workman
vsskilled worker
3.0

A man trained to do a certain trade like a carpenter

refers to any person with specialized training regardless of gender
skilled workwoman
vsskilled worker
3.8

A woman with special training who does a job well

refers to any person with specialized training regardless of gender

Antonyms

A person who has not learned the skills needed for a job

How Skilled

specialist
352 3.9
craftsman
39 2.8
skilled worker
10 3.1
semiskilled
1 3.7
unskilled
11 1.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

skilled + worker

The meaning is directly compositional: 'skilled' (having expertise) modifies 'worker' (a person who works), yielding 'a worker with specialized training or expertise,' so the sense is derivable from the parts. This ADJ+NOUN pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.

Etymology

The noun skilled worker comes from old workshops where young people learned a craft by training for years under an experienced worker. The word skilled shows they had 'special skills' and worker shows they did the work, so today skilled worker means someone with special training for a job.