Employment Skills Training Research Articles

Empirical Research on Student Satisfaction with Career Services in Public Universities

Providing long-term career guidance is an increasingly important role of public universities. Career services have become one of the most important evaluation factors for universities. This study used a mixed-methods approach to track and measure students satisfaction with career services in a public university in China. We designed and validated a questionnaire, then distributed it to university students. The questionnaire explored factors comprising the perceived quality of career services, with 20 quality indicators (e.g., employment skills training). According to the results, the perceived usefulness of career services was statistically significantly correlated with student satisfaction. The factors affecting student satisfaction varied with students’ grades. All 20 indicators had an impact on student satisfaction. The top three indicators contributing to higher satisfaction levels were the teacher’s teaching capacity, teacher’s knowledge, and guidance on career planning. The results led us to suggest that public universities can strengthen career services by enlisting the participation of all teachers, developing student-centered programs, and offering a wide variety of enrichment activities to improve the employability of graduates.

Application of AI and VR Synergistic Enhancement in Employment Skills Training: A Virtual Simulation Approach

In recent years, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) technology has opened up new approaches in the field of education and training, especially employment skills training. This study explores the application of artificial intelligence and virtual reality collaborative enhancement technology in virtual simulation training of employment skills. It introduces a comprehensive theoretical framework, including data collection and processing, intelligent analysis using multimodal algorithms, collaborative security mechanisms for AI models, and AI-VR interaction optimization techniques. This study confirms the feasibility and validity of the framework through theoretical analysis, simulation experiments, and expert interviews. The results show that the proposed framework significantly improves the personalization and interactivity of training, ensures data privacy and system stability, and improves the efficiency of intelligent diagnosis. This study provides valuable theoretical support and innovative ideas for the deep integration of VR technology in educational training.

Evaluating the impact of employability skill training on the self-efficacy of disadvantaged adults

Purpose Employability skills training programmes are an effective means for reducing unemployment rates. Such programmes also have the potential to improve the general well-being (e.g. self-efficacy) of disadvantaged individuals, however, reliable longitudinal evaluations of the psychological benefits of such programmes are limited. The present study evaluated the impact of an employability programme offered to disadvantaged adults in North-West England on self-efficacy. Additionally, the study aimed to identify risk factors for programme disengagement to identify at-risk groups that require further support. Design/methodology/approach Secondary longitudinal data pertaining to the background characteristics, programme engagement and self-efficacy scores (repeatedly measured on a monthly basis) of 308 programme users were analysed. Findings Results demonstrated that employability programme engagement significantly increased self-efficacy scores. Additionally, the findings suggested that individuals with mental health and learning difficulties were more likely to disengage from the programme. The findings demonstrate that employability programmes can have a positive impact on the well-being of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, however, prolonged engagement is needed for which some individuals require further support with. Originality/value The present study analysed longitudinal data from a diverse sample of disadvantaged individuals to reliably evaluate psychological outcomes from employability training programmes.

How Does Land Fragmentation Affect Agricultural Technical Efficiency? Based on Mediation Effects Analysis

The scientific revelation of the mechanism underlying land fragmentation’s influence on agricultural technical efficiency is extremely important. This study utilized survey data from 305 villages across 12 provinces in Southern China in 2020 to assess technical efficiency through the application of the stochastic frontier production function. Moreover, we investigated the direct impact of land fragmentation on technical efficiency and the indirect impact transmitted through crop diversification and part-time farming by employing Tobit and mediating effect models, respectively. The key findings are as follows: (1) The sampled farmers, on average, operated 0.614 hectares of land with 17.395 plots, and the mean of their technical efficiency was 0.630. (2) The overall effect of land fragmentation on technical efficiency demonstrated a “U”-shaped relationship. (3) Crop diversification and part-time farming were mediating factors in the impact of land fragmentation on technical efficiency. Specifically, an “inverted U”-shaped relationship existed between land fragmentation and crop diversification, whereas a negative linear relationship was observed between land fragmentation and part-time farming. Conversely, crop diversification presented a positive linear relationship with technical efficiency, and part-time farming had an “inverted U”-shaped relationship with technical efficiency. (4) The impact of land fragmentation on technical efficiency varied across altitude zones. It is recommended to control land fragmentation based on local conditions, encourage crop diversification, and strengthen employment guidance and skills training for farmers to ensure the orderly transfer of land.

Typology of Transferable Skills for Women Employability in Kenya

The transition of women from tertiary education to gainful employment has remained low, despite efforts put in place to enhance this. This review paper is the outcome of a synthesis of the literature on transferable skills for women and girls to enhance their skills development and employability through evidence-based gender responsive policies. The study was based on an integrative review of literature on the nature of transferable skills in Kenya and their influence on employability of girls and women. To appropriately contextualise the problem, researchers sought to understand the nature of transferable skills. The literature search was conducted using several databases for literature published in the last 5-8 years. Using keywords such as transferable skills, employability, women, the initial search revealed over 150 references. A total of 58 sources were included in the review. The paper provides a typology of transferable skills that can enhance women’s empowerment, as to what the literature suggests, and also based on the Basic Employability Skills Training (BEST) model used by CAP YEI in Kenya. The study was guided by the question: What is the nature of transferable skills provided in Kenya and what is already available in the literature? The findings reveal that practitioners’ and researchers’ conceptualisation of transferable skills varied across a narrow spectrum. These skills are typified as managerial, entrepreneurial, psycho-social, soft skills, life skills and 21st century competencies. These skills are essential for empowering youth to improve their employability in labour markets, especially in an African setting.

Agricultural Machinery Socialization Service Adoption, Risks, and Relative Poverty of Farmers

Agricultural machinery socialization services are an important means of alleviating poverty and promoting agricultural modernization. Based on 2750 items of survey data from farmers in Henan Province, this paper empirically tests the impact and mechanism of agricultural machinery socialization service adoption on the relative poverty of farmers by using a binary logit model and mediation effect model. The results show that the adoption of agricultural machinery socialization services has a significant negative impact on the relative poverty of farmers. The reduction in natural risk plays an intermediary role in the impact of the adoption of agricultural machinery socialization services on the relative poverty of farmers. The size of the household labor force and the land operation scale affect the poverty reduction effect of agricultural machinery socialization services. It can be seen that in the relative poverty governance stage, we should improve the development of the agricultural machinery socialization service system, enhance the risk resistance of farmers, build a supporting system for farmers’ employment skills training, and encourage an orderly connection between the large-scale operation of agricultural land and the large-scale operation of services so as to fully realize the poverty reduction role of agricultural machinery socialization services.

Assessing the Importance of Employability Skills Training on Engineering Students? Career Readiness

Assessing the Importance of Employability Skills Training on Engineering Students? Career Readiness

Development of Employability Skills of Vocational School Students in Bogor, Indonesia

Career development is one of the important things that need to be done at every level of education so that students gain career maturity. One of the components in developing career maturity is Employability skills. Employability skills are a set of skills that are important for individuals to have to survive in a job. Vocational Schools in Indonesia, commonly called SMK, aim to graduate individuals ready to work. Therefore, SMK graduate needs to master employability skills. This study aimed to determine the effect of the employability skills program on vocational school students. The research was conducted at a state vocational school at Bogor with a weak experimental method and involved six students as samples. The research results indicate that the employability skills program can improve the employability skills of vocational students. This research implies that employability skills training can be applied in schools to help students master employability skills.

Research on the relationship between college students' employability and IT skills training based on mixed research methods.

In the Internet era, there is a mismatch between the skill demands of the IT industry in China and the employment prospects of computer science graduates. The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly highlighted co-existing challenges for industry recruitment and student employment. Many education institutions see IT skills training as a way to solve this conflict. The present paper employs a mixed methods approach to explore factors regarding computer science students' employability. The study used a questionnaire informed by an indepth literature review, full scale development theory and the theory of competency-based education. Reliability analysis and factor analysis methods were used to assess component reliability and structural validity. A total of 323 valid questionnaires were collected and subjected to mean and variance analyses to explore significant differences, including in terms of gender, in student employability. The results show that: (1) employability is divided into nine factors; (2) IT skills training can improve employability; (3) the employability level of computer science students who participate in IT skills training is high; (4) there are significant gender differences in professional ethics, scientific spirit and job-seeking skills, but no significant gender differences in humanistic qualities, computer cognition and operation skills, software design and development skills, system use and innovation skills, sustainable development capacity and teamwork skills. The identification of student employability factors can help education institutions to improve their training and can be used as a standard for students' self-evaluation and selfimprovement. The paper also provides suggestions for education institutions about how to set up IT skills training programmes to enhance students' future employment prospects in the IT industry.

Scoping review exploring vocational rehabilitation interventions for mental health service users with chronic mental illness in low-income to upper-middle-income countries

ObjectiveTo synthesise research published on vocational rehabilitation (VR) interventions offered in institutions, by occupational therapists, to mental health service users (MHSUs) with chronic mental illness, in low-income to upper-middle-income countries...

Community-based social interventions for people with severe mental illness: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of recent evidence.

People living with severe mental illness (SMI) are one of the most marginalized groups in society. Interventions which aim to improve their social and economic participation are of crucial importance to clinicians, policy-makers and people with SMI themselves. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on social interventions for people with SMI published since 2016 and collated our findings through narrative synthesis. We found an encouragingly large amount of research in this field, and 72 papers met our inclusion criteria. Over half reported on the effectiveness of interventions delivered at the service level (supported accommodation, education or employment), while the remainder targeted individuals directly (community participation, family interventions, peer-led/supported interventions, social skills training). We identified good evidence for the Housing First model of supported accommodation, for the Individual Placement and Support model of supported employment, and for family psychoeducation, with the caveat that a range of models are nonetheless required to meet the varied housing, employment and family-related needs of individuals. Our findings also highlighted the importance of contextual factors and the need to make local adaptations when "importing" interventions from elsewhere. We found that augmentation strategies to enhance the effectiveness of social interventions (particularly supported employment and social skills training) by addressing cognitive impairments did not lead to transferable "real life" skills despite improvements in cognitive function. We also identified an emerging evidence base for peer-led/supported interventions, recovery colleges and other interventions to support community participation. We concluded that social interventions have considerable benefits but are arguably the most complex in the mental health field, and require multi-level stakeholder commitment and investment for successful implementation.

Empowering the Vulnerable Youth with Employability Skills through Non-formal Training Programs in Kenya

Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education talks about increasing access and equitable education that promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. This encompasses embedding foundational, technical and employability skills sustainable education and training. Inclusivity in education and training embraces the marginalized and vulnerable youth in education and training programs. The study intended to enhance some selected employability skills; communication, team building, and problem solving and time management, self-confidence and self-expression through non formal training programs. This paper presents findings of a study conducted among the vulnerable out of school youth to determine their level of employability skills and enhance the acquisition of the skills using interactive training methods. Quasi experimental design was employed and a purposively selected sample size of 60 youth drawn from four sub counties in Nakuru County was used. A structured questionnaire and an observation checklist were used to collect data before and after the training. The training was conducted for a period of one month using selected participatory/interactive training methods to enhance employability skills. Data was analyzed and presented using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed improved acquisition of some facets of employability skills in communication, team building, and problem solving and time management. There was no observable improvement of self-confidence and self-expression. It was concluded that acquisition of employability skills does not only depend on the training methods and the environment, but other factors such as the trainee's personality and experience from prior learning may also have an impact. Hence trainers should consider the trainees diversity when developing and planning for skills training programs.

Dissecting Perceptions of New Graduates on Work Orientation and Self-Confidence in Employability Skills Training Program

Work orientation and self-confidence are among key factors that lead to work performance of individual. Both factors are considered as among the predictors to influence productivity of new and experienced workers. This study is aimed to identify the level of work orientation and self-confidence among new graduates who participated in the work retention and skills enhancement program, Skim Latihan 1 Malaysia (SL1M). Also the study is intended to assess trainees' perceptions on employability skills training program, SL1M. This is a quantitative study using descriptive design. A total of 108 respondents were randomly selected from new graduates who were involved in the SL1M training program. This study is a quantitative research by using questionnaire instrument. Descriptive data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics software. The findings indicate the level of work orientation and self-confidence was high among respondents. The SL1M trainees are prepared to change their method of work if necessary in order to fulfill work requirement and demand. The trainees also believe that they possess a quality to work in the industry and can be offered to employers.

Embedding transferrable skills into the higher degree by research candidature

Purpose Higher degree by research (HDR) graduates are often perceived to be overly specialised and are unable to adapt to non-academic settings (Jaeger and Rudra, 2013). Universities are under increasing pressure to embed research and transferrable skills into the candidature in a flexible and meaningful way to equip graduates with the skills to succeed in a range of careers. The paper aims to study how Flinders University has embedded the Research and Employability Skills Training (REST) Program into the HDR. Design/methodology/approach REST was established to replace the workshop-based professional development program, with a structured, compulsory, comprehensive program for HDR students, based on the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF). The Program aims to provide students with the research skills they need to complete their studies and the transferrable skills employers seek, through an online, supported program that helps them identify their needs, plan and control their skills development. Such a comprehensive online candidature management system has enabled Flinders to implement the RDF and successfully and comprehensively embed REST into the HDR candidature, assisting students to articulate and demonstrate their skills with documented evidence. Findings The Program has been running for one year, and so far, has been successful. Students are increasingly completing the initial online Skills Needs Analysis assessment component, which helps to identify their skills gaps and recommend workshops to meet their needs. Supervisors and students are engaging with the Program through structured discussion and refection of skills at each annual milestone, thanks to the help of the Inspire online candidature management system. Originality/value REST is a valuable resource for HDR students, providing them with a range of skills to progress with their research, writing and professional development training that complements, but is separate from, their degree. Providing a structured training program which follows and supports students’ candidature, and is based around the training needs and career trajectories of the student assists the students be more equipped and supported to complete on time and are well prepared for a range of career outcomes.

Calibrating the PhD for Industry 4.0: global concerns, national agendas and Australian institutional responses

ABSTRACTThe demands of Industry 4.0 (the Fourth Industrial Revolution) for a future-ready skilled workforce have placed significant political pressure on PhD programs to deliver different sorts of graduates. The paper documents the prevalent ‘skills gap’ narrative of global policy actors and, and using a multi-scalar policy lens, examines global and national research-training policy debates and Australian institutional responses to calls to transform the PhD to make it more amenable to the new economic conditions. We provide a survey and analysis of recent institutional changes to the PhD in Australia and find that these fall into three overlapping categories: increased employability skills training; the development of industry- and end-user engaged programs; and flexible pathways to the PhD. Following this analysis, we step back to ask some critical questions of these developments both in terms of how effectively they answer the challenges put out in Industry 4.0 discourses and the problematic assumptions, silences and omissions in the policy debates and university responses. Drawing on a capability approach to human development we argue that PhD graduates should not only be prepared to meet the demands of Industry 4.0 but also to lead us through the socio-economic transformations this revolution may entail.

The symptoms, resourcefulness and quality of life in community-based patients with schizophrenia.

To test Zauszniewski's resourcefulness and quality of life theory in community-based patients with schizophrenia. The objectives were to: (a) examine the relationship among psychotic symptoms, resourcefulness and quality of life, and (b) explore the determinants of quality of life. According to Zauszniewski's resourcefulness and quality of life theory, for patients, the skills constituting resourcefulness should centre on helping oneself or the use of resources to achieve their health. While the significant associations between resourcefulness and quality of life have been consistently delineated in published research, little is known about resourcefulness in patients with schizophrenia. A cross-sectional study design was used in this study. A total of 120 patients were recruited with convenience sampling who received home care service and community rehabilitation programme. The participants were assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Resourcefulness Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-BREF. The psychotic symptoms were rated by the researchers with structured face-to-face interviews. Resourcefulness and quality of life were assessed through self-reporting. STROBE checklist was followed. The data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance, t test, Pearson's correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results showed that employment status and psychotic symptoms were correlated with resourcefulness, while employment status, psychotic symptoms and resourcefulness were correlated with quality of life. Resourcefulness and psychotic symptoms were the determinants of quality of life. Patients with employment and less psychotic symptoms had greater resourcefulness. In addition, patients with employment, less psychotic symptoms and greater resourcefulness had better quality of life. Community rehabilitation programmes should include supported employment, symptom management and resourcefulness skills training to enhance patients' resourcefulness and quality of life.

End-of-life Electrical and Electronic Equipment Remanufacturing Prospects in Malaysia

Organized remanufacturing has to be an important alternative option instead of throwing-away of used electrical and electronic equipment’s (EEE) in order to save our mother-nature and recover useful resources. The increase in awareness of environmentally conscious manufacturing making the remanufactured products most popular. The significant benefits of remanufacturing are: greater availability of products and low costs to customers, new employment and industrial skills training to workers, and conservation of material and energy resources to society. Remanufacturing not only focus on economic profits but also keeping contribution to minimize environmental impacts by utilizing end-of-life (EOL) products. This study attempts to find out remanufacturing opportunities, and main challenges, along with the dominant influencing factors in a fast-developing country like Malaysia based on authentic literature review and expert opinions. The paper presented a short description of e-waste status, potential remanufacturing areas, its current practices, possible policy measures, and the present barriers in remanufacturing. The findings and observations provide a foundation and clear idea about the prospective of remanufacturing in Malaysia and probable further research directions.

Who benefits from social investment? The gendered effects of family and employment policies on cardiovascular disease in Europe

BackgroundIn the context of fiscal austerity in many European welfare states, policy innovation often takes the form of ‘social investment’, a contested set of policies aimed at strengthening labour markets....

Obstacles to Employability Skills Training Programs in Malaysia from the Perspectives of Employers’, Educators’ and Graduates’ Perspective

Over the last two decades, employability skills training programs initiated by the Malaysian government and agencies are an essential strategy to improve the skills of the workforce and minimize unemployment. However, stakeholders seem perplexed about the direction and attainment of the training programs. There are raising concerns whether employability skills training programs are designed and offered properly in improving workers’ skills and securing unemployed workers’ employment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of educators, employers, and recent graduates regarding the contributing factors that impede the progress of employability skills training programs. The theoretical framework for this quantitative study was based on Human Capital Theory. A survey questionnaire contains qualitative component questions was developed to gather feedback from employers, educators, and graduates from the central economic region of the west coast of peninsular Malaysia. The findings of this study revealed the major obstacles to effective employability skills training programs in the workforce of Malaysia, such as unclear objectives and direction of training programs, negative attitudes of recent graduates, and inactive involvement of employers in local workforce education and training. These obstacles will be a key area to be assessed and improved in program evaluation.

Deindustrialisation, Community, and Adult Education: The North East England Experience

This article argues for the continued importance of adult education in communities, an approach to adult education which has been maligned and ignored in policy that has, instead, incessantly prioritised employability skills training. The significance of adult education in communities is that it seeks to build the curriculum from the interests, aspirations, and problems that people experience in their everyday lives by providing opportunities for individual and collective change (more below). We draw on data taken from a study by one of the authors, which used a life history approach to explore the outcomes for 14 people from the deindustrialised North East England of participation in either employability skills training or community adult education. We document several themes through these stories: churning, surveillance, precarity, demoralisation, ontological insecurity, and personal renewal.