Chances Of Employment Research Articles

Understanding the barriers to hiring autistic people as perceived by employers in the United Kingdom.

In the United Kingdom, autistic adults struggle more to find jobs than non-autistic adults, which is a big concern to the government. To help more autistic people get jobs, hiring processes need to be better. By understanding what employers find challenging about hiring autistic people, we can come up with solutions to improve autistic people's employment chances. A survey of 1212 employers and employees who hire people was conducted to find out what affects employers' decisions to hire autistic people. Most people said they were open to hiring autistic applicants. This was particularly true for younger employers and men. People who had hired autistic people before were more likely to intend to do so again. However, key barriers to hiring were (1) not knowing enough about autism and (2) problems with how hiring is usually done in organisations. Employers also reported worrying about whether autistic employees would fit in at work, their productivity and the need for better training and changes to hiring methods. Our results indicate that it is important to educate employers about autism and make hiring practices more inclusive.

Impact of integration of transferable skills into education and training on employability of women in Kenya: case for CAPYEI

Purpose This study evaluated a programme, CAP Youth Empowerment Institute (CAPYEI) that uses Basic Employability Skills Training (BEST) model to contribute the evidence and generate lessons on the type of skills needed to enhance women economic empowerment. The purpose of the study is to generate evidence of what works in women skill acquisition and employability in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a mixed research design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches to conduct an impact evaluation of the CAP YEI training programme on the employability and entrepreneurship of women and girls in Kenya. The design allows for the consideration of two groups: treatment and control groups thus allowing for a clear comparison of outcomes between those who received the training (treatment group) and those who did not (control group). Project evaluation data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. Given that the study was conducted post evaluation, it did not have baseline survey data, therefore an ex post baseline evaluation using a retrospective approach was computed. In the absence of a true baseline, the questionnaire was tailored to allow beneficiary recall. A key design consideration of impact evaluation study was the identification of a valid control group that could generate a suitable counterfactual outcome. Findings The results indicate positive self-evaluation on most of the selected soft skills. For instance, over 80% of both the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries indicated that they possessed communication, teamwork, interpersonal, decision-making, prioritization, assertiveness and negotiation skills, whereas 58 % and 63 % of the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, respectively, indicating that they possessed information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Results indicate that skills development improves chances of employment among the target group and especially women. The results indicate that addressing gender inequality requires targeted interventions. The targeted interventions could be aimed at ensuring that women and girls are empowered to compete favourable with men and boys in the labour market. Research limitations/implications This study was an evaluative study of the impact of an intervention in a single case study. This means while the findings of the study are relevant to policy and practice, they cannot be generalized to a broader populace. The absence of base-line data rendered the use of comparative data impossible. Data generated through self-reported assessment of intervention impacts are prone to responder biases, which may raise questions about the validity of the findings. Practical implications This study recommends integration of transferable skills training in teaching and training institutions to enhance competitiveness, employability and entrepreneurship chances of the graduates in the labour market. The study is significant in informing policy direction in Kenya. Originality/value This study evaluated a model of integrating transferable skills into a young women training programme and evaluated its impacts with a view of documenting what works for women employability. This case is a unique one in the country specific context.

Sustainability and Social Farming in the Czech Republic: The Impact of Selected Factors on the Employment of Disadvantaged Persons in Agriculture

In the agricultural sector, where factors like the type of agriculture, management techniques, and access to funding are critical, disadvantaged people face significant barriers to employment. This study investigated the effects of these factors, especially with regard to sustainability and social farming, on the employment of disadvantaged persons in the Czech Republic. We sent questionnaires to 2036 agricultural businesses within the Czech Republic, and the data we received were sorted and analyzed. There was a favorable relationship between farm size and employment chances. Disadvantaged people were more likely to be hired by large farms, especially those larger than 250 hectares. Furthermore, mixed-production farms were more capable of employing disadvantaged persons, unlike conventional farms, which reached their maximum employment levels at one, three, or six workers. Organic farming had a more even distribution, while biodynamic farming showed limited capacity to employ disadvantaged persons. Farms involved in fundraising had fewer farms but employed more disadvantaged persons (number of employees peaked at two, four, and six), while farms that did not engage in fundraising hired more disadvantaged individuals (peaked at one and three employees). The motivations for employing disadvantaged persons were primarily social concerns, as well as labor shortages and economic and innovative factors. These findings show the importance of agricultural enterprises using these factors to improve the social and economic well-being of disadvantaged persons.

Leveraging Online Learning and Certification Platforms for Technical Skill Development: A Strategy to Mitigate Unemployment

The key objective of this study is to discover the role of online learning and certification platforms for technical skill development as a strategy to mitigate unemployment. In the world of information technology, various online learning and certification systems have proven to be useful in filling in the skills gap. Using a literature review, this paper explores how these mediums have become a major cause of reducing the level of unemployment. This paper also discusses tools like Coursera, edX, Squarespace, and LinkedIn for technical skills development and therefore the employee’s marketability, thus increasing employment opportunities. These platforms enable people to gain some of the most sought-after skills in today’s market at a cheaper price and much faster than such traditional Universities. These platforms provide recognition certificates that enable unemployed individuals to gain more employment chances, especially in emerging industries such as cloud computing, Data Science, and IT. Employers and jobseekers will equally benefit from these platforms and this will help in producing and enhancing a skilled workforce that will lead to reduced employment rates in the society. Additionally, this paper analyzes skill-based learning and certifications to meet the shifting demands of the labor market and to offer valuable insights for policymakers, educational institutions, and employers who seek ways to reduce the level of unemployment.

You’ll never seek alone: The impact of active labour market policies on finding a job

Using the administrative records of the Spanish Public Employment Service for the period 2018–2019, we analysed the impact of participation in job search assistance and training programmes on the chances of unemployed jobseekers finding employment, as well as the quality of the job obtained. Propensity score matching techniques were used to evaluate the effectiveness of these programmes. We found that participation exerted a positive and significant differential effect on the probability of transition from unemployment to employment and on the probability of finding a job of intermediate quality compared to non-participation. This positive impact was largely due to the effect of training programmes, the magnitude of which persisted even as the period elapsed between participation and exit towards employment increased, whereas job search assistance was less effective over time. The positive influence of participation appeared to be more intense for specific socioeconomic groups.

Workplace Accommodations and the Labor Force Status of Persons with Disabilities.

The aim of the study is to examine the role of unmet needs for workplace accommodations (WPA) in the labor force status of persons with disabilities (PWD) aged 25-64years. The study used data from the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability and multinomial logistic regressions to estimate the predicted probabilities of employment, unemployment, detachment from the labor force, and retirement. Product terms were used to examine if the association between unmet needs for WPA and these employment outcomes depended on severity of disability and age group. The findings show that the probability of employment was far lower for PWD with unmet needs for WPA than it was for their counterparts without unmet needs, after controlling for disability-related and sociodemographic characteristics. While having more severe disabilities associated with a lower employment rate, this occurred in the context of unmet needs for WPA, as there was no difference between persons with milder and more severe disabilities without unmet needs. Unmet needs for WPA had age-specific consequences and were associated with a higher probability of unemployment and detachment from the labor force among PWDs aged 25-34years and a higher probability of retirement among PWD aged 55-64years. Unmet needs for WPA are a barrier to the employment chances of many PWD and eliminating these unmet needs could increase their inclusion in the labor force.

The Role of the Writing Centre in Enhancing Student Employability a Case Study of a University in South Africa

In the quest of bridging the high graduate unemployment gap of South African graduates, universities introduced initiatives which sought to assist graduates gain the necessary working experience. South African graduates struggle to find sufficient employment due to lack of work experience. The peer-to-peer coaching led by senior students, who are postgraduate students, leads to the enhancement of graduate employability. Therefore, this paper sought to investigate the contribution of the writing centre in increasing the chances of employment for its consultants. In light of this, literature was consulted to reveal the role of the writing centre in promoting student employment. Unstructured interviews were conducted on fifteen (15) participants, who were identified through convenient sampling technique. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the collected data. The paper found that the programme equips students to be familiar with the working environment. The study further revealed that the writing centre office is under-capacitated financially. The study thus proposed that the programme must be financially supported by the university, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and other external stakeholders to continue capacitating the development of students. The study, therefore, concluded that the writing centre office effectively promotes student employability and increases the working experience of writing centre consultants.

Teaching Zen and educational challenges in accounting in the context of the vision of Society 5

Purpose: The article presents the potential advantages of using Zen philosophy teaching techniques, specifically kōans, in the education of people professionally related to accounting in the context of educational challenges related to Era 5.0 (the vision of Society 5.0).Methodology/approach: A descriptive and critical analysis of the literature, followed by interpretation and explanation.Findings: The challenges facing accounting professionals in Era 5.0 necessitate a shift in their education. In addition to knowledge and technological skills, soft skills, especially cognitive ones, are crucial for accountants to serve as strategic and valuable human resources in organizations and society, thus contributing to the humanization of society and increasing the chances for sustainable employment. The article discusses the potential advantages of using kōans, practised by followers of Zen philosophy, to develop these cognitive skills.Research limitations/implications: The findings are based on a literature review and require verification through further research. Originality/value: The article presents a holistic approach to accounting education, presenting the possibility of using unusual educational techniques based on Zen meditation and studying koans instead of commonly used case studies and citing evidence of the effectiveness of such education. It demonstrates that accounting as a social science developed in a cultural environment and can benefit from diverse perspectives on reality.

How do different forms of early employment instability affect future employment chances? A factorial survey experiment with employers

PurposePeriodic economic instabilities and structural changes in the labour market have given rise to a variety of forms of job insecurity. This article compares the scarring effects of different forms of job insecurity on future employment chances, and how they vary across education groups.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of real vacancies and data collected in a vignette experiment with employers in Switzerland, a country with a strongly developed vocational education and training (VET) system, this article investigates how employers evaluate a period of unemployment, job hopping and work experience in deskilling jobs when hiring candidates.FindingsThe findings reveal that work in deskilling jobs is by far more scarring than unemployment or job hopping. The study also demonstrates that applicants with upper secondary vocational education are impacted the greatest by all three forms of job insecurity.Originality/valueThe study makes use of real vacancies. While experiments have the strength of high internal validity, most experimental studies in recruitment research rely on students as respondents. As this study works with real employers hiring for positions it benefits from high external validity.

Advancing Virtual Interviews: AI-Driven Facial Emotion Recognition for Better Recruitment

Behavior analysis involves the detailed process of identifying, modeling, and comprehending the various nuances and patterns of emotional expressions exhibited by individuals. It poses a significant challenge to accurately detect and predict facial emotions, especially in contexts like remote interviews, which have become increasingly prevalent. Notably, many participants struggle to convey their thoughts to interviewers with a happy expression and good posture, which may unfairly diminish their chances of employment, despite their qualifications. To address this challenge, artificial intelligence techniques such as image classification offer promising solutions. By leveraging AI models, behavior analysis can be applied to perceive and interpret facial reactions, thereby paving the way to anticipate future behaviors based on learned patterns to the participants. Despite existing works on facial emotion recognition (FER) using image classification, there is limited research focused on platforms like remote interviews and online courses. In this paper, our primary focus lies on emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, eye contact, neutrality, smile, confusion, and stooped posture. We have curated our dataset, comprising a diverse range of sample interviews captured through participants' video recordings and other images documenting facial expressions and speech during interviews. Additionally, we have integrated existing datasets such as FER 2013 and the Celebrity Emotions dataset. Through our investigation, we explore a variety of AI and deep learning methodologies, including VGG19, ResNet50V2, ResNet152V2, Inception-ResNetV2, Xception, EfficientNet B0, and YOLO V8 to analyze facial patterns and predict emotions. Our results demonstrate an accuracy of 73% using the YOLO v8 model. However, we discovered that the categories of happy and smile, as well as surprised and confused, are not disjoint, leading to potential inaccuracies in classification. Furthermore, we considered stooped posture as a non-essential class since the interviews are conducted via webcam, which does not allow for the observation of posture. By removing these overlapping categories, we achieved a remarkable accuracy increase to around 76.88% using the YOLO v8 model.

From Realizable Dreams to Sustainable Reality: An Empirical Study on the Relationship between Internship Experience and Future Career Prospects among Business Students

The objective of this study is to establish the relationship between Internship Experience and Future Career Prospects among Business Students at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. Using a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional survey design, data was gathered from 100 alumni. Using an open-ended questionnaire, Mbarara University of Science and Technology business students' internship experiences and future career prospects were surveyed quantitatively. In addition, a conventional linear regression analysis was performed. The study's findings demonstrated that among the Mbarara University of Science and Technology's business students, internship experience had a strong positive and significant influence on their future career prospects. The study relates to the ongoing discussion about how business students' internship experience influences their chances for future employment.

Singling Out the Pull Factors of Brain Gain in Pakistan

Brain Gain is the rise in the number of highly educated foreign nationals moving to a country where there are many opportunities to survive and get a job. This study has focused on the effect of pull factors on brain gain in Pakistan. We have used data from 1990 to 2023 in this analysis. The dependent variable is the brain gain. The Johanson cointegration test result showed that investment and the real effective exchange rate had inverse significant effects on brain gain. However, political stability and wage differences influenced brain gain positively in Pakistan. It is suggested that the Government should provide a more economic and stable political environment in the country to encourage skilled, highly skilled, and highly qualified labor to migrate back to Pakistan. The government may also give them infrastructure in the form of setting up skill development centers, giving financial support, providing them tax incentives, and forming a forum that will connect the return migrants with employers in order to get jobs according to their skills. Moreover, there is a serious need to provide more employment chances to people for high growth and development.

Jak osoby z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną postrzegają pracę i swoje szanse na zatrudnienie? Wyniki wywiadów pogłębionych

How do persons with intellectual disabilities perceive work and their chances of employment? Results of in-depth interviews Persons with intellectual disabilities have little chance of employment, which is mainly due to the fact that they have insufficient education and, moreover, the level of society’s knowledge about the needs and possibilities of this group is still very low. The authors of the article conducted in-depth interviews with the respondents, and the collected data concerned 30 people with intellectual disabilities (21 of whom provided answers unassistedly, while the guardians of the remaining nine, whose ability to participate in person in the interview was limited, provided answers on their behalf). The basis of the study was a direct interview questionnaire, which was used to collect the opinions of persons with intellectual disabilities about work and their chances of taking up work. The interview results show that these persons want to have paid work and have career plans and aspirations. They also realize that their employment opportunities are negatively affected by prevailing stereotypes. Keywords: intellectual disability, employment, intellectually disabled employees

Accelerating Graduate Employability through Work-Integrated Learning

Work integrated learning (WIL) encompasses educational experiences that merge academic knowledge and practical application in a professional setting, benefiting both students and the existing workforce. The objective of incorporating WIL into education is to foster the integration of theoretical understanding by engaging students in a combination of academic coursework and hands-on work-related activities. With the rise in unemployment, WIL appears to help organizations to get graduates that have all the attributes and skills relevant in the world or work, thereby expanding and growing their businesses ensuring greater prosperity for all concerned. The aim of this article was to assess the role Work Integrated Learning in accelerating Graduate Employability. Four WIL coordinators from different academic programmes that offer WIL as a module participated in this paper. Data was analysed using Thematic analysis, following Braun & Clark steps. The study revealed a direct correlation between academic performance and practical application in the professional setting. This paper therefore argues that WIL programmes can contribute immensely to the overall development of graduates and increase their chances of employment. The study revealed that WIL coordinators should review placement arrangements to improve WIL. This study found that Work Integrated Learning (WIL) has a positive effect on graduate employability and skills development, and that university WIL coordinators should review placement arrangements to ensure that students have enough training and development prior to placement.

Age Differences in Unemployment Risk and Reemployment Outcomes in Late Working Life in Sweden

ABSTRACT Participation of older workers in the labor market depends, among other things, on older workers employment chances. This study examines age differences regarding risk of unemployment and reemployment outcomes in late working life in Sweden. Using Swedish registry data, we analyzed the probability of unemployment as well as work-related activity following unemployment (wage- or self-employment; exit; downward mobility) of all people born between 1954 and 1968 (aged 49–63) and registered in Sweden between the years 2012 and 2018. Results show that although risk of unemployment does not differ significantly across age groups, younger age groups are more likely to be reemployed as wage-employed while older age groups are more likely to be reemployed as self-employed or exit working life. After an unemployment period, older employees are more likely to have a lower wage than during their previous employment or become part-time unemployed. We conclude that different age groups have unequal chances in late working life in terms of reemployment, risk of exit, and risk of downward mobility following unemployment. Policies for extending working life and promoting inequality should include measures for increasing employability of older workers such as anti-discriminatory laws and dealing with skills mismatch.

Review on Vertical Farming in Agricultural Area

Vertical farming has the capability to produce the food or any other services in urban areas which are related to it. The goals and vision of vertical farming is planned with the aim of generating sustainable cities around the world. The recent traditional farming approaches due to an imbalance in the environment. At the end it appears that the concept of the vertical farm in the city centre of urban area could solve various issues that is related to food production and environmental degradation. No crop harvests would fail by severe weather like droughts, floods and hurricanes etc. Hence the vertical farming aims at the making of the sustainable city environment that inspires the people to live there for the safe and the healthy environment that encourages the people to live there for the safe and healthy environment, cleaner air, safe drinking water, safe usage of public liquid waste, new employment chances, vertical farming has the benefit of a seasonally wet and warm weather. They can easily minimize cooling and heating water. Use of indoor temperature and artificial light and also have a plentiful amount of natural resources such as long hours of sunlight and enough water from daily rain to cultivate.

Career Craft (A Student Training and Freelancing Platform)

As the world continues to rely on technology in all aspects of life, the demand for Information Technology graduates with sufficient background knowledge and necessary practical skills has never been higher. Computer science students are required to keep track of advancements and new trends in the field while maintaining good depth in present technologies. Unfortunately, many fresh graduates face significant challenges when entering the workforce, lacking practical experience and technical skills in the field. To mitigate this problem, students need more exposure to real-world experience and work in a job market environment. This paper presents the design and implementation of Career Craft, a platform that intends to enhance students’ programming and problem-solving skills by providing programming tasks that students compete to solve. Teachers develop and publish programing tasks and students solve them in order to gain points. A teacher is assigned as project manager and selects a group of students based on expertise and experience to develop the requested service. This exposes students to the real-world job environment and provides them with hands-on freelancing experience in these areas. By using the system, students can increase their employability by working as freelancers for clients. The system improves students' skills, increases their chances of employment, and increases their income, while helping clients obtain quality services.

E-Commerce in Education Programmes a Way to Solve Unemployment Amongst Education Graduates

This paper argues the need to include e-commerce as a subject in Education programs to enhance our students’ employment chances of education graduates in Nigeria. The study was conducted using the survey research method. The population of the study comprises 330 Business Education students in two universities in Anambra state. The research was carried out in Nnamdi Azikiwe University and students of Abia State University. A questionnaire was used for data collection and a sample of 130 Business Education students was collected for the study, out of which 90 were dully filled and completed. The findings revealed that the knowledge of e-commerce skills has great usefulness and importance on companies and enterprises giving the graduates of Business education an employment advantage. E-commerce education has a positive impact on the Business Education program. The study recommended that the program should be given their rightful place in the Business Education program and they should also be accorded equal recognition as other programs in the Business Education Department.

Self-Reported Visual Disability and Unemployment: Findings from the National Health Interview Survey

ABSTRACT Purpose To investigate the association between visual impairment and employment status due to disability, utilizing data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Methods Adults 18 years of age and older were extracted from the 2022 NHIS dataset. A multivariable logistic regression model was created to evaluate the odds of unemployment (“laid off” and “looking for work”). Persons over the age of 65, as well as persons retired, going to school, self-employed, seasonal, or contract workers were excluded. Independent variables for the model included gender, race, Hispanic ethnicity, urban residency, level of education, citizenship, and self-reported vision. The latter variable was categorized as seeing with “some” difficulty, with “severe” difficulty, “can’t see at all,” and “a lot of difficulty.” Outcomes were reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Associations with unemployment included education less than high school (OR 6.05, 95% CI: 3.98-9.18) and high school (OR 3.80, 95% CI 2.78-5.21); severe vision difficulty (OR 3.68 95% CI 1.73-7.86); Asian race (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.64-3.89); and Black race (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.31-2.41). The odds of unemployment were marginally elevated for those living in large metropolitan areas, while being born in the United States had a modest protective effect (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.42-0.66). Conclusion The degree of visual impairment in this post-COVID-19 pandemic survey substantially affects employment, which is consistent with historical studies. Education among those with impaired vision is an important and modifiable variable that can positively influence the chances of employment.

THE EMPLOYABILITY OF PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN MANZINI REGION OF ESWATINI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the employability of people with visual impairment (PVI) in the Manzini region of Eswatini. The study was located within the interpretivist paradigm. It was qualitative in approach and took a phenomenological research design. Twelve participants were selected using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Individual indepth interviews and a focus group discussion were used to collect data that was thematically analysed. The results of the study indicates that PVI have low academic qualifications due to unconducive learning conditions that they face in school and lack of properly-equipped vocational training centres that can train visually impaired people. It was also revealed that their employability is further affected by negative attitude by possible employers, poor independent living and mobility skills. Consequently, PVI resort to begging on the streets to earn a living. The study concludes that establishing properly equipped schools, with postschool training facilities for PVI and hiring well trained personnel to teach them, would be mediatory strategies that could better the situation. Thus the study recommends that a special curriculum to cater for the PVI’s unique needs be designed and be coupled with a disability scholarship fund to cater for their tuition and boarding fees so that they would access quality education and training which will increase their chances of employability in the labour market.