Employment Skills Training Research Articles

Tertiary Students’ Perceptions about Their Prospects of Employability: The Case of Students in Ghana

ABSTRACTThe soaring rate of graduate unemployment in Ghanahas continued to engage the attention of government and other stakeholders in finding a lasting and sustainable solution to the problem. However, the critical question that always arises is how students in tertiary institutions perceive their employability and what the extent of their knowledge of the requirements in the labour market is. Empirical information on this critical question will help guide employment policy formulation, skills training and entrepreneurial development. It is in this vein that this article presents an analysis of students’ perceptions about the prospects of employability in the job market among students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) and Tamale Polytechnic. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used in selecting 368 students from the two institutions and interviewing them by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and probit regression analysis were applied in analysing the data. The analysis revealed that students prefer to be employed in public or private organisations than engage in self-employed enterprises. The results of the survey indicated that students generally are aware of the job market requirements but are, however, not confident about their employability. The students’ age, residential status, and access to entrepreneurial training as well as prospects of securing a preferred job, work experience and level of studies were found to be significant determinants of their perceived prospects of employability. There is the need for entrepreneurial training and orientation of students in tertiary institutions in order to equip and inspire them in terms of self-employed enterprise creation and skills development.

LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED SOCIAL BENEFITS RECEIVERS EXPERIENCE TAKING PART IN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Long-term unemployed social benefits receivers are entitled to many educational activities to help them with reemployment in Latvia. Long-term unemployed social benefits receivers attend different educational activities but remain unemployed. It is important to understand why it happens and what kind of additional support long-term unemployed social benefits receivers need. Current research took place in Riga Social Service, long-term unemployed social benefits receivers were interviewed in order to collect data about their experience in adult education and their opinions about the process. The informants were asked to reflect on their future perspective in the aspect of job searching, taking into consideration their freshly obtained education. Interview transcripts were decoded and categorized in 5 distinct categories. Results show that only educational activities can’t solve unemployment problem and employability skills training program should be created. Key words: adult education, career counselling, long-term unemployed, vocational education.

People with Disabilities Leading the Design of Serious Games and Virtual Worlds.

Games and virtual worlds have many potential benefits for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in terms of training, education, and rehabilitation. However, because this population presents a wide range of specific needs and abilities, it can be difficult to design games which are engaging and present optimum levels of challenge to players. By including individuals with ID and ASD in the design phase we can help meet their specific needs and preferences by personalizing an intervention through the exploration of experimental techniques, methods and assistive technologies. By embracing the Responsible Research and Innovation approach, we bring science and society closer together to shape the world for future generations. A number of approaches for achieving such inclusion have been described, such as User Sensitive Inclusive Design, Universal Design, and Design for All. Here we discuss three specific examples of the design of games and virtual worlds for people with ID/ASD and illustrate how they attempt to meet their needs. Namely 1) a blended approach of computerised program and applied behaviour analysis for reading skills 2) immersive gameplay for employment and transferable skills training and 3) virtual reality training to enhance communication skills.

Thoughts on Improving the Quality of French Graduates’ Employment Skills Training to Fulfill the Needs of E-business

With the coming of the Internet era, e-business is replacing the traditional business. Overseas contact is constantly strengthened. The need for minority languages graduates, especially French ones, is increasing. E-business has become French graduates’ choice after graduation. Nowadays, there are many problems in the college French graduates’ education, including not qualified employment lectures and deficient major skills training. The reasons root in its inflexible education system, not enough emphasis from universities, obscure teachers’ role and unconsciousness of students themselves, etc. Because of its importance, it is strongly recommended that employment instruction lectures should be taught by those professionals with relevant working experience, employment units should strengthen their coordination with schools, teachers pay more attention to the textbook selection and consciously strengthen their relevant training skills. But there are still difficulties in the implement of the above mentioned steps. It is an arduous task and the road is long.

TRAYECTORIAS EDUCATIVO-LABORALES DE JÓVENESESTUDIANTES DE EDUCACIÓN TÉCNICA EN CHILE: ¿TIENE SENTIDO UN SISTEMA DE FORMACIÓN PARA EL TRABAJO EN LA EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA?

El artículo analiza la trayectoria educativo-laboral de una cohorte de estudiantes egresados de la enseñanza media técnico-profesional en Chile. Los antecedentes permiten indicar que este sistema formativo ha dejado de ser una instancia de salida temprana al mundo del trabajo para un segmento relevante de jóvenes, quienes continúan estudios superiores en los años sucesivos a su egreso de la secundaria. Pese a esto, también se observa que un porcentaje cercano al 40% de los egresados no continúa estudios con posterioridad, y predominan experiencias laborales que tienden a estar mayormente disociadas del área formativa de los estudios cursados. La mayoría de estos jóvenes accede a empleos temporales, fundamentalmente en el sector servicios y en tareas que, en sentido estricto, no requerirían una preparación formal como la que se intenta desde el modelo curricular de la formación técnica. Esta dualidad señala la necesidad de una discusión profunda sobre el carácter de esta modalidad educativa, el lugar que tiene la formación de competencias para la empleabilidad en su interior y las reformas que eventualmente requerirá el sistema educativo en función de las experiencias de sus propios estudiantes.

Translating Project Achievements into Strategic Plans: A Case Study in Utilization-Focused Evaluation

Background: Utilization-focused evaluation (UFE) is a decision-making framework intended to design and implement evaluations that get utilized. In this case study, the UFE approach was applied to the evaluation of a youth training and employment program in Kenya.
 Purpose: Analyze a case study based on empirical experience with the lens of evaluation use and influence.
 Setting: Nairobi and other urban and peri-urban settings, Kenya.
 Intervention: The evaluation of a youth training and employment program that provided direct training for marginalized youth as well as capacity building for employment and adapted a Basic Employability Skills Training (BEST) model from India.
 Research design: Analysis of a case study to describe: how the evaluation approach provided enabling factors for funders and grantees to turn evaluation into a learning intervention; the benefit of clarifying a project’s theory of change; and learning how to combine summative and developmental evaluation.
 Data collection and analysis: A case study based on an evaluation consultancy. The evaluation included site visits, extensive documentation review, qualitative and quantitative data collection.
 Findings: The ‘facilitation of use’ (a step in UFE) provided a bridge between a summative and a developmental evaluation. The evaluators and program partners developed a learning relationship wherein the evidence influenced the subsequent project design and strategy. 
 Keywords: Evaluation as learning, utilization-focused evaluation, theory of change, summative and developmental evaluation, technical vocational education and training – TVET, Kenya, youth livelihoods

The role of private sector ecotourism in local socio-economic development in southern Africa

ABSTRACTEcotourism is frequently put forward as a potential solution for local development and biodiversity conservation in developing countries. Numerous researchers have looked at the various impacts of ecotourism on development and on conservation. There are, however, few studies looking at the role of stakeholders and the impact they are having on local development. We look specifically at the role of private sector stakeholders in local ecotourism development in southern Africa. We focus on one ecotourism operator, Wilderness Safaris, and our results are based on a desktop analysis of various reports, field work and data from a Ph.D. study looking at the socio-economic impact of private sector ecotourism on local communities. The results show that the private sector has an important role to play in local socio-economic development in terms of employment creation, skills training and development, the payment of lease fees as well as through philanthropic development projects. Recommendations are put forward as to how the private sector can further effect positive change in the areas where it is operating and ensure long-term sustainability.

Analyzing Innovative Training Models in Placements a Reference to Educational Sector

Rendering Work Placements for Students while at campus has become the most pivotal requisite for any modern day educational institutions these days. Competition has completely invaded this sector and need of the hour for any professional educational institution is to incorporate several unique selling propositions (USP) or value additions in its services to differentiate itself from fellow competitors. Hence, campus placement assistance provided by today's educational institutions has emerged as the single most important unique selling proposition (USP) in education industry. The idea here is to ensure survival through ideal student admissions in any fresh academic year and placement record is a important marketing tool to attract admissions. As a part of this value added assistance and also for securing sure success of this proposition towards ensuring successful admissions in a given academic year many colleges are trying to implement several unique training methodologies for its students to develop their employment specific skills for work placements. For example, college placement officer arranges a paid external agency corporate and soft skills training to its students or say a paid two day guest lecture from a professional life and smart skills trainer. However, due to deep constraints in time, cost and budget here plus university's mandatory academic activities for semesters, provision of such trainings to students at regular frequencies conflicts with their routine academic tasks. The Paper also studies the fact that during campus job drives arranged by college, students fail to apply or match their job skills learnings arranged by college to those of actual company's selection rounds for filling the open job positions. So therefore, in order to maintain a fair balance between academics and Job skills Training impartation for placements and also to bridge the widening gap between students and job markets, several ideal innovative training models are discussed in this paper which focuses on time saving, cost reduction and effort benefit for the colleges. Finally, an imperative analysis is made on the effectiveness of all these methods that should if it be put to use in real practice, can colleges realize the success of their most prominent USP of today which is definitely successful employment skills training and work placements.

Reduction of classroom noise levels using group contingencies.

The therapeutic workplace is an employment-based abstinence reinforcement intervention for unemployed drug users where trainees receive on-the-job employment skills training in a classroom setting. The study is an extension of prior therapeutic workplace research, which suggested that trainees frequently violated noise standards. Participants received real-time graphed feedback of noise levels and had the opportunity to earn monetary group reinforcement for maintaining a low number of noise violations. Results suggested that feedback and monetary reinforcement reduced the number of noise violations.

Farmer Education Development under the Perspective of Migrant Workers’ Intergenerational Mobility

This paper argues the appearances of at least three generations’ replacement of migrant workers since the reform and open policy, which is the first generation, the new generation and the third generation. Under the condition of disparate family and social circumstances, the migrant workers are no longer the abstract groups with the same degree of homogeneity. The public tendency is more clearly in the aspect of mobility motivations, city identity and self-identity, employment industry, education and skills training. Therefore, the importance of migrant workers education highlights increasingly. According to the analysis of social development and migrant workers’ self-development, we need to develop farmer education. But the present situation of farmer education is misfit. So we need to put forward the countermeasures and suggestions on peasants’ compulsory education, vocational training institutions, and amateur cultural education.

Engaging in job-related activities is associated with reductions in employment problems and improvements in quality of life in substance abusing patients.

Reinforcement-based interventions are highly efficacious in the treatment of substance use disorders, and their benefits can extend to other areas of functioning as well. In particular, reinforcing participation in job-related activities may be useful for improving employment outcomes, which in turn may enhance quality of life and decrease substance use. These secondary analyses compared substance abusing patients randomized with reinforcement interventions (N = 185) who selected and completed two or more job-related activities during treatment versus those who did not. Patients who completed two or more job-related activities during treatment had significantly greater reductions in employment-related problems and improvements in quality of life than those who completed only one or no job-related activities, even after controlling for baseline differences that may impact employment outcomes. Further, patients who completed employment activities remained in treatment significantly longer and achieved greater durations of abstinence than those who did not. These data suggest that reinforcing job-attainment activities may have broad beneficial effects. Reinforcement interventions should be considered for enhancing employment skills training acquisition more generally.

Cognitive Remediation and Psychosocial Rehabilitation for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness

Individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia are more likely to have impaired cognitive functioning in areas such as attention and concentration, psychomotor speed, memory, executive functions, and social cognition. These cognitive challenges are strongly associated with reduced psychosocial adjustment, such as the capacity for independent living, work or school, and social relationships, as well as the ability to benefit from rehabilitation programs targeted at improving outcome in these areas of adjustment. Cognitive remediation is the systematic use of methods aimed at improving cognitive functioning through the practice of cognitive exercises on either computer-based or paper and pencil tests, teaching more effective strategies for addressing cognitive challenges, and teaching coping or compensatory skills to reduce the effects of cognitive impairment on psychosocial functioning. For over 30 years, research has examined the feasibility and effects of cognitive remediation on cognitive functioning and psychosocial adjustment in people with SMI. Recent meta-analyses of controlled research have shown that cognitive remediation is associated with significant improvements in both cognitive functioning and psychosocial adjustment. However, these reviews of research have also found that the impact of cognitive remediation on psychosocial adjustment is contingent upon the provision of adjunctive or integrated psychiatric rehabilitation, such as supported employment or social skills training. That is, studies that have added or integrated cognitive remediation and psychiatric rehabilitation programs have been found to improve psychosocial functioning more than psychiatric rehabilitation alone, whereas studies that have added cognitive remediation to usual services have found little to no differences in psychosocial outcomes compared to usual services alone. This issue on cognitive remediation and psychiatric rehabilitation brings together six papers addressing topics critical to improving the long-term psychosocial functioning of people with SMI. Four of these papers provide pertinent reviews of research that point the field in important new directions, and two papers are original research contributions. While the research suggests that combining cognitive remediation with psychiatric rehabilitation is more effective at improving psychosocial outcomes, very little is known about how such programs should be combined. The review by R. Penades and colleagues addresses this question by providing a framework and hierarchical flowchart for integrating cognitive remediation with other evidence-based psychosocial interventions. D. L. Roberts and D. L. Velligan review relevant research suggesting that programs specifically developed for and targeting social cognition (e.g., emotion recognition, ability to infer other's mental states) may be more effective and efficient than broad-based cognitive remediation programs. This review has important implications for developing or refining cognitive remediation and psychiatric rehabilitation interventions in order to maximize their cost effectiveness. N. Contreras and colleagues provide a theoretical review of strategies for improving workforce participation in people with a SMI, with a particular focus on the Australian context. The review highlights the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of vocational rehabilitation, the most empirically validated program for improving employment outcomes in people with SMI, which has recently been combined with cognitive remediation in the USA. The authors suggest that Australia may be in a prime position to implement such combined interventions. N. Boycott and colleagues also focused in their review on the IPS model, with a particular aim at evaluating the effects of supplementary interventions on work outcomes, including cognitive remediation. While prior research has evaluated the impact of adding cognitive remediation to vocational rehabilitation for people with SMI, scant attention has been paid to integrating cognitive remediation with supported education for this population. The paper by S. A. Kidd and colleagues addresses this lacuna by providing encouraging pilot data from such an integrated program, supporting both the feasibility of integrating cognitive remediation with supported education, and suggesting benefits in education-related outcomes. Finally, the research paper by M. N. Levaux and colleagues provides a useful case illustration of how cognitive remediation can be individually integrated and tailored into helping a person accomplish everyday life tasks. We believe that the papers compiled in this issue make an important contribution to the cognitive remediation field by providing useful syntheses of the research literature, suggesting new directions for research and clinical implementation, and presenting new data on promising programs and approaches to integrate cognitive remediation and psychiatric rehabilitation into people's daily lives. Susan R. McGurk Shaun M. Eack Matthew Kurtz Kim T. Mueser

Methadone maintenance and Special Community Employment schemes: A study of Irish participants' views

Specialist vocational training for ex-drug users include employment skills training, supported placements and therapeutic work programmes. The research was peer led by Client Forum representatives of five 'Special Community Employment' schemes and aimed to explore participant experiences of Methadone Stabilization; 'Special Community Employment' schemes, and Vocational Outcomes. A Client Forum consultation (n = 11) and Client Forum representative focus groups (n = 2) were used to finalize interview questions. In depth interviews with a convenience sample of participants from 'Special Community Employment' schemes (n = 25) were conducted. Content and thematic analysis of narratives was undertaken with Client Forum (n = 11) interpretative support. The findings are indicative of 'Special Community Employment' schemes offering methadone maintenance participants' the opportunity to commence recovery, engage in vocational training and reintegrate into the community. However, participation in these schemes appeared restrictive and operated primarily as therapeutic medium, with little individual vocational care planning, training or supported work placements. Many participants reported leaving these schemes unqualified, unemployed and experiencing little aftercare. The research underscores the need for extensive revision of 'Special Community Employment' schemes within an interagency approach, so as to provide specific therapeutic supports dependent on individual recovery stage, and client specific vocational training needs, certification, work placement and supportive aftercare.

Gold mining and corporate social responsibility in the Wassa West district, Ghana

Despite a boom in gold mining in Ghana's Wassa West district (WWD), unemployment and poverty have deepened, partly due to loss of farmland to surface mining but more so because of the limited opportunities for wage employment in the district's ‘revived’ gold-mining industry. However, the large-scale mining companies are implementing some alternative livelihood programmes (ALPs) as part of their corporate social-responsibility (CSR) agenda. While the ALPs have provided some employment and income-earning opportunities and skills training, the prospects for their sustainability depend on how the challenges confronting the various programmes are addressed. This will require a well-coordinated approach involving all the key stakeholders.

Bridging Canadian Adult Second Language Education and Essential Skills Policies

Employing critical discourse analysis (CDA), this paper examines the attempt to bridge a Canadian adult second language policy with an employment skills policy. The result is a third policy intended to improve language education and employment skills training for immigrants. The analysis reveals that the knowledge economy and human capital theory are the predominant discourses embedded in the policy documents. The paper argues that predominant discourses perpetuate power imbalances and essentialize worker and migrant subjectivities. Engaging in postcolonial theories of second language learning, the paper proposes another way of conceiving adult second language learning and its potential for policy development.

Dr. Penn and Colleagues Reply

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Letters to the EditorFull AccessDr. Penn and Colleagues ReplyDAVID L. PENN Ph.D.EVAN J. WALDHETER M.A.DIANA O. PERKINS M.D.KIM T. MUESER Ph.D.JEFFREY A. LIEBERMAN M.D.,DAVID L. PENN Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorEVAN J. WALDHETER M.A.Search for more papers by this authorDIANA O. PERKINS M.D.Search for more papers by this authorKIM T. MUESER Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorJEFFREY A. LIEBERMAN M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Published Online:1 May 2006AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail To The Editor:We thank Dr. Kanas for his comments on our article and appreciate the opportunity to respond to his letter. However, we stand by our statement that, to our knowledge, no randomized, controlled trials of group intervention for first-episode psychosis have been conducted. Dr. Kanas is correct in pointing out that there is a large research literature on the effectiveness of group intervention for schizophrenia and that it is likely that many of these published studies included some first-episode patients. Similarly, it is likely that many of the controlled studies of other psychosocial treatments for the broader population of subjects with schizophrenia included some first-episode patients, such as studies of family psychoeducation, cognitive behavior therapy for psychosis, supported employment, and social skills training. However, because of the unique treatment needs of first-episode patients, our review focused on studies evaluating the effectiveness of psychosocial treatment for this specific subpopulation. When we consider the evidence supporting the effectiveness of group interventions for schizophrenia, as discussed by Dr. Kanas, there is clearly a need for research evaluating their impact on persons with a first episode of psychosis. We hope that our article, as well as the letter by Dr. Kanas, will contribute to future research in this area.Chapel Hill, N.C., New York, N.Y. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byNone Volume 163Issue 5 May, 2006Pages 938-938THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY May 2006 Volume 163 Number 5 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 May 2006 Published in print 1 May 2006

Recovery From Schizophrenia: A Concept in Search of Research

Recovery From Schizophrenia: A Concept in Search of Research

Returning the chronically unemployed with low back pain to employment

Much of the research into return to work following rehabilitation for low back pain in the literature reflects work done in those employed. Unemployment is a consequence of chronic low back pain which has considerable health and economic consequences for the individual and society. This paper describes an occupationally orientated rehabilitation programme for long-term unemployed people (mean duration of unemployment 38.9 months). The aim of the project was to identify factors which predict return to work and progress towards employment. Eight six subjects underwent a pain management rehabilitation programme incorporating vocational focussing and advice, subjects were followed up at 6 months to determine work status. At follow-up 38.4% of subjects were employed and another 23% were in voluntary work, or education/training. There were no significant differences on presenting characteristics between those who returned to work and those who did not. Subjects were divided into those who made positive progress (work, education/training or voluntary work) and those who did not (remained unemployed, dropped out of the programme or lost to follow up). Those who failed to make positive progress were characterised by longer duration of unemployment and higher scores on somatic anxiety and depression. A predictive model was able to identify 80% of those who failed to make progress but prediction of those achieving a positive outcome was poor (44% correct prediction). The factors predicting return to work in unemployed people with low back pain differs from the employed, the need for employment skills training and a vocational focus to rehabilitation are highlighted.

The Economic Adjustment of Recently Arrived Bosnian, Afghan and Iraqi Refugees in Sydney, Australia

Research on the early settlement experience of refugees from Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan is absent, both in Australia and overseas. The current study, based on questionnaire results and the application of SPSS results, explores the impact that pre-migration and post-arrival experiences have on the initial post-arrival economic adjustment in Sydney, Australia of recently arrived refugees from these three countries. Guided by a summary of previous findings and surveyed results of key service providers in Sydney, two propositions based on pre-migration and post-migration background variables have been developed and tested with mixed results. As expected, there was a significant relationship between English language competency and the likelihood of being gainfully employed. However, there was, for example, no significant association between current employment status and the time spent in detention camp or the extent of negative exit conditions experienced, and there were no significant differences in employment outcomes for those with or without qualifications. This study concludes with a number of recommendations, in particular, the need for early intervention with adequate English language tuition, employment skills training and career counseling which could greatly assist humanitarian entrants in finding employment and reducing welfare dependence.

Rural Nonfarm Employment and Incomes in Latin America: Overview and Policy Implications

Rural nonfarm employment (RNFE) and incomes (RNFI) are crucial to Latin American rural households. The 11 rural household income studies in this volume, reviewed in this paper, use 1990s data and show that RNFI averages 40% of rural incomes. RNFI and RNFE have grown quickly over the past three decades. The review of evidence provided some surprising departures from traditional images of nonfarm activities of Latin American rural households. In terms of shares of rural incomes: (1) nonfarm wage incomes exceed self-employment incomes; (2) RNFI far exceeds farm wage incomes; (3) local RNFI far exceeds migration incomes; (4) Service-sector RNFI far exceeds manufactures RNFI. These findings suggest the need for more development program attention to wage employment in the service sector, versus the traditional focus on small enterprise manufactures. Moreover, poor households and zones tend to have higher shares in their incomes but lower absolute levels of RNFI as compared to richer households and zones. The RNFE of the poor tend to be the low-paid nonfarm equivalent of semi-subsistence farming. Raising the capacity of the poor to participate in the better-paid types of RNFE is crucial — via employment skills training, education, infrastructure, credit. Finally, RNFE has grown fastest and been most poverty-alleviating where there are dynamic growth motors, in particular in the agricultural sector, but also in tourism, links to urban areas, mining and forestry. This means that developing RNF jobs cannot be done at the expense of programs promoting agricultural development.