Industrial Skills Research Articles

Predictive Analytics in Solar Energy : Optimizing Efficiency with AI

This article explores the transformative role of predictive analytics and artificial intelligence in the rapidly growing solar energy sector. It examines how these technologies revolutionize solar farm operations by enabling equipment failure prediction, performance optimization, intelligent maintenance scheduling, and enhanced grid integration. The article delves into the key components of predictive analytics systems, including data collection via IoT sensors, advanced data processing, machine learning models, and actionable insights generation. It also discusses the technical implementation challenges, such as ensuring data quality, improving model interpretability, integrating with legacy systems, and addressing the industry skill gap. By leveraging these cutting-edge technologies, solar energy providers can significantly improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize energy production, ultimately accelerating the global transition to renewable energy.

The credentialism trap: are IT certifications overrated?

Purpose This paper aims to explore whether certifications are sufficient for comprehensively evaluating the IT sector, focusing on DevOps, as this branch has the widest range of certifications. It examines the limitations of relying solely on certifications and highlights the gap between certified knowledge and practical competence in real-world settings. Design/methodology/approach The study includes a survey of 72 certified DevOps professionals with varying years of experience to gather insights on the impact of certifications. It also reviews existing literature on the origins, psychological aspects and role of certifications in recruitment within the IT sector. Findings The findings indicate that while certifications enhance technical knowledge and boost confidence among IT professionals, they do not consistently lead to career advancements and sometimes do not adequately assess practical skills and soft skills essential for DevOps roles. The survey revealed that only a minority experienced promotions postcertification, highlighting a disconnect between certifications and career progression. Research limitations/implications The survey sample was limited to 72 respondents, which may not represent the entire DevOps community. Future research with a more extensive and diverse sample could provide more generalisable results and deeper insights into the impact of certifications across different contexts. Practical implications Organisations should consider certifications as one component of a candidate’s qualifications, alongside practical experience and soft skills. Professionals are encouraged to pursue certifications for skill validation and knowledge enhancement but should integrate them with practical application and continuous learning to ensure effectiveness in DevOps environments. Social implications An overemphasis on certifications can contribute to a “credentialist” culture, potentially undervaluing practical skills and leading to stress and burnout among professionals. A balanced approach that values both certified knowledge and experiential learning can promote a healthier professional environment and improve team collaboration. Originality/value This paper provides a nuanced examination of the role of certifications in evaluating DevOps skills by combining survey data with a literature review. It offers original insights into the limitations of certifications and emphasises the importance of balancing them with practical experience and soft skills in the IT industry.

Skill Sets for the Hospitality Sectors: A Review

This article reviews the key skills required in the hotel industry, analyzing the importance of soft skills, technical skills, management, and leadership abilities. It also discusses the critical nature of cross-cultural competencies and language skills against the backdrop of globalization. The article emphasizes the foundational role of soft skills such as service attitude, communication, teamwork, and customer service. It points out the crucial role of technical skills like foreign language proficiency, information technology, and professional knowledge in enhancing service efficiency and market competitiveness. Management and leadership abilities, including organization, time management, and decision-making, are vital for the operational efficiency of hotels. Furthermore, the ability to engage in cross-cultural communication is essential for improving international competitiveness and customer experience. In the future, the demand for skills in the hospitality industry will be more diverse, and digital technology, multilingual competence and cross-cultural communication, the spirit of innovation and new training methods will bring greater challenges to practitioners in the hospitality industry.

Pengembangan buku ajar pembuatan kemeja pria dan efektivitasnya bagi siswa kelas XI Tata Busana SMK di Kabupaten Gunungkidul

Background: Textbooks are essential in facilitating independent and structured learning for students, supporting teachers in delivering curriculum-aligned material, and ensuring vocational high school students gain relevant industry skills for effective knowledge transfer and achievement of learning objectives. Purpose: This study aims to produce textbooks for making men's shirts that are worthy of being used as instructional materials and to know the effectiveness of using textbooks for students of class XI at SMK Negeri Gunungkidul District. Method: This study is research and development (R&D) with reference to the Borg and Gall development model, namely:1) Conducting product analysis, 2) Developing initial products, 3) Expert validation and revision, 4) Small-scale field trials and product revisions, 5) large scale field trials and final products. The product trial design consists of media experts and material experts, as well as field trials. Data collection techniques are, observation, questionnaires and tests. The feasibility test of teaching books was analyzed using descriptive analysis. Whereas to test the effectiveness of textbooks, data were analyzed using the t-test with a significance level of 0.05. Findings: The results showed that textbooks for making men's shirts were categorized as feasible, with the assessment of media experts getting an average score of 4.6 and based on the assessment of material experts, they got an average score of 4.28. The resulting textbook is effective to be used for students of Class XI Fashion Design at SMK N 1 Saptosari, as evidenced by the average pretest value of 64.12 increasing in the posttest of 83.21, the result of tcount ≥ t table (22.028≥ 1.696).

Developing Managerial Framework to Cultivate Critical Skills in The South African Automotive Retail Industry

The purpose of this study is to develop managerial framework that could be utilised to cultivate critical skills in the automotive retail industry. This would be achieved by providing a comprehensive literature overview regarding skills development strategies including life-long learning, apprenticeship, and mentorship programmes. The study utilised a qualitative research methodology. Data are collected through face-to-face interviews using an interrogation technique. Data collection process was done in participants’ natural settings, enabling the researcher to develop new knowledge, and understanding of strategic tools that can be utilised to promote skills development of technicians for the automotive retail industry. The findings reveal a strong collaboration between non-technical and technical high schools as well as technical colleges is essential to ensure the quality of skills development in the automotive retail industry is improved, and thereby improve the market pool of skilled young technicians.

The Application and Training of News Interviewing Skills in Journalism Education

With the rapid development of the information age, the demand for professional interviewing skills in the news media industry continues to grow, making the training of interviewing skills in journalism education particularly important. This paper explores the application and training methods of news interviewing skills within journalism education. By analyzing the application of interviewing skills in classroom teaching and off-campus practices, it proposes specific methods for basic interviewing skills, advanced interviewing skills, and comprehensive quality enhancement training. The study finds that current journalism education faces issues such as the disconnection between theory and practice and a lack of diverse teaching content, and it offers corresponding improvement strategies. The aim is to provide a reference for journalism educators to enhance the interviewing skills and overall quality of journalism students, enabling them to adapt to the constantly changing media environment.

Career transition and mentorship nexus: unmasking the mediating role of career adaptability

PurposeTo avoid indecisiveness and a lack of direction in making a successful career transition, it may be necessary to modify the career transition process through career mentorship (CM). The study aims to investigate career adaptability as pathways through which CM is related to trainees’ career transition.Design/methodology/approachA three times cross-sectional data were collected from 480 national industrial skills development program (NISDP) trainees among five industrial training fund (ITF) trainees in Southeastern Nigeria.FindingsThe analysis revealed that CM positively associated with the trainees’ career transition behaviors. CM is also positively associated with the trainees’ career adaptability. Also, career adaptability is positively associated with trainees’ career transition behaviors. Likewise, career adaptability mediated the link between CM and career transition behaviors.Originality/valueConducting the study in a previously neglected context extended our understanding of the indirect relationship between CM and trainees’ career transition behavior.

Integration and Promotion: Integrating Sustainability Research into Computer Science Teaching through Serious Games Assignments

“Serious Games” is a final-year 20 credit point module, undertaken as the default optional module for students on Undergraduate courses entitled BSc Computing and BSc Computer Science (Games Technology) at Nottingham Trent University, UK. The module focuses on developing students’ critical evaluation skills, enhancing their ability to design and implement solutions for a real-world design brief, working with clients and making final products accessible to a broad target audience. Historically this was achieved through engagement with a single client, often via a wider research project or local educational establishment of some sort. More recently, the module has retained two client project briefs, which the students are then empowered to choose between. With each client brief the module team has sought to add extra value for the students. For the previous two academic years, the module team has partnered with Green Academy, a strategic team within the University whose priorities include stimulating pedagogical innovation and practice sharing within the area of sustainability and pioneering a shared understanding of sustainability education. The resulting partnership has introduced a brief for students which combines vital industry skills with sustainability literacy. Working with and alongside the students who are undertaking the module, the module has developed Serious Games on a diverse range of local and global sustainability issues and has exposed students to university research culture and our sustainability research specialisms. It has also necessitated that students engage with and contextualise the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the UNESCO ESD competencies which they are tasked with integrating into their design solutions. The long-term intent of this partnership is for these design decisions to be utilised in the Green Academy’s ongoing strategy to further enhance the University’s pedagogical framework and sustainability education offer, and to improve the provision of Serious Games for use by clients outside the University. This report is a synoptic overview of the module design and insights from the two-year partnership as well as how these observations have been leveraged to improve the design and delivery of the module for future clients and students.

Analisis Faktor Penghambat Usaha Mikro dan Kecil pada Industri Fashion Hijab di Kota Bandung

The fashion creative industry is the 2nd largest business unit in Indonesia, especially the fashion business category in clothing including hijab, which experienced a minimal increase in 2019-2021. Business competition can have an impact on business bankruptcy. So, it is important to create a long-term business strategy for businesses to minimize obstacles when running a business in order to avoid business bankruptcy. The purpose of this study is to determine what are the most dominant or frequent inhibiting factors in the development of micro and small businesses in the hijab fashion industry in Bandung City. This research method utilizes quantitative methods. The data collection technique used a questionnaire given to 105 respondents in Bandung City. The results of this study resulted in five factors inhibiting the development of micro and small businesses in the hijab fashion industry in Bandung City, namely Capital Limitations, Internet Mastery, Management Quality, Human Resource Limitations, and Marketing Difficulties. Limited human resources is the dominant or frequent inhibiting factor in business development. So it is recommended to involve training and continuing education to improve HR skills in the hijab fashion industry, through workshops, partnerships with educational institutions, and joining communities or business associations.

The Role of English Language Skills in the Tourism Industry in the 4.0 Era in Kuningan District, West Java Province

Through communication media, English plays a significant role in the sustainable tourism sector with the goal of promoting foreign travel, service, effective communication between foreign visitors and tourism actors, and the surrounding community, all of which are ultimately related to the growth of local tourism in the industrial era's sustainable tourism sector. 4.0 Tourist actors need to be fluent in English, especially in the vernacular, which includes basic discussion, linguistic proficiency, and basic conversation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the advantages of English- speaking culture in West Java Province's sustainable tourism sector during the Industrial Era 4.0. Descriptive qualitative analysis is the analytical technique employed. This study demonstrates the necessity of English-speaking culture in Kunuingan District, West Java Province's sustainable tourism industry in the industrial era 4.0 in order to promote the province's local tourist destinations overseas, increase the number of foreign visitors, and facilitate English-language communication. The ability to speak effectively in English is crucial for both those who work in the tourism business and those who live near popular tourist sites.

INVESTIGATION OF THE ENZYMATIC DEGUMMING AND STEAM EXPLOSION’S IMPACT ON THE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE NATURAL FIBERS

Today the textile production is considered as one of the most polluted fields across the world. And the size of the global textile market is expected to be increased by 26% in 2030. The high demand for clothing has necessitated the search for sustainable alternatives to mitigate the environmental impact. One such alternative being studied is the utilizing natural fibers instead of synthetic fibers due to their promising properties. The major benefits of using natural fibers at industrial skills are sustainability, biodegradability, eco-friendliness and lightweight. Utilizing the natural fibers such as flax, hemp, jute, nettle can decrease the waste release. For the use of natural plant fibers as textile materials, the degumming process, also known as retting, must be performed in order to make fiber bundles become more separable from the wood’s part of the stem. Methods of fiber degumming have been divided into four categories: physical, enzymatic, chemical and biological. The suggestion of the use of steam explosion and enzymatic retting as eco-friendly methods that can reduce fiber damage without influencing on cellulosic structure are proposed. To determine and increase the effect of the degumming on the natural fibers, the flax, hemp fibers were taken as samples to perform the enzymatic degumming following the steam explosion method. For the enzymatic activity, pectate lyase (Bioprep100L, Novozymes) was used. As a chelator to remove Ca+ ions from the fibers, EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) was proposed to utilize during the enzymatic retting to improve mechanical properties of the fibers. Three groups were observed to investigate the effects of enzymatic retting on natural fibers: the control group (utilizing water only), the second group using pectate lyase enzyme with water, and the third group employing a pectate lyase enzyme buffered solution with EDTA as a chelator. After enzymatic degumming, the obtained biomass from three groups were got through the steam explosion at 200 °C for 4 min. As a result, according to chemical analysis of sugar content using HPAE-PAD ion chromatography, it was revealed that the second group that is used only the pectate lyase and water following the steam explosion method showed the best result in comparison with the other groups. It was determined that the percentage of rhamnose and arabinan sugars, which represent the pectin content significantly decreased that cause a partial or a full elimination of pectin (≈ 0,05% for flax and ≈ 0 % for hemp), while the glucose content slightly increased (≈ 94,67% and ≈ 94,74%, respectively) meaning that cellulose was not damaged during the retting methods. It can also be suggested that the group with EDTA chelator did not lead to successful results due to its influence on pectate lyase, causing the inactivation of enzyme. Although the obtained results, demonstrating the efficient retting outcomes with pectate lyase that that can be used at industrial scale for the further processes of textile production, the additional analyses on mechanical properties, including determination of tensile strength, elongation must be performed.

“We want to give people skills that will get them jobs”: Community College Career and Technical Education Faculty Members’ Teaching Strategies

Increased attention toward filling skills gaps have prompted community colleges to prepare a new wave of employees. Community colleges have long turned to former industry professionals, now serving as career and technical education (CTE) faculty, to train students for fruitful careers. This narrative inquiry study featured interviews with 20 community college CTE faculty and aimed to address this research question: what teaching approaches do community college CTE faculty, as practitioners-turned-educators, implement with their students? Findings showcased five strategies that CTE faculty implement: 1) drawing on professional experiences to shape curriculum; 2) looking to industry for current needed skills; 3) leveraging how students learn to promote practical industry skills; 4) prioritizing students’ humanity; and 5) assisting with internship acquisition. We offer implications to researchers on how to further unravel these participants’ distinct perspectives, as well as provide recommendations to practitioners on how to support CTE faculty in their vital campus capacities.

Future skills for Industry 4.0 integration and innovative learning for continuing engineering education

Future skills for Industry 4.0 integration and innovative learning for continuing engineering education

Roles of positive psychological capital resources dimensions on self-employment creation among youths

Purpose: This research paper aims to explore how positive psychological resources influence youth participating in the Industrial Training Fund’s (ITF) National Industrial Skill Development Programme (NISDP), specifically examining the programs’ impact on self-employment creation in Plateau State, Nigeria. Method: The paper employs Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to examine the relationship between positive psychological resources and self-employment creation in Plateau State. Results: The study concludes that dimensions of positive psychological resources serve as effective predictors of self-employment creation among youths. However, it notes that two dimensions; resilience and hope, did not exhibit a significant positive relationship. Nonetheless, the lack of significance does not negate the existence of a relationship explaining self-employment creation among youths in the context of this study. Limitations: Several factors constrained the study. It was conducted within a specific constituency in Plateau State, limiting its scope and generalizability. Therefore, the results may not be applicable to the entire state. Contributions: This study offers insights beneficial to both self-employed and unemployed youths, emphasizing the importance of a positive mindset in self-employment creation. The findings are particularly relevant to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and its National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), shedding light on the effectiveness of their training programs fostering self-employment. Moreover, this research contributes to the existing body of literature on self-employment creation among youths and extends understanding of positive psychological capital resources (PSYCAP) by examining various dimensions. Additionally, it provides guidance for future directions in research and practice in this field.

Roles of positive psychological capital resources dimensions on self-employment creation among youths

Purpose: This research paper aims to explore how positive psychological resources influence youth participating in the Industrial Training Fund’s (ITF) National Industrial Skill Development Programme (NISDP), specifically examining the programs’ impact on self-employment creation in Plateau State, Nigeria. Method: The paper employs Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to examine the relationship between positive psychological resources and self-employment creation in Plateau State. Results: The study concludes that dimensions of positive psychological resources serve as effective predictors of self-employment creation among youths. However, it notes that two dimensions; resilience and hope, did not exhibit a significant positive relationship. Nonetheless, the lack of significance does not negate the existence of a relationship explaining self-employment creation among youths in the context of this study. Limitations: Several factors constrained the study. It was conducted within a specific constituency in Plateau State, limiting its scope and generalizability. Therefore, the results may not be applicable to the entire state. Contributions: This study offers insights beneficial to both self-employed and unemployed youths, emphasizing the importance of a positive mindset in self-employment creation. The findings are particularly relevant to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and its National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), shedding light on the effectiveness of their training programs fostering self-employment. Moreover, this research contributes to the existing body of literature on self-employment creation among youths and extends understanding of positive psychological capital resources (PSYCAP) by examining various dimensions. Additionally, it provides guidance for future directions in research and practice in this field.

An Exploration of Hotel Management Operational on Kamala Hotel Resort

This research focuses on exploring how to operate management hospitality at Kamala Hotel Resort. The study aims to know how to operate efficiently and potential implementation in the industry. The research is based on in-depth interview, observation and study literature approach with diverse departments. This analysis was used to analyze the data using previous literature on operational management. The Findings indicate that operational management is based on the skill and experience of the employee in the hospitality industry and the policy of the hotel. Moreover, the study highlights that skill and experience impact operation management in the hospitality industry. The result showed that the hotel management operational has a very important role in an hospitality industry. Hotel management operational in Kamala Hotel and Resort help college student managing all departments that have different goals, work together across departments to achieve the goal or vision of the hotel, and increase guest satisfaction, so that it can increase profit from hotels.

Pelatihan Barista Untuk Siswa-Siswi Di SMK Al-Azhar Batam

PKM Lecturer Activities About Barista Training is a program designed to provide participants with in-depth training in the skills and knowledge needed to become a skilled and professional barista. This training not only covers basic techniques in coffee making, but also advanced aspects such as latte art, knowledge of different types of coffee beans, and skills in serving coffee to customers to the highest standards. The main objectives of this training are. Mastery of Coffee Making Techniques: Teaches participants about basic techniques such as grinding coffee beans, choosing the right tools and machines, perfect espresso extraction, and milk steaming techniques. Latte Art Skills Development: Introduce and train participants in latte art which includes latte art, which is a technique for creating interesting patterns or images on the surface of coffee with milk. Knowledge about Coffee Beans: Educate participants about various types of coffee beans, processing processes, and how to choose the right beans to produce coffee with the best taste and aroma. Professional Customer Service: Prepares participants to be able to provide friendly and professional customer service, including how to communicate with customers and manage their expectations. Compliance with Hygiene and Safety Standards: Ensure that participants understand and implement high standards of cleanliness and safety in their daily operations, including sanitation of equipment and work areas. Barista training is usually held in a variety of formats, ranging from intensive workshops to more structured courses of varying duration. This program is aimed at individuals interested in starting a career as a professional barista, cafe owner, or anyone looking to improve their skills in the fast-growing coffee industry.

Exploring the synergy of problem‐based learning and computational fluid dynamics in university fluid mechanics instruction

AbstractRecently, the growing demand for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) skills in industry has highlighted the importance of their incorporation into university academic programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. However, many academic programs treat CFD tools as a “black box” in which users simply enter data without fully understanding the inner workings of the software or its application in real‐world situations. Therefore, in the context of a civil engineering program in Chile, a novel approach combining problem‐based learning (PBL) with CFD was introduced into the curriculum of a fluid mechanics course to foster crucial competencies. This comprehensive methodology allows students to acquire fundamental theoretical knowledge that is directly related to specific problems in the classroom. Subsequently, students measure relevant variables in the laboratory, ultimately using these data to build computational models for comparing and contrasting reality with simulations. To gauge the effectiveness and impact of this PBL strategy, both quantitative analysis of student performance and qualitative analysis through surveys were conducted. The results reveal a significant improvement in student performance with the implementation of the PBL methodology, alongside a positive perception among students regarding its implementation. This underscores its benefits for learning, motivation, and academic performance. Additionally, the implementation of PBL was found to enhance both theoretical and practical understanding of concepts related to fluid dynamics and CFD simulation.

A Conceptual Framework for Workforce Skills for Industry 5.0: Implications for Research, Policy and Practice

Industry 5.0 is a relatively new topic and not yet well-defined. This article’s purpose is to develop understanding of Industry 5.0 by offering a new socio-centric conceptual framework. It extends prevailing perception of Industry 5.0 by integrating workforce skills, labour shortages, and eco-digital shifts. The study explores workforce skill measurement and its implementation. Three methods were combined to develop the conceptual framework: (i) review of academic and policy literature; (ii) scholarly and expert discussions; (iii) consultations with practitioners, companies and networks on Industry 5.0’s relevance. Industry 5.0 expands Industry 4.0's technology-focused approach. This new paradigm emphasises human-centricity, sustainability and resilience, infusing societal values into organisational management. Our findings suggest that, while firmly rooted in EU policy, Industry 5.0 must find integration at national levels and within pertinent ecosystems. This article introduces innovative perspectives on conceptualising and evaluating workforce skills for Industry 5.0. Mitigating skills gaps is crucial in enabling companies and employees to leverage the eco-digital shift, fostering sustainability, resilience and equity across Europe. A limitation to understanding Industry 5.0 is that policy discussions run ahead of collecting empirical data. As a consequence, one must be careful in drawing firm conclusions. While prior research underscores the need for skilled workforces in Industry 5.0, it falls short of elucidating evolving job dynamics in the Industry 5.0 transition. This article addresses this gap by examining the evolving job landscape, skills, and learning trajectories.

Preparing Artists to Save the World: Community-Engaged Arts Practice as Critical Pedagogy

ABSTRACT The sustained marginalisation of creative arts in higher education in Australia risks the delivery of superficial learning experiences that are disconnected from the relationality of place, people, and histories. The metrics used to assess a university’s capacity to produce “job-ready graduates” does not adequately capture the success of students in the creative arts, leading to under resourcing in these disciplines and, ironically, limiting the capacity of these disciplines to train students adequately for their industry. In this paper, we examine the place of community-engaged creative practice and cultural policy learning in universities to ask how tertiary educators can support students to develop industry skills while also embodying a critically engaged pedagogy in order to work and create in the industry in ways that prioritise relationality, context and an ethic of care. Community-engaged arts practice can be understood as that which privileges collaborative processes, values people over institutions, is contextually grounded, and understands creative excellence as intricately entangled in social and relational outcomes. We argue that community-engaged arts practice is a form of critical pedagogy and, potentially, vice versa. We share two case studies of creative arts learning experiences in our university as examples of the powerful crossover between community-engaged arts practice and critical pedagogies in our endeavour to train effective, and impactful creative arts workers in sustainable and ethical practice via a critically engaged creative practice pedagogy.