Job Skills Research Articles

EPS-TOPIK 기능과 효과에 대한 비판적 고찰

This paper examines whether EPS-TOPIK’s original evaluation function is being properly performed. First, the status and characteristics of EPS-TOPIK under the Employment Permit System are discussed. EPS-TOPIK is a kind of test for foreign employment, a special character that emphasizes Korean proficiency required in industrial settings, job performance, and ability to adapt to work life. Accordingly, there are differences from general Korean proficiency tests in the evaluation method, acceptance criteria, question presentation method, and questionaires’ method. Based on this specificity, this paper discusses whether EPS-TOPIK can have an educational washback effect on learners in terms of its evaluation function. At this time, in the case of the EPS-TOPIK, although the method of presenting each test has changed over time, it is argued that there is a problem with the change in terms of labor demand rather than the original function of EPS-TOPIK evaluation, such as the improvement of Korean language skills or job skills. In addition, although the evaluation items of EPS-TOPIK should be organically linked with textbooks, their validity is insufficient. Third, it is necessary to change the job-related questions into selective ones so that learners can learn by focusing more on the job they are going to go to. Fourth, regardless of the current area, the acceptance criteria must be the same and the difficulty must be adjusted claim. Fifth, it is argued that questions should be created in consideration of the practicality of foreign learners’ jobs, and sixth, that the validity of questions and textbooks that affect them should also be considered.

The Effect of Self-esteem of Learning Workers on Learning Performance and Job Performance in the Hair Beauty Daily Learning Concurrent System

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for improving job skills, improving the working environment in the beauty industry, and establishing stable on-site practical education by studying the self-esteem of learning workers. This study found that the impact of self-esteem on learning performance through the study worker of work and learning parallel system was found to have a significant impact, and it was found that self-esteem has a significant effect on job performance. This has a positive impact on the work environment and customer relationships through positive self-esteem, so it is judged that organizing an educational curriculum will have a positive impact on job ability and personal performance so that they can remind them of the positive energy of learning workers through personality and psychological education. Based on the results of this study, we hope that research on the establishment of on-site practice education in the beauty industry will continue, and based on this study in the future, we hope that it will affect the self-growth and job skills of learning workers in the beauty industry.

Effect of Job Characteristic Factors on Turnover Intention of Skilled Labourers in CS2 Category Construction Companies in Sri Lanka: Mediating Role of Organizational commitment

At present, construction industry is one of the most important industries in Sri Lankan economy that is expected to develop further in the future as well. However, in recent years, employee turnover in the construction industry has become a major concern in Sri Lanka and this rate has continued to increase. High employee turnover can have a substantial effect on construction companies given their nature of work which require skills, experience, and knowledge base more than other industries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing employee turnover intention. The main objective of the present study was to study the effect of job characteristic factors on organizational commitment and turnover intention of employees in construction sector employees in Sri Lanka. It also aimed to study whether organization commitment mediates the relationship between job characteristic factors and turnover intention. This study considered skill variety, task identity, task significance, job autonomy and job feedback as job characteristic factors. The quantitative research methods were used, and data were collected by using a questionnaire. The survey used a sample of 265 employees from 13 companies in Colombo district (CS-2 category). The sample was selected by using simple random sampling technique. Structured Equation Modelling method was used to analyze data. Results revealed that skill variety, task significance and job feedback were significantly related with turnover intention. Moreover, organizational commitment partially mediated the effect of these variables on turnover intention. However, task identity and job autonomy did not significantly relate with turnover intention. Therefore, managers should pay more attention on employee’s organizational commitment to reduce employee turnover intention. Skill variety, task significance and job feedback should be given priority in Sri Lankan context when considering job characteristic factors.

Work design, employee well-being, and retention intention: A case study of China's young workforce

China's growing workforce of young employees has propelled its economy towards becoming a global power. However, with evolving workplace difficulties and uncertainties, the rate of employee turnover is also rising, which affects every department in companies, in addition to impacting costs and finances. This study explored the influences of five core job characteristics, work relationships, and work conditions on young Chinese employees' retention intentions, mediated by employee well-being. Using a quantitative cross-sectional approach, 804 responses were obtained from young Chinese workers. We also employed partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze and forecast the extent of the impact of this study's independent variables. The empirical findings revealed that job autonomy, skill variety, task significance, feedback, work relationships, and work conditions indirectly influenced the retention intentions of young workers in China, with employee well-being acting as a mediator. However, the impact of task identity on employee well-being and retention intentions was insignificant. Our study contributes to the literature on employee retention intentions by demonstrating the importance of young employees' perceptions of work design-related aspects and extending the application of the job characteristics model.

Why Manufacturers Need to Engage Employees When Implementing a Smart Factory

Overview: Transformation into a smart factory has a soft side related to people, their motivation, perception, and skills. This study aims to examine staff perceptions about advantages, disadvantages, and barriers that challenge such transformation, and possible supporting measures. Our analysis of a company in a highly competitive manufacturing industry revealed the importance of the human element in the transition to a smart factory. Companies can facilitate the transition by ensuring all employees are aware of and understand the vision and implementation; by engaging with employees to learn about their thoughts and concerns; and by providing opportunities for employees to learn new skills for smart factory jobs. We offer recommendations to help practitioners succeed in transitioning to a smart factory.

Women and Mining in Zambia: Opportunities and Challenges

The rise of urbanisation in colonial Zambia particularly on the Copperbelt province is associated with the discovery of minerals in the early 1900s. The widespread discovery of minerals and exploitation of the same minerals required labour both skilled and unskilled labour. Skilled labour was drawn from overseas while unskilled labour was available from the local population. During the colonial period, the predominant labour force on the mines were men while women were by law were not allowed to enter towns during the early years of urbanization or to take residence in urban areas anywhere in the country. Early researchers commented that early African migration to mine towns essentialised as men’s wage work, depended on agricultural and reproductive labour performed by women, who officially remained in rural areas. Local labour migrations were highly restricted and employment of women in urban areas was scarce or none existent in the initial stages of urbanisation.
 Skilled and none skilled labour for women employees on the mines initially did not exist in the colonial period because they (women) were not viewed as important labourers needed for production in the mines. This restriction of women in urban areas created a legacy of gender inequalities in almost all the sectors of labour employment and more so in the mining sector during the colonial period. Consequently, one can argue that since the colonial period to date, women have been a minority group in the mines occupying low positions in their majority compared to men and very few women hold executive positions in the mining sector.
 Employment during the colonial period was not easily found due to clear discrimination. The end result of this type of discrimination in employment resulted in few or no women at all in some instances in the mines. With passage of time, women were allowed into towns and on the mines but formal jobs for women were difficult to find. The current state of gender inequalities in the mines in Zambia today is a carryover from the colonial period. Currently, training institutions for mine workers such as universities, colleges and technical institute are still dominated by male students.
 The above situation eventually results into a gendered labour force in the mines with men occupying highly skilled jobs while women dominate the low skilled and non-skilled jobs in mining conglomerates. The current gender inequalities on the mines are historically embedded in the mines as patriarchal institutions owned and ran by the same men. Consequently, very few women are in the executive positions in mines and even very few do own mines.

Corporate Hiring Under COVID-19: Financial Constraints and the Nature of New Jobs

Abstract Big data on job postings reveal multiple facets of the impact of COVID-19 on corporate hiring. Firms disproportionately cut new hiring for high-skill positions, with financially constrained firms reducing skilled hiring the most. Applying machine learning methods to job-ad texts, we find that firms have skewed their hiring toward operationally-core functions. New positions display greater flexibility regarding schedules and tasks. While job posting levels show signs of recovery starting in late-2020, changes to job descriptions and skill profiles persist through early-2022. Financial constraints amplify these changes, with constrained firms’ new hires witnessing greater adjustments to job roles and employment arrangements.

Can task changes affect job satisfaction through qualitative job insecurity and skill development?

ABSTRACT This multi-wave study uses the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) to investigate whether employees may view task changes as an organizational event that stimulates skill development or engenders job risks (i.e., qualitative job insecurity) and thereby affect employee job satisfaction. Additionally, drawing on Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), the indirect effect of task changes on job satisfaction through these two mediators was theorized to depend on individual’s regulatory focus (i.e., prevention or promotion). Mediation effects from task changes to job satisfaction via skill development and qualitative job insecurity were tested at the within-person level, while the moderating role by regulatory focus at the between-person level was tested using cross-level interactions. Results supported most of our hypotheses and also offered some unexpected insights. Task changes increased perceptions of qualitative job insecurity, which subsequently decreased job satisfaction. Although task changes did not show a significant direct link with skill development, skill development did positively predict job satisfaction six months later. We found no moderated mediation effects, however our moderator directly influenced job insecurity and skill development. Overall, the current study contributes to science and practice by providing valuable insights into the stressful processes that can evolve from task changes.

DEVELOPMENT OF A VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING MODEL FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

The development of culture and technology in responding to human needs in architecture and physical infrastructure development requires an acceleration in the skills of construction workers. Many factors become obstacles for construction workers to be able to compete and improve their skills. One of them is access to education and skills training because of the lack of information and opportunities they can get. This study aims to develop a vocational skills training model oriented to the certification of skilled workers in the construction industry. The development of the training model is made through stages that refer to research and development of Logic Model Development. The process carried out includes the planning, implementation, analysis, testing and finalization of the training model. Data collection was carried out through surveys of construction worker service users, FGD with training model development experts, FGD with construction industry stakeholders, theoretical analysis, and policies as materials for model development. The findings of this study are in the form of a training model that develops networks and collaborations between institutions related to skilled workers in the construction industry. Vocational universities have the potential to strengthen and facilitate construction workers in improving job skills and certifying skilled workers. In the long term, this model is expected to become a prototype for a sustainable vocational skills training system for construction workers.

Factors That Affect the Quality Of Vocational Education Graduates in the 4.0 Era: Job Readiness, Skills and Digital Services

Vocational education is an education that provides technical skills, knowledge and abilities needed by the workforce in various industrial sectors, but currently there are many graduates who are not accepted to work in the industrial sector, including because the graduates do not have the quality that adequate according to industry standards. The purpose of this study is to find out several factors that affect the quality of graduates. This research method is a literature review taken from several digital search sources of scientific journals such as the Garuda website, Researchgate and Google Scholar. The results obtained are that the factors that affect the quality of graduates are: (1) job readiness, (2) skills, and (3) digital service capabilities. Meanwhile, several other factors that need to be made for further studies are factors (1) disciplinary attitude, (2) independence, and (3) academic achievement.

A multiple criteria framework to assess learning methodologies

New job skills required by the professional market have been causing significant changes in the learning process of undergraduate students. Different learning methodologies can be adopted to assist in the development of those skills, and the process of choosing the most suitable learning methodology for each situation may be complex, involving multiple and conflicting criteria. In order to support the choice of learning methodologies for the development of the “4C skills”, i.e, collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking, we propose a new framework based on the multiple criteria decision-making approach PROMETHEE II (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment of Evaluations), considering as criteria the “4C skills”, student motivation, level of learning, student comfort, decision-making capacity and time required for class preparation. Passive methods and active learning methodologies such as Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning (GRPQ), Think-Pair-Share (TPS), and Problem Based Learning (PBL) are compared. Each methodology was applied to three groups of students of Industrial Engineering of a Brazilian University, totaling 138 students. As a result, PBL obtained the best assessment in the three groups, followed by GRPQ. The proposed framework validates the assessment of learning methodologies, providing a structure and guideline for its replication in other educational institutions.

Impacts of Apprenticeship Training Program on Current Registered Apprentices in Pakistan

This study demonstrates that inexperienced Christian individuals, boys & girls, working under the supervision of a mentor or an experienced team to learn trade skills. The purpose of the project was to develop useful job skills in the Christian individuals entering the workforce, increase future earning potential and enhance employability. This empirical study depicted that more than 32 trades have been selected by the 500 apprentices, and it gave a systematic investigation review and opportunity to test the validity of different assumptions, in the form of hypotheses, before arriving at any findings. This study illustrated that 20% of the apprentices had adopted the profession of tailoring/sewing, whereas 17% of apprentices like to join the trade of beauticians/beauty parlor. These two professions are mostly adopted by girls. 15.6% of apprentices like to work at barber shops or hair salon, which is mostly occupied by boys. 74.4% of apprentices say that they will have significantly more chances of finding work in future, whereas the rest of the apprentices confirm that there will be slightly more chances to find work of their own interest in the future. 51.2% of apprentices stopped their studies due to financial issues & 34.8 % are those who couldn’t continue their studies because of a lack of interest in studies. There were different quantitative and qualitative methods of data gathering that were used during this empirical research study, which included surveys, experiments, and various observatory methods. Surveys are one of the most common methods that have been used in this study which were administered physically.

Combating the Threat of Crime in the Security of the Bauchi Local Government Area Using Geospatial Technology

The dynamics of crime and its nature expose the State to the security threat. The types of criminal activities perpetrated within the communities, including armed robbery, kidnapping, and car and motorcycle snatching, are rapidly increasing. These crimes have” threatened security in Bauchi Local Government and hence the need to check by providing relevant information using modern technology. The geospatial technique combined with the Key Informant Interview approach was adopted to evaluate the intensity of insecurity in Bauchi LGA; from the data collected and analysed, it was established that criminal activities are increasing in various areas leading to the rapid increase in crime hotspots. As a result, the security agency needs to improve the nature of its functionality in combating crimes. Despite the fact that 70.35% of the security agency outpost are functional while 29.62% of the Outpost are non-functional, the security agency recorded 1081 crimes in 2020, which increased to 1142 crimes in 2021 and 1640 in 2022. Also, looking at the 645,000-population density of Bauchi LGA and the ratio of security personnel to individuals of 1:3581, which need to meet the United Nations standard of a ratio of 1:450. Given this, it was recommended that the State create job opportunities and skill acquisition training for unemployed youth roaming the streets. The security agency needs to develop a new strategy for combatting the security threat using geospatial technology and frequent production of security threat maps and their mitigation.

Combating the Threat of Crime in the Security of the Bauchi Local Government Area Using Geospatial Technology

The dynamics of crime and its nature expose the State to the security threat. The types of criminal activities perpetrated within the communities, including armed robbery, kidnapping, and car and motorcycle snatching, are rapidly increasing. These crimes have” threatened security in Bauchi Local Government and hence the need to check by providing relevant information using modern technology. The geospatial technique combined with the Key Informant Interview approach was adopted to evaluate the intensity of insecurity in Bauchi LGA; from the data collected and analysed, it was established that criminal activities are increasing in various areas leading to the rapid increase in crime hotspots. As a result, the security agency needs to improve the nature of its functionality in combating crimes. Despite the fact that 70.35% of the security agency outpost are functional while 29.62% of the Outpost are non-functional, the security agency recorded 1081 crimes in 2020, which increased to 1142 crimes in 2021 and 1640 in 2022. Also, looking at the 645,000-population density of Bauchi LGA and the ratio of security personnel to individuals of 1:3581, which need to meet the United Nations standard of a ratio of 1:450. Given this, it was recommended that the State create job opportunities and skill acquisition training for unemployed youth roaming the streets. The security agency needs to develop a new strategy for combatting the security threat using geospatial technology and frequent production of security threat maps and their mitigation.

Pengaruh Program Kartu Prakerja terhadap Penyerapan Tenaga Kerja Indonesia pada Masa Pandemi Covid - 19

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified in 2020 so that many Indonesian workers have been laid off and unemployed. In order to increase the rate of employment during the pandemic and reduce the open unemployment rate, the Indonesian government has created a pre-employment card program that provides opportunities for job seekers to obtain job training and skills that are relevant to industry needs. This study was made with the aim of knowing the impact of the pre-employment card program on the absorption level of Indonesian workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used samples from the entire population consisting of regencies and cities in Indonesia, with secondary data from employment data and information centers. This study uses a quantitative approach, using simple regression analysis to test and validate the hypothesis. The results showed that there was a significant positive effect between the provision of the pre-employment card program and the level of employment.

On-site construction of a point-of-care low-field MRI system in Africa.

To describe the construction and testing of a portable point-of-care low-field MRI system on site in Africa. All of the components to assemble a 50 mT Halbach magnet-based system, together with the necessary tools, were air-freighted from the Netherlands to Uganda. The construction steps included individual magnet sorting, filling of each ring of the magnet assembly, fine-tuning the inter-ring separations of the 23-ring magnet assembly, gradient coil construction, integration of gradient coils and magnet assembly, construction of the portable aluminum trolley and finally testing of the entire system with an open source MR spectrometer. With four instructors and six untrained personnel, the complete project from delivery to first image took approximately 11 days. An important step in translating scientific developments in the western world from high-income industrialized countries to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is to produce technology that can be assembled and ultimately constructed locally. Local assembly and construction are associated with skill development, low costs and jobs. Point-of-care systems have a large potential to increase the accessibility and sustainability of MRI in LMICs, and this work demonstrates that technology and knowledge transfer can be performed relatively seamlessly.

Meta Analysis of Entrepreneurial Skill and Entrepreneurial Motivation On Business Performance: Mediating Role Of Strategic Leadership In Sme Sector Of Ethiopia

As the world economy continues to move towards increased integration, some of the greatest opportunities for MSE will derive from their ability to participate in global market place. It is generally accepted that SMEs are becoming highly important in terms of employment, wealth creation, and the development of innovation. However, there are considerable problem about the quality of management/strategic leadership/ entrepreneurial skill and entrepreneurial motivation in this sector and other issues like weaknesses in innovation, a lack of financial acumen, marketing, entrepreneurial flair, practical knowledge, and human resource management. As a result of this fact, this study will aim to analyze the effects of entrepreneurial skill and entrepreneurial motivation on Business performance, With mediating role of strategic leadership: The case of selected SME Sectors in Guji Zone oromia regional state, Ethiopia. The study was employed a Quantitative research design method by using surveys questionnaire to collect data. The selections of the respondent for this study will random sampling and purposive sampling for SME owners and leaders of both zonal and towns job opportunity creation and skill office and are purposely selected to respond the questionnaires. Since the Zone is so large in size, the researcher will select 5 towns Nagele, Adola, Shakiso, Bore and Haro wachu. A total of 382 respondents will be selected as sample size. Estimating the total population as 2,322 owners and job opportunity creation and skill office leaders in 5 towns, the sample size 382 will be determined by using Yamane (1967) Because of its simplicity to use. The analysis of data is took place by using Classical Linear Regression Model. In this case, the analysis of data involved the use of chi square, correlation and ordinal logistic regression in order to analyze the effects of entrepreneurial skill and entrepreneurial motivation on business performance, with mediating role of strategic leadership. Result indicated that, all variables have positive and significant effect on business performance.

Emeric Henry discussion of: Women in politics

Though many public policies have been put in place to remedy the situation, ranging from quota to funding requirements, women are still vastly underrepresented in politics. In France, they represent fewer than 25% of candidates at national elections and the share reached 37% in legislative elections. This underrepresentation echoes gender gaps observed in other high skilled jobs. There are certainly many explanations for this gap, ranging from social norms, impact of role models or work–life balance concerns. However, a leading explanation is that voters are biased against women. Empirically, it is notoriously difficult to shed light on this question, and most evidence comes from survey experiments. The current paper uses a unique setting to shed light on this question. During the French Départementales elections of 2015, candidates were required to run as gender-balanced pairs. The system guaranteed that both members of the pair would have identical outcomes, in particular would get the same number of votes. However, they appeared on the ballot in alphabetical order, creating randomness in whether women or men appeared first.

The Impact of Outward FDI on the Employment Skills Structure of Chinese Firms

Based on the panel data of China's manufacturing public listed firms from 2011 to 2015, this paper examines the impact of Chinese manufacturing enterprises' foreign direct investment on the employment skills structure using the fixed-effect model. We found that firms with OFDI, compared to those domestic firms, tend to reduce their employment of producer and finance employees, increase the employment of sales, technical and unskilled labor; increase the share of technical workers and reduce the proportion of producer, finance, sales, and unskilled workers. Compare to intermittent OFDI, firms with continuous OFDI have more employment of sales and technical personnel. With respect to OFDI host countries, OFDI toward OECD countries has negative effect on non-skill jobs, while toward non-OECD countries has positive effect on skill jobs, such as finance, sale and techs job. Using the PSM method to conduct an endogenous test, we find that the key results of OFDI impacts remain robust.

Influence of Training Programs on Motivation in Selected Cooperatives in Nepal

This study aims to examine the influence level of training on employee motivation in selected Saving and Credit Co-operative Sector in Kathmandu valley. This is a descriptive study. The study applied a quantitative research design. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire. The study applied judgmental sampling. Responses were entered in Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), where statistical analysis was done. Inferential statistics i. e., correlation, and regression analysis were applied for data analysis. Multiple correlations indicate that employee competency, employee job knojob knowledge, technique, skill, and high correlation with motivation. The multiple linear regression model of employee motivation is significantly well-fitted to the given dataset. There is a satisfactory level of a significant and positive relationship between employee competency and motivation. The regression coefficient indicates that there is an insignificant and positive correlation between employee job knowledge and motivation. Both employee technique and employee skill have an insignificant and positive relationship with motivation. There is a significant, positive, and low relationship between employee morale and motivation. It is concluded that there is a significant relationship between dimensions of training and employee motivation. The training program helps to increase the motivation of employees in Cooperative Societies. The findings of this research study particularly support the Goal-Setting Theory. According to this theory, high self-efficacy individuals should be well-trained to achieve goals that lead to employee motivation. The research study will be helpful to the policymaking level both in the government and private sector.