Skilled Workers Research Articles

How does worker mobility affect business adoption of a new technology? The case of machine learning

AbstractResearch SummaryWe investigate how worker mobility influences the adoption of a new technology using state‐level changes to the enforceability of noncompete agreements as an exogenous shock to worker mobility. Using data on over 153,000 establishments from 2010 and 2018, we find that changes that facilitate worker movements are associated with a significant decline in the likelihood of adoption of machine learning. Moreover, we find that the magnitude of decline depends upon the size of the establishment, the extent of predictive analytics adoption in its industry, and the number of large establishments in the same industry‐location. These results are consistent with the view that increases in outward worker mobility increase costs for adoption of a new technology that involves significant downstream investments in the early years of its diffusion.Managerial SummarySuccessful business adoption of new technologies such as machine learning requires skilled workers with experience in implementing those technologies. In the early years of technology diffusion workers in early adopting businesses typically acquire these skills through on‐the‐job learning that is paid for by the adopter. So, if such early adopters face an increased risk of those skilled workers quitting, then their incentives to adopt the technology decrease. We examine this possibility using changes in noncompete enforceability as a proxy for changes in worker mobility and find that the likelihood of adopting machine learning decreases as the risk of worker mobility increases, particularly for larger establishments, establishments in industries where adoption may be more beneficial and in locations with many large competing establishments.

Science for All? School Science Education Policy and STEM Skills Shortages

ABSTRACT Whether enough highly qualified STEM workers are being educated and trained in the UK is an important question. The answer has implications not only for educators, employers and policymakers but also for individuals who are currently engaged in, or are considering entering, education or training in this area. Set against a policy backdrop that prioritises students studying more science for longer, this paper considers long-term patterns of participation in STEM education – from school science through to graduate entry into the highly skilled STEM labour market. Using a unique dataset that extends across seven decades and comprises many hundreds of thousands of students, the paper finds that patterns of participation in most STEM subjects have varied little over the period considered; suggesting that efforts to increase the numbers of students studying science in school has had limited impact on the throughput of students who study STEM, including the pure sciences, at university level and, subsequently, on the number of graduates who would be available to undertake highly skilled work in areas for which degree-level skills are a pre-requisite.

Language Education, Gender, and Inclusivity: Focusing on Japanese Language Education in Sri Lanka

The female population in Japanese language education in Sri Lanka is remarkably high compared to male population. Not only learners, but the number of female teachers also outsmart the male teachers. However, this kind of gender distribution is not something specific to Japanese language education. Research has highlighted that in many parts of the world male has less interest in learning languages than female. Some studies prove that boys think that learning foreign languages would not lead them to lucrative careers and some believe that language learning is not something 'real boys' do or are good at. Nonetheless, when considering the number of Sri Lankans who apply for visa to enter Japan, male population is significantly higher than females. In recent years specialists in Information Technology have more tendency to get job placements in Japan. Further, in 2019 Japan has opened its doors to Sri Lanka for a visa category called Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) which offers 4 employment fields from Sri Lanka. To apply for SSW visa, one should clear a language competency test and skill test of the relevant field. Does the increase in employment opportunities in Japan has any impact on the attitudes of language learning among male population? Thus, this paper explores current situation of the Japanese Language education in Sri Lanka focusing on gender distribution. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used in gathering and analysing data. The findings show that though there is a growth of male population among learners the attitudes towards learning Japanese are not changing as fast as the rapidly growing enthusiasm to work in Japan. Though there are new opportunities in Japan, if language competency is not recognized as a soft skill that goes beyond gender stereotype, we will fail to gain the best from the available paths. Further, changes towards inclusiveness in the curriculum as well as inclusiveness in the recruiters are given as recommendations to improve the current situation.

Diagnosing and Identifying Standards Affecting on the Ready-Mix Concrete Production Plants Performance: An Analytical Study

Due to the rapid growth of the construction industry in Iraq, this study aims to identify and diagnose the reasons behind the poor performance of ready-mixed concrete production plants in Baghdad. This aim was achieved by analyzing the standards affecting the plants’ performance and identifying the cause of the deviation from their required performance using the root cause analysis technique through innovative tools and techniques, such as Pareto charts and the why technique. The study analyzed 35 reasons, divided into seven main groups: work breakdown structure, skills, shared values, systems, Administrative Styles, strategy, and staff. The results showed 23 out of 35 reasons with significant importance on the plants’ performance. The Pareto analysis revealed that nine causes out of 35 reasons were responsible for 80% of the poor plants’ performance. These included the lack of work breakdown structure in enhancing the functional performance of work teams and maximizing the utilization of their skills, as well as the insufficient number of work teams, two root causes of the work breakdown structure group. Another root cause from the skills group was the necessary skills lack among most work teams and the training programs and workshops absence for work teams. The study also found that the plant management's lack of focus on competition, excellence, and innovation was a root cause of the strategy group. In addition, the advanced techniques used for producing high-quality concrete mixes and the absence of a fair and accurate incentive and reward system were the root causes of the systems group. Furthermore, the management's failure to adopt control methods in all field and administrative work stages was a root cause of the management systems group, and the work teams' failure to adopt the knowledge-sharing approach was a root cause of the work teams' group. Using the "why" technique, it was found that the root cause was the absence of an objective, fair, and accurate incentive system in ready-mixed concrete production plants.

The impact of ICT and e-commerce on employment in Colombia

This study presents new empirical evidence regarding the impact of e-commerce adoption on employment in Colombia, a developing economy. We use firm-level data from the Annual Manufacturing Survey between 2013 and 2018 and differentiate the workforce by skill level and type of contract. We also use multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to construct a parsimonious set of instrumental variables to account for the endogeneity of e-commerce. Our main finding is that an increase of 1% in the degree of e-commerce penetration increases demand for skilled workers by 0.2% and does not have a negative impact in the demand for unskilled workers. We then delve deep into the evidence and test for complementarity or substitution between skilled labor and ICT capital related to e-commerce implementation by employing a new and specific theoretical framework, which is empirically assessed. Our results confirm that highly skilled workers benefit the most from the introduction of e-commerce and its associated ICTs into a company, exhibiting a high degree of complementarity compared to unskilled workers. Thus, our findings support the hypothesis that ICT utilization and e-commerce adoption lead to labor substitution, particularly for low skill workers. This study recommends that policymakers invest in skill development to meet e-commerce demands, focusing on both upskilling workers to enhance digital literacy and implementing targeted support programs for a smooth transition to the digital economy across all skill levels.

The Shortage of Professionals/Skilled Workers: Its Impact on the Inflation Rate in the Eurozone

The shortness of professionals and/or skilled workers is a widespread phenomenon in industrialized countries, and so it is in the Eurozone. The vacancy ratio, which is defined and explained in its three (respectively four) alternative definitions, may serve both as a measure of labour market tightness and as a proxy for the shortness of professionals and/or skilled workers. We derive, in two variants, a theoretical model which is based on the Phillips and the Beveridge curve. A combination of these two concepts yields a so-called “modified output gap” suitable for explaining the inflation rate of Eurozone member countries, driven, among other things, by the vacancy ratio. This model is successfully tested for about 70% of the Eurozone member countries (2006-2021). We conclude our exposition with suggestions for economic policy on how to sensibly reduce the vacancy ratio, a summary of findings, and a scope for future research.

Application of Project-Based Learning to Improve the 4C Abilities (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication) of Children Aged 5-6 Years

This research aims to improve the 4C (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication) abilities of children aged 5-6 years by using the Project Based Learning (PjBL) learning model. This research uses a type of classroom action research using the Kemmis and Mc Taggart model through 4 stages, namely: 1) planning, 2) Action, 3) Observation, and 4) Reflection. The subjects in this research were children aged 5-6 years at GMIM Sion Tomohon Kindergarten with a total of 23 children. The data collection technique uses observation and non-test techniques which are used to measure the creativity of children aged 5-6 years, namely batik work using natural papaya leaves using the ecoprint technique. Data collection instruments use observation assessments (attitude assessments), work skills assessments work results assessment instruments, as well as questionnaires for assessing children's developmental achievements. The data analysis used in this research is quantitative and qualitative, namely simple descriptive statistics, the data reduction process, data presentation, and conclusion are carried out in the qualitative analysis process. The research results show that there is an increase in the 4C (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication) abilities of children aged 5-6 years through the Project Based Learning (PjBL) learning model. This is proven by the activities of teachers and children who support the 4C indicators.

The role of mindfulness skill and inclusive leadership in job performance among secondary teachers in Hong Kong

PurposeResearcher agreed that job performance has a positive effect on productivity as well as an organisation’s efficiency. Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of mindfulness skill, inclusive leadership (IL), employee work engagement and self-compassion on the overall job performance of secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. It then evaluates the mediating effect of employee work engagement between the relationships of mindfulness skill, IL and job performance, as well as the moderate effect of self-compassion between the relationships of mindfulness skill, IL and employee work engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe sample comprised 263 teachers working from three secondary schools in Sha Tin, Hong Kong. The data was then analysed using Smart PLS version 4.0.9.FindingsThe results showed significant positive relationships between mindfulness skill and IL towards employee work engagement and between employee work engagement and job performance; meanwhile, there emerged a significant effect on the relationship between mindfulness skill and IL towards job performance. Furthermore, this research has confirmed that self-compassion did not moderate the relationship between mindfulness skill, IL and employee work engagement, but employee work engagement plays a mediating effect on the relationship between mindfulness skill, IL and job performance.Originality/valueThis research has helped to fill the literature gap by examining the mediating roles of employee work engagement and mediator role of self-compassion in the integrated relationship of multi-factor and job performance. Examining the mediating role of employee work engagement has helped to enhance the understanding of the underlying principle of the indirect influence of mindfulness skill, IL and job performance. The result of this research shows that self-compassion plays a vital role in influencing the employees’ work engagement. Hence, it is important that companies design human resource management policy that enables self-compassion to be used as a consideration psychological-related strategy when structing organisation or teams. It is also crucial for top management and policymakers to define and communicate the organisation’s operating principle, value and goals.

Immigrant nurses' experiences of discrimination by patients and nursing home residents: a narrative review

Immigrant nurses' experiences of discrimination by patients and nursing home residents: a narrative review Abstract: Background and aim: Immigrant nurses are filling the shortage of skilled workers in many countries. Studies suggest that they may face discrimination in their destination countries. This paper aims to provide an overview of the experiences of immigrant nurses with regard to discrimination in their interactions with patients. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed by searching the databases PubMed and CINAHL. Additional articles were identified through a search in Google Scholar and by reviewing reference lists. Studies published between 1/2013 and 3/2023 were included. Results: The literature search yielded 103 studies, 18 of which were included in the narrative review. The review showed that immigrant nurses may experience discrimination in the form of rejection, questioning of their qualifications, unequal treatment, derogatory remarks, threats, as well as violence from patients. Discrimination is based on their ethnicity, country of origin, external characteristics, language, and accent. Conclusions: Overall, available data is insufficient. The results of this review can serve as a basis for further studies and help managers and policy makers to better understand discrimination against immigrant care workers, to develop strategies to support them and to implement appropriate prevention measures.

The Alignment of Accounting Curriculum with Market Requirements: The Iraqi Case

This research investigates at how Iraqi university accounting courses connect to industry demands in an effort to raise the standard and relevance of accounting education. The study used a survey with a questionnaire that was distributed to teachers, graduates, employers, and professionals in the accounting area in Iraq. The study looks at the most recent accounting curriculum, demographic data, relevance ratings for accounting courses, and assessments of essential work skills. The study showed a wide range of demographics, including notable responses from academics (58%), and employers (51%). Results show areas of convergence and divergence in the perceived importance of specific accounting courses, which may indicate gaps between theoretical ideas and practical implementations. Crucial skills and non-accounting courses share some shared aims and small differences as well. The report highlights how important it is to align Iraq's accounting curriculum with business needs. The proposals include systematic curriculum assessments, more industry-academia collaboration, continual professional development for educators, and an emphasis on a broader range of abilities. In response to shifting market needs, the paper makes evidence-based suggestions for enhancing accounting education in Iraq.

EXPLORING SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING IN PRACTICAL CLASS FOR HOSPITALITY STUDENTS

The Malaysia Education Development Plan 2015-2025 (Higher Education) aims to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to meet the demands of the industry by producing skilled workers. It is crucial for TVET students to enhance their skills through high-quality practical training. This study aims to investigate the self-directed learning as learning styles and the achievement of practical hospitality courses among hospitality students in community college in the northern part of peninsular Malaysia. This study proposes to apply the Kolb's Learning Style. This quantitative study utilizes a survey method, with preliminary study involving 30 students and the actual sample of 136 participants comprising students from semester two and semester three at the identified Community Colleges using Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling technique. The preliminary collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27.0. The findings of this study are expected to provide a better understanding of learning styles and self -directed learning on academic achievement in the context of TVET among hospitality students at Community Colleges.

Foreign ownership and green innovation

Foreign-owned firms typically have access to more resources and expertise, which can aid in modernizing and upgrading local technologies. Additionally, foreign investment has the potential to attract highly skilled workers, thereby facilitating an increase in green innovation in host countries.

Factors Contributing to EFL Learners’ Construction of Arguments in Culturally Infused Discussions

This study describes the factors that enhanced students’ construction of arguments when participating in culturally infused discussions at an undergraduate English as a foreign language British Culture course. The research was conducted at a university in Northwestern Colombia. This paper presents a section of the results of a larger project whose objective is to identify the elements that aid participants in building and elaborating arguments in culturally infused discussions. Socratic questioning was an integral element of the discussions. To attain the purpose of this study, a qualitative single-case design was employed. Findings show that the factors facilitating the construction of arguments could potentially be peer scaffolding, previous knowledge, connection to participants’ reality, and curiosity and inquiry. This study makes important contributions to the field of critical thinking skills work in English as a foreign language setting, particularly argumentation, as it sheds light on relevant aspects to foster students’ collaborative argumentation.

Exploring Social Work professionals' Experiences of the Mindfulness-Based Social Work and Self-Care Programme: A Focus Group Study.

The evidence for the potential of mindfulness-based programmes to support improved social work practice and self-care is growing. The aim of this focus group study was to explore social workers' (n = 13) experiences of the Mindfulness-based Social Work and Self-care programme (MBSWSC). Thematic analysis highlighted two superordinate themes: benefits to direct social work practice and coping with the social work role. Four subordinate themes highlighted the different social work practice components that were enhanced through MBSWSC participation: social work assessment, service user engagement and team working, working to social work values, and social work skills. Three subordinate themes identified improvements in individual processes which supported enhanced stress coping: moving from avoidant to approach coping, improved boundaries, increased emotional awareness and reduced negative thinking. Our findings indicate that the MBSWSC programme can have a multi-faceted positive effect on social work practice, and on social work professional's capacity to cope with their role.

Practice With Less AI Makes Perfect: Partially Automated AI During Training Leads to Better Worker Motivation, Engagement, and Skill Acquisition

The increased prevalence of human-AI collaboration is reshaping the manufacturing sector, fundamentally changing the nature of human work and training needs. While high automation improves performance when functioning correctly, it can lead to problematic human performance (e.g., defect detection accuracy, response time) when operators are required to intervene and assume manual control of decision-making responsibilities. As AI capability reaches higher levels of automation and human–AI collaboration becomes ubiquitous, addressing these performance issues is crucial. Proper worker training, focusing on skill-based, cognitive, and affective outcomes, and nurturing motivation and engagement, can be a mitigation strategy. However, most training research in manufacturing has prioritized the effectiveness of a technology for training, rather than how training design influences motivation and engagement, key to training success and longevity. The current study explored how training workers using an AI system affected their motivation, engagement, and skill acquisition. Specifically, we manipulated the level of automation of decision selection of an AI used for the training of 102 participants for a quality control task. Findings indicated that fully automated decision selection negatively impacted perceived autonomy, self-determined motivation, behavioral task engagement, and skill acquisition during training. Conversely, partially automated AI-enhanced motivation and engagement, enabling participants to better adapt to AI failure by developing necessary skills. The results suggest that involving workers in decision-making during training, using AI as a decision aid rather than a decision selector, yields more positive outcomes. This approach ensures that the human aspect of manufacturing work is not overlooked, maintaining a balance between technological advancement and human skill development, motivation, and engagement. These findings can be applied to enhance real-world manufacturing practices by designing training programs that better develop operators’ technical, methodological, and personal skills, though companies may face challenges in allocating substantial resources for training redevelopment and continuously adapting these programs to keep pace with evolving technology.

Practice examples: Apprenticeships offer new route into youth work

IN SUMMARY Amid rising demand for youth worker skills, new sector apprenticeships are opening up the profession to a wider range of people

Filling the gap: the workforce of tomorrow for CGT manufacturing as the sector advances

Workforce education and development are key cornerstones in advancing and maturing the Cell & Gene Therapy sector. A skilled worker shortage can significantly impact and delay progress as well as the quality of output for any developer, thereby negatively impacting a patient's access to life-saving treatments. Several roundtable discussions were held at the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) 2023 Annual Meeting to dive deeper into the current state of workforce development and solutions to address this bottleneck. One roundtable discussion was co-hosted by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and ISCT, which focused on the gap analysis provided for the United States Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) sector, highlighting the lack of skilled workers in manufacturing and quality control.In this manuscript, the roundtable participants continue this conversation, review the roles and staffing requirements in both academic and industry as well as small and large company settings. The adoption of increased manufacturing automation is one promising solution to propel the sector forward. However, automation alone won't replace on-site staff, but will lower the bar to entry for a larger pool of people and require different training. This paper also addresses the workforce development and training paradigm shift as advanced manufacturing techniques are implemented, which will differ considerably based on the type of manufacturing efforts, thus emphasizing the need for a well-thought-out strategy to up-skill and re-skill the technical workforce to adapt to these advancements. Organizations such as ISCT and ARM have a role to play in propelling the field forward, providing awareness and education to stakeholders at all levels, as well as acting as a convener and participating as a key stakeholder in discussions and partnerships between academia and industry towards solutions for training the best personnel for CGT manufacturing. This scope includes novel digital tools and technologies to simplify training to increase access to new talent pools interested in careers in a rapidly advancing sector.

Exploring strategies for building a sustainable healthcare system in Africa: lessons from Japan and Switzerland.

Strengthening healthcare infrastructure is an important strategy for building a sustainable healthcare system in Africa. This involves investing in facilities, equipment, and supplies, as well as training and retaining skilled healthcare workers. Additionally, improving healthcare infrastructure and investing in healthcare education and training can lead to significant improvements in health outcomes, such as reducing maternal and child mortality. This is critical for building a sustainable healthcare system. Through a literature review, we assessed the approaches to building a sustainable healthcare system in Africa from the perspectives of Japan's and Switzerland's healthcare systems. It was discovered that Japan currently has the highest life expectancy, which can be attributed to insurance policies, healthcare policies, and the integration of emerging technologies and clinical research into their healthcare system. Lessons that Africa must emulate from the Japanese healthcare system include ensuring universal healthcare coverage, improving the workforce, improving primary healthcare, prioritizing the aging population, and investing in technology, infrastructure, and research. Japans healthcare system is also sustainable thanks to its stable workforce and primary healthcare. Switzerland also has an exceptional healthcare system globally, with technical and socioeconomic advancements leading to increased life expectancy and population aging through a worldwide health policy approach, programs tackling professional responsibilities and interprofessional cooperation, and initiatives to support family medicine. By learning from Japan's and Switzerland's approaches, Africa will gradually achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and build a sustainable healthcare system.

Article: Building a Prosperous Future: Unveiling the Benefits of IPEF Supply Chain Agreement (Pillar II)

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is yet to be explored in terms of a new turn in the Indo-Pacific Strategy, and also in terms of benefit to various member countries. The United States (US) launched the IPEF with thirteen initial partners. The IPEF Supply Chain agreement is novel, and through various bodies such as the Supply Chain Council, Labour Rights Advisory Board and Crisis Response Network, seeks to (1) build a collective understanding of supply chain risks; (2) improve crisis coordination and response to supply chain disruption; (3) ensure that workers and businesses, especially Micro Small and Medium Enterprises in the economies of IPEF members, benefit from the resilient, robust and efficient supply chain; (4) ensure a sufficient number of skilled workers in critical sectors and key goods; and (5) create/provide opportunities for technical assistance and capacity building. The IPEF Supply Chain agreement also builds on a partnership model among selected countries based on a shared understanding of the supply chain, associated risk, priority etc. This short article attempts to analyse the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement, labour rights in the supply chain, and a possible shift from the Asia-Pacific to the Indo-Pacific with the regional supply chain and trusted trade partners (friendshoring). The article, among other matters, explores the potential benefits for India. IPEF, Supply Chain, Asia-Pacific, Indo-Pacific, Labour Rights, trusted trade partners, friendshoring

Employer Branding – Employer Attractiveness as a New Mindset in the Healthcare Sector

Abstract The shortage of skilled labour, demographic change and ever-increasing cost pressures are presenting healthcare organisations with key challenges in the areas of strategy, leadership and portfolio management. In the Federal Republic of Germany, there is an acute shortage of skilled workers in 352 of 801 occupational groups (44% of all occupational groups). Effective employer branding is the only way to sustainably increase employer attractiveness and generate competitive advantages on the labour market. Employer branding is the identity-based development and positioning of a company as an attractive employer. The aim of the article is to identify relevant characteristics of employer attractiveness, which can be located in particular in the perception of IT specialists. The identification of these characteristics should help organizations to optimize their personnel policy in the long term. The authors chose the mixed-methods research approach. The hypothesis system is conceptualized and operationalized within the framework of structural equation modelling (SEM). The practical relevance of the findings from the quantitative research is examined in expert interviews. The data analysis is based on qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz. Due to the research background, data collection is limited to the EU member state Germany. The shift in the balance of power in the labour market towards employees is not a development that can be limited to Europe. In a globalized world, companies have access to a wider talent pool, but are also exposed to increased competition for the best talent. A strong employer brand enables companies to stand out and attract top talent. The empirical results show that a positively perceived employer attractiveness can achieve the employer branding goals of recruiting employees and retaining them in the long term. The clever combination of tangible and intangible benefits, embedded in a modern corporate and error culture (mindset), is decisive in determining whether qualitative growth of the organization is possible.