Work-related Training Research Articles

Burden and factors associated with occupational tuberculosis infection among high-risk workers in Lahore District, Pakistan.

The main objective of the study was to estimate the burden of occupational tuberculosis infection in high-risk occupational workers and to identify risk factors associated with the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among high-risk occupational workers including veterinarians, abattoir workers, animal handlers, livestock farmers, and microbiology laboratory workers. Sputum samples were collected from 100 participants and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were done to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) infection. Data on potential risk factors was collected in a pre-designed questionnaire. The MTBC prevalence ratio was estimated. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors and the crude odds ratio (OR) was calculated. Among the 100 enrolled high risk occupational workers, the prevalence of MTBC was 46% (95% CI: 35.98-56.25). Living in a joint family (OR 3.85, 95% CI: 1.58-9.37), and use of unpasteurized milk (OR 3.42, 95% CI: 1.4-8.39), were significantly associated with MTBC infection. Tuberculosis is a significant health burden in high-risk occupational groups, especially animal handlers and laboratory workers, in Lahore, Pakistan. The study also emphasized the need for formal work-related training, and enhanced zoonotic TB awareness among occupational workers.

Musculoskeletal Discomfort and Musculoskeletal Injuries in Firefighters of the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service

Objective The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal injuries is reported to be noticeably high amongst firefighters, which augments the dangers of the job and the difficulties that firefighters must face daily. Therefore, this study aimed to firstly determine the prevalence and characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) and musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and, secondly, to determine the relationship between MSD and MSIs in firefighters. Methods Using random systematic sampling, 309 firefighters from the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service were recruited to participate. A researcher-generated questionnaire was used to retrieve data on musculoskeletal injuries and musculoskeletal discomfort. Data was analysed using the T-tests, Cochran-Armitage trend test, Jonckheere-Terpstra test, and Binary logistic regression. A p-value of less than 0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance. Results Male (p = 0.036) and older firefighters (p<0.001) with more years of experience (p = 0.002) were most likely to report a musculoskeletal injury. Falls, jumps, slips, and trips were the most common injuries (39.7%), which most often occurred on the fireground (41.1%). Most firefighters (73.3%) reported experiencing discomfort 1-2 times a week of moderate (60.1%) severity that interfered slightly with their ability to work (58.2%). Multivariable analysis showed that the age groups of 40-49 years and 50-65 years and the rank of station commander increased the risk for MSIs by a factor of 2.39, 2.67, and 3.83, respectively. In addition, MSD was associated with an increase in the likelihood of firefighters reporting MSIs (p <0.001). Conclusion Older male firefighters with more years in service were most likely to experience MSIs. Regular physical activity and work-related training should be implemented to increase the fitness for duty and to reduce the prevalence of injuries in firefighters.

Assessing the Impact of On- the Job-Training Quality Factors on TVET Students’ Satisfaction in Developing Work Competence Skills in Oman

The study is based on quantitative and positivists approach method of research. The descriptive and inferential methods used to analyse data and delivered in the method of explanatory notes. The research adopted Coates (2009) AQTF quality indicator and a random sampling method was selected. The research objective is to examine the impact of On-the-Job-Training (OJT) quality factors on TVET students’ satisfaction during work experience in Oman. A sample of 317 out of 400 participants from eight TVET institutes was conducted, descriptive and inferential tool used to determine the impact of OJT training quality on TVET students. The reliability test using alpha Cronbach’s and Pearson correlations test indicated an acceptable level. In addition, three measurements of Goodness of fit were considered in the study. The study is only examining TVET students from the public sector which is under responsibility of the Ministry of Manpower, Oman. The research provides a platform for practitioners and authorities to discover the OJT training factors that effect on TVET students ’satisfaction. This paper provides upon the impact of OJT training quality on TVET students' satisfaction in preparing for work competence in Oman. The work experience provides a good platform for TVET students to exercise and develop their work competences skills that would assist them to engage in the labour market. The TVET candidates are provided a work-related training to develop work competence in the country. There is a necessity to define whether the quality of OJT training has any positive impact towards TVET students or else.

Work-Related Learning Practices of University Graduates: Scope and Determinants

The article analyzes the scale of work-related learning of recent higher education graduates, describes its main practices, determines the factors of participation in training. The empirical analysis is carried out on data from the federal survey of Russian university graduates who completed their studies in 2016-2020. The sample consists of 9325 graduates. About a quarter of recent graduates participated in job-related training in their first year of work. The probability of work-related learning is higher for full-time graduates and for those who are employed as a specialist. It does not depend on whether the graduate works in his specialty or not. Important predictors of participation in work-related learning are the lack of professional skills and the importance of personal (individual) characteristics for successful work. The results showed that work-related learning acts as a tool to overcome the gap between the knowledge and skills that graduates have and the knowledge and skills necessary for the employer, mainly professional content. It was found that participation in work-related training practices is differentiated by qualification groups and by the scarcity of different types of knowledge and skills. On the one hand, formal learning and, on the other, mentoring and self-learning are interchangeable practices. Mentoring and self-learning are in many ways complementary practices of job-related training.

Impact of Trainer-Trainee Interaction on Trainee Learning in a Work-Related Training Context

In order to sustain a competitive advantage, organizations invest their time, effort, and resources to develop their workforce through training. It is argued that training leads to the learning of the workforce and thus, contributes to the human capital of the organization. The literature on learning during training has focused mostly on either the trainees’ characteristics or the trainer’s characteristics. For example, prior research demonstrated that trainees’ ability and motivation are crucial for the effectiveness of training. On the other hand, trainers’ ability was found to facilitate trainees’ learning. Though studies have noted that the characteristics of both the trainee and the trainer are important predictors of trainees’ learning, studies linking the characteristics of both the trainer and the trainee on trainees’ learning are relatively scarce. This is important as training is a dyadic process. The present study is based on the ‘Ability Motivation Opportunity’ framework, the ‘Attribution Model of Training’ which highlighted the importance of ability, and motivation in ensuring training effectiveness. In the present study, we examined the influence of ability, and motivation of both the trainer and the trainee on trainees’ learning in a training program. The study was conducted among the employees of a large public sector organization that is spread across the country and is in the process of transformation from an age-old traditional organization to a technologically advanced organization. For the success of this digital transformation, training of its employees on technological skills assumes a very crucial role. 1458 trainees (village branch heads) and 94 trainers participated in our study. We captured respondents’ ability, and motivation as our main study variables, and personality traits, beliefs, degree of choice, degree of familiarity, peer-interaction, and demographics as control variables. The findings of the study supported our hypotheses. Implications of the study were discussed.

Language, (em)power(ment) and affective capitalism: the case of an entrepreneurship workshop for refugees in Germany

Abstract This paper seeks to advance research on the nexus of language, work-related training and affective capitalism by focusing on an entrepreneurship workshop organized for newly arrived refugees in Germany. Despite the occupational orientation, the primary objective of the workshop was not establishing a business but “empowering” the participants by guiding them to adopt “an entrepreneurial mindset”. To delve deeper into this ‘will to empower’, the study brings together the perspectives of governmentality studies, ethnography, discourse studies and affect studies. To investigate in more detail the evocation of the ‘entrepreneurial mindset’, the study draws on ethnographic data collected in the context of the workshop and focuses on a particular discursive resource, the genre ‘elevator pitch’. The analysis examines how this genre operated as a technology of government by allowing an attempt at modulating the affective states and attachments of the participants so as to evoke an affective configuration characterized by hardness, resilience and diligence, but above all by aspiration, optimism and confidence: faith in oneself, and a horizon of hope that the possibility of self-employment created. The concluding section discusses this subjectification regime as a manifestation of contemporary affective capitalism, in the context of forced migration and beyond, in the light of recent social and sociolinguistic research.

A Study of Work-Related Interview Skills Training for People With Visual Impairments

There is a lack of research on interventions concerning interview skills training for persons with visual impairment to enhance employment outcomes. “Presenting Qualifications” (Oursler, 2013), a four-session group intervention, was delivered to 49 participants in 10 group settings, along with a pre- and post-Perceived Interview Readiness Scale (Oursler, n.d.), as well as a satisfaction survey upon completion of group sessions. Forty-nine persons with blindness or low vision served by state vocational rehabilitation programs participated in the study (age range 18–66). At the conclusion of the curriculum, the majority of participants believed their preparedness for job interviews had improved. The approximate average effect size for the intervention was .82, which is indicative of a large intervention effect. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of the group intervention in teaching interview skills to people with visual impairments. Overall, study participants experienced greater perceived confidence and preparedness for job interviewing, including answering questions, and emphasizing previous accomplishments. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of using the Direct Skills Teaching (DST) approach in teaching skills related to job interviews to people with visual impairments.

Associations between COVID-19 Work-Related Stressors and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Chinese Doctors and Nurses: Application of Stress-Coping Theory.

Healthcare workers are vulnerable to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) due to stressful work during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate whether the associations between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS would be mediated by maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies and moderated by perceived family support based on stress-coping theory. An anonymous online survey was conducted among 1449 doctors and nurses in five hospitals in China between October and November 2020 during the “post-outbreak” period. The prevalence of PTSS assessed by the Posttraumatic Symptom Scale Self-Report was 42%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that worries about being infected with COVID-19, perceived difficulties in family caregiving, coping strategies of rumination, catastrophizing, acceptance, and perceived family support were independently associated with PTSS. Furthermore, maladaptive and adaptive coping partially mediated the association between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS.The results of multi-group analyses showed that perceived family support tended to intensify the associations between COVID-19 work-related stressors and adaptive coping and between adaptive coping and PTSS, whereas perceived family support attenuated the positive association between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS. The findings suggest tailor-made health interventions with respect to alleviation of work-related stressors and coping skill training to reduce the risk of PTSS among healthcare workers, especially for those with lower perceived family support.

Work-Related Interview Skills Training for Persons Served by Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies in Four States

PURPOSEThis study explored the acceptability and practicality of implementing a Direct Skills Teaching (DST) approach to increase job interview preparation for individuals who were receiving state vocational rehabilitation (VR) services in four states.METHODCounselors-in-training facilitated a four-session curriculum teaching “Presenting Qualifications” during job interviews to 137 individuals in 25 groups settings. Pre- and post-group 10-item questionnaires of skill acquisition, and a post-group satisfaction survey with open-ended questions were administered. Descriptive statistics and a nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for data analyses.RESULTSAll 10 items of the pre- and post-group questionnaire comparisons yielded significant improvement in the skill of “Presenting Qualifications” after group intervention. The satisfaction survey also indicated the positive experiences of participants.CONCLUSIONSThe findings demonstrate the feasibility of a structured DST curriculum in teaching job interview skills to people with disabilities (including transition age youth) served by state VR agencies.

Pinball transitions: exploring the school-to-work transitions of ‘the missing middle’

ABSTRACT This paper responds to the call for more research on the ‘missing middle’ by reporting the findings of a small-scale qualitative longitudinal study in the North of England exploring the labour market transitions of young people completing compulsory schooling with mid-level qualifications and seeking employment. It found that participants desired training which aligned with their skills, interests and future work intentions. Participants were drawn to seek apprenticeships because they offered ‘earning and learning’ in a real-life work environment. However, for the vast majority, apprenticeships were not available, so they turned to college to articulate their choices and gain work-related training. Qualifications were gained in order to gain leverage in the job market and help them achieve ‘getting on’ work. However, often a period of ‘pinballing’ between their ambitions and the reality of the labour market ensued due to the lack of desirable quality work available. The majority of participants were still resisting ‘going nowhere’ work and making efforts to achieve ‘getting on’ work when interviewed, however, some had stopped making the effort and resigned themselves to on-going poor quality work. The process of biographicity was, for them, a reconciliation with on-going low-quality work.

Predictors of job satisfaction among employees of Vadacom South Africa

Providing incentives to employees working in high-performance telecommunicatioins companies has the benefit of enhancing the level of job satisfaction, the morale, productivity and efficiency of employees. Often, the basic survival and coping needs of employees working under stressful working conditions are neglected or postponed due to intense competition in the marketplace. The situation results in burnout, loss of productivity, diminished output and lack of focus on key work related duties. The research paper is based on a survey of 146 employees of Vodacom South Africa in which an attempt was made at identifying determinants of job satisfaction among employees. A benchmark constructed by Ringle, Sarstedt, Mitchell and Gudergan (2020) was used for estimating indicators of job satisfaction, workrelated performance and employee morale. The survey led to two findings. The first finding was that 76% of employees were satisfied with their jobs. The second finding was that the level of job satisfaction of employees was significantly influenced by the provision of work-related training opportunities as an incentive. The survey had a qualitative aspect which led to findings that were fairly similar to those obtained from quantitative data analysis.

Exploring people with disabilities' perspectives on the availability of appropriate work that fits their capabilities in Jordan.

There is a lack of information regarding the availability of work and the appropriateness of work to people with disabilities (PWD) in Jordan. Therefore, this research was initiated and it was hypothesized that work is available and it is appropriate to PWD abilities. To explore the availability of work and the appropriateness of working conditions to PWD abilities. Thirty-five individuals completed the "People with Disabilities Working Condition Scale" (PWDWCS). Descriptive and nonparametric statistical analyses including Chi square, Pearson correlation, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests were used, and content analysis was used for the open-ended questions section to identify the availability of work in terms of opportunities and competition as well as to identify the work fitness to PWDs' abilities. Sixty percent of the participants had difficulties finding a job, with a high competition on the available ones. Several work conditions do not fit PWDs' abilities including improper fitness of work assignment to their capabilities and relatively inappropriate wages. In addition, a higher percentage of the participants reported: A) availability of written job descriptions and procedure manuals B) lack of work-related training and continuing education (CE) programs C) PWD are not being promoted D) availability of relative social acceptance at work E) a relatively comfortable work environment F) finally, work areas which require several modifications to boost accessibility. Initial hypotheses could not be confirmed. Several challenges face PWD in Jordan pertaining to the availability and fitness to work. Rehabilitation for all sectors of work is necessary as well as for PWD to improve their employability and work appropriateness to PWD abilities.

Nursing in the time of COVID-19: exploring nurse preparedness early in a global pandemic

Objective: To obtain Australian nurses’ perspectives regarding COVID-19 preparedness early in the pandemic. Background: In March 2020 Australia experienced a rise in COVID-19 cases and was bracing itself for the worst, having witnessed China, Europe and America’s earlier exposure to the outbreak. On 14 March 2020 an Australian nurse set up a Facebook page called “Nursing in the time of COVID-19: A clinical forum” allowing colleagues to share information about COVID-19. This presented an ideal opportunity to survey nurses’ preparedness for the pandemic. Study design and methods: Anonymous web-based survey disseminated between 9 April–4 May 2020 via the Facebook page. Results: A total of 214 nurses responded to the survey of whom 85% were direct care clinical staff and 29 (13.5%) had cared for a COVID-19 patient. Prevalent feelings regarding COVID-19 were anxious, overwhelmed, vulnerable, engaged and interested. The strongest sources of information regarding COVID-19 were published academic articles, WHO/ CDC and similar authorities, employer leaflets/ guidance and Facebook. The strongest needs/ expectations identified by the respondents were education and information, access to mental health counselling, provision of additional health workers to support nurses, and supplemental pay rise. Respondents identified work-related training specific to COVID-19, revision of skills and competencies and upskilling to do tasks previously not familiar to the participant of particular benefit. Nurses who had cared for COVID-19 patients expressed a stronger interest in receiving a supplemental pay rise for risk exposure, a stronger sense that they and their employer were ready to care for COVID-19 patients yet expressed less appreciation for mental health counselling compared to nurses who had not yet cared for COVID-19 patients. Discussion: The perspectives of Australian nurses are generally similar to nurses in other countries. However, we report some variations between nurses who have and have not cared for COVID-19 patients. We identify the levels of concern as well as those supportive actions that are most appreciated by nurses responding to COVID-19 specifically, these same findings could be applied to other major events generally. Conclusion: The timing of this survey allowed us to explore the perspectives of Australian nurses during the early pandemic vulnerability period without the benefit of hindsight. Despite thinking the Australian experience was going to be worse than it was, Australian nurses showed relative confidence in their own and their employers’ readiness and this was most obvious in nurses who had cared for COVID-19 patients. What is already known about the topic? Nurses around the world have voiced anxiety and concern about the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it may have on them personally and professionally. Nurses have access to informal networks, social media, media, employer guidelines and other professional and academic sources of information to stay informed and up-to-date with current information on COVID-19 that may help to allay their concerns. What this paper adds The perspectives of Australian nurses early in the development of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to how prepared they felt at the time and where they were obtaining information to help guide their thinking and their practice. A synopsis of the role and benefits of a social media platform to allow nurses to share thoughts, articles of interest and experiences of COVID-19. Opinions vary based on whether a nurse had already cared for a COVID-19 patient or not.

Work-Related Training for Individuals With Autism: Does It Work?

Abstract Date Presented 04/13/21 Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience high rates of unemployment. To address this concern, a systematic review was conducted to examine the efficacy of work-related training for individuals with ASD. The results suggest that various elements of work-related training programs prove efficacious in increasing employment outcomes in individuals with ASD, but further research is needed to determine if these methods would be useful in OT practice. Primary Author and Speaker: Marie-Christine Potvin Additional Authors and Speakers: Mindy Garfinkel

Work-Related Interview Skills Training for Persons with Substance Use Disorders

ABSTRACT Persons with substance use disorders (SUDs) experience high unemployment rates that can increase relapse risk. Research on employment counseling for this population is lacking. This study examined a direct skills teaching (DST) approach to improve job interview preparedness. Graduate internship students at mental health and rehabilitation agency sites in the Northeast provided “Presenting Qualifications”, a brief, DST-based, group curriculum to 55 participants with SUDs in 15 different groups. At post-intervention, participants reported increased confidence and knowledge with aspects of presenting oneself during a job interview. This approach can potentially help this population achieve better employment outcomes through a group intervention.

The Vocational School of Sintra and Its Contribution to Heritage Education

This paper aims to share the experience acquired with students of the 3rd year (namely the 12th grade of the Portuguese educational system) at the Vocational School for the Recovery of Heritage of Sintra in the Course of Studies for Conservation and Restoration Assistants in the field of Plaster Restoration, in the classes of Work-Related Training and Analytical Methods of Examination and Laboratory Analysis, by carrying out theoretical-practical work and training in a work context specifically focused on Portuguese heritage, demonstrating how practical classes motivate students and prepare them for future professional work. This vocational course helps students to reflect and question themselves on the role of “looking” at heritage. Thus, its cross information, both interdisciplinary and from the historical-artistic context of the monument, will provide a better perspective over its materiality and its use. In situ learning awakens students to the reality of work. The notion that they are helping to maintain the memory of ancestors credits them and gives them confidence in their work. After presenting their Final Year Projects, they look at heritage with a more awakened vision. With this, they have the perception that they have contributed to the reconstruction of memory, their cultural heritage.

Employment Supports and Outcomes for Persons with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities: a Review of Recent Findings

The purpose of this article is to examine the preparation of youths and adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) for employment and the personal and organizational factors that support their participation in the workforce. Despite evidence of the positive impacts of employment, high rates of unemployment and underemployment persist. However, the variety of employment options is increasing to include social purpose enterprise, customized employment, integrated work, competitive employment, and military membership. Central to employment success is the fit between the individual, the workplace environment, and its commitment to inclusion with the availability of broader community support. Effective partnerships between employers and community/educational professionals can establish a support system that paves a constructive pathway to employment beginning in high school and leading to post-secondary education and work-related training, such as apprenticeships. Future research and practice should focus on a whole-of-government approach with broad self-advocate and community collaboration to promote and provide incentives for inclusive and diverse workplaces.

Locus of Control and Investment in Training

This paper extends standard models of work-related training by explicitly incorporating workers' locus of control into the investment decision. Our model both differentiates between general and specific training and accounts for the role of workers and firms in training decisions. Workers with an internal locus of control are predicted to engage in more general training than are their external co-workers because their subjective expected investment returns are higher. In contrast, we expect little relationship between specific training and locus of control because training returns largely accrue to firms rather than workers. We then empirically test the predictions of our model using data from the German Socioeconomic Panel (SOEP).

Assessing the Impact of Off-the-Job and On-the-Job Training on Employment Outcomes: A Counterfactual Evaluation of the PIPOL Program

This article studies the effect of PIPOL, an integrated program of active labor policies launched by the Friuli Venezia Giulia, an Italian region, in 2014. To understand the impact of training in a classroom setting (off-the-job) and work-related training (on-the-job) on employment integration of benefit recipients. We adopt a counterfactual approach by comparing a target group (treated) against a control group (19,899) extracted by means of propensity score matching and Mahalanobis distance matching among subjects who, while registered in the program over the years 2014-2016, had never benefited from it. The selection of about 7,175 recipients in the program and in each type of intervention was random. Subjects: About 30,000 job seekers made up of 3,911 interns, 2,945 trainees, and 319 recipients of training and internship within PIPOL. Target: Young people, Not in Education Employment or Trainings, and over 30s. We look at different outcomes: employment tout court and employment in open-ended contracts. The overall net impact of PIPOL was equal to +5 pp on average. Specifically, impact results were classroom training none, internship sizable (+14.1 pp), and training combined with an internship, quite sizable (+9.6 pp). Furthermore, training to gain a qualification was the most effective (+6.4 pp) among those receiving combined training and internship. Internship also increased the chance to find permanent employment (+3 pp). Among recipients, women, immigrants, and low-skilled recipients registered the most sizable impact on finding employment and training in manufacturing and construction was more effective than elsewhere. Italian young people have ever-increasing academic attainment but, due to the sequential nature of the education system, little work-related competences. This could explain the greater success of internships on classroom training.

Training Participation and the Role of Reciprocal Attitudes

Abstract Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, I examine the relation between workers’ reciprocal attitudes, as measured in 2005 and 2010, and participation in work-related training courses in 2007 and 2013, respectively. Theory predicts that employers find it more profitable to invest in human capital of workers who have positively reciprocal attitudes, because they are more likely to return their employer’s kindness with higher effort and/or loyalty. The findings are mixed, depending on the survey year. I find that positively reciprocal workers are more likely to participate in employer-financed training in 2007, in particular when training is general. Also, consistent with theoretical expectations, I do not find a relation between workers’ reciprocal attitudes and participation in training that is not financed by the employer. However, workers’ reciprocal attitudes are not related to training participation in 2013. A possible explanation is that employers use training to induce reciprocal feelings in a slack labour market only. (JEL codes: M53 and D91).