Understanding the role of local safety groups in managing safety practices between micro construction firms and principal contractors

Construction projects incorporate the input of a range of tradesmen and different sized firms, ranging from micro to large organisations. Working practices of micro construction firms are carried out in an informal manner while larger organisations tend to adopt more formal on-site management techniques. Many micro firms seek to develop long-term relationships with large principal contractors and a major strain on their relationships stem from the difference in safety management techniques they employ. Faced with a fundamental shift in their style of safety management, workers of micro construction firms must successfully negotiate this challenge. Against this background, records from the Health and Safety Executives show year on year reductions in accident and incident rates in the East Midlands, an indication that the safety practices on projects are being implemented more effectively. Some of this success has been attributed to the efforts of local safety groups, such as Nottinghamshire Occupational Safety and Health Association (NOSHA). As such, it is important that the interdependencies between large principal contractors and micro firms, and the role that safety groups such as NOSHA play in managing this relationship are better understood. This paper presents interviews conducted with some members of NOSHA. This is the first of two phases of empirical work. The roles that the members of the local safety group perform have been found to go beyond simply promoting safety awareness and safety knowledge on site. They have been found to help in conflict resolution among the various construction parties. Such practices help create a harmonious working environment and subsequently lead to long-term working relations

Addressing Unequal Treatment: Disparities in Health Care

Looks at the role of federal government in the health care of minority Americans, and current strategies and legislative efforts to address issues raised by racial and ethnic disparities in health care

African Union Agenda 2063: African Critical Technical Skills: Key Capacity Dimensions Needed for the First 10 Years of Agenda 2063

This publication produced by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in conjuction with the African Union Commission (AUC) observes that the single biggest challenge to ownership of Africa’s development agenda and management of its key development programs is grounded in the issue of critical technical skill (CTS) in Africa. To achieve the vision of Agenda 2063, as well as Africa’s ideology and existential imperative to fulfill its destiny as a great continent of the future, it must own, use, and have faith in its own CTS professionals, trained and working to a world-class standard. Considering the huge importance of capacity dimensions for Agenda 2063, it might be helpful to incorporate within the African Union (AU) system the continued partnership support of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) on issues of capacity imperatives and robust African skills development for Agenda 2063

Preferred Instructional Design Strategies for Preparation of Pre-Service Teachers of Integrated STEM Education

The purpose of this study was to identify the preferred instructional design strategies for the preparation of pre-service teachers who will deliver integrated STEM lessons. The research objectives were threefold and included identifying a preferred definition of integrated STEM education, developing its purpose statement, and creating a list of instructional design strategies that could be used for designing, planning, delivering, and assessing integrated STEM instruction. The Delphi method was selected as the optimum approach for data collection, since STEM education is still a growing phenomenon lacking consensus in its interpretations of meaning and practice. Gaining group consensus from expert teacher educators regarding the preferred instructional design strategies for implementing integrated STEM instruction will offer guidance for developing pre-service teacher education courses. Four rounds of surveys were conducted, which resulted in a proposed definition for integrated STEM education, a proposed purpose statement, and nine instructional design strategies—Plan an integrated STEM lesson, Select design challenges which integrate STEM content, Create solutions to problems using the engineering design process, Develop a project-based lesson, Develop an argument supported by STEM knowledge integration, Support an experiential-learning environment, Choose multiple examples to demonstrate STEM concepts and connections, Assess student understanding of STEM relationships, and Arrange collaborations to solve problems applying STEM concepts. This study\u27s results should aid teacher preparation programs in the development of future STEM teachers who are capable of designing, planning, delivering, and assessing instruction that will strengthen student\u27s learning through integrated content and processes needed to solve complex societal problems

East Midlands healthcare and bioscience sector strategy

The healthcare and bioscience sector is one of four priority sectors identified in the regional economic strategy, A Flourishing Region. This document sets out a strategy for maximising the contribution of the healthcare and biosciences sector to the economic development of the East Midlands