59,874 research outputs found
World-class apprenticeship standards: Report and recommendations
The aim of this research was to identify world-class apprenticeship standards and to make suggestions as to how these could be applied to the English system. By âworld classâ we mean that the standards described here are acknowledged to be among the best in the world. Thirteen indicators for world-class apprenticeship standards were identified through the research and these have been divided into four sub-sections: (1) training, (2) skills and expertise, (3) recognition and (4) progression. Each of the indicators is explained separately in this report but they have to be understood as being in close relationship to each other. As well as identifying world-class apprenticeship standards the indicators are also designed to compare these standards to apprenticeship standards that are of a good level but do not necessarily feature amongst the best in the world. Identifying and applying standards in apprenticeships is important because apprenticeship training, especially if delivered at a world-class standard, can raise the number of people in employment, increase individual and company productivity and enhance economic growth. The findings from our research suggest that world-class apprenticeship standards require: ⢠extended apprenticeships of between three to four years; ⢠broad and in-depth scientific and industrial skills and knowledge; ⢠the presence of a âmasterâ in the company to train an apprentice; ⢠high-quality knowledge-based education and training; ⢠recognition through an occupational title on completion of the training; ⢠apprentices to acquire all the skills and knowledge necessary to work effectively in an occupation; ⢠apprentices to become skilled workers in an occupational area with a critical and creative approach; and ⢠progression routes into employment as well as into further education and training. This report is based on interviews with seven experts from Australia, Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and South Korea on vocational education and training with a review of the literature
Abingdon College: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 02/94 and 87/98)
Comprises two Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) inspection reports for the periods 1993-94 and 1997-9
Online Resumes: Optimizing Design to Service Recruiters
Despite the increasing number of publications in e-Recruiting, there is still scant research on the specific requirements of online resume fields, in particular from the recruitersâ perspective. In this paper, the fields for resume forms are investigated by analyzing literature, interviewing recruiters and systematically categorizing and content-analyzing the resume fields of the 40 largest Dutch e- Recruiting sites. The findings reflect the main categories currently used in online resume forms: current career status, desired job, education, work experience, extracurricular activities, skills and personal and contact information. These identified online resume fields are discussed in light of prior resume design literature and compared with resume requirements derived from interviewing recruiters. Recommendations for resume design theory and practice are proposed
An Empirical Study on Decision making for Quality Requirements
[Context] Quality requirements are important for product success yet often
handled poorly. The problems with scope decision lead to delayed handling and
an unbalanced scope. [Objective] This study characterizes the scope decision
process to understand influencing factors and properties affecting the scope
decision of quality requirements. [Method] We studied one company's scope
decision process over a period of five years. We analyzed the decisions
artifacts and interviewed experienced engineers involved in the scope decision
process. [Results] Features addressing quality aspects explicitly are a minor
part (4.41%) of all features handled. The phase of the product line seems to
influence the prevalence and acceptance rate of quality features. Lastly,
relying on external stakeholders and upfront analysis seems to lead to long
lead-times and an insufficient quality requirements scope. [Conclusions] There
is a need to make quality mode explicit in the scope decision process. We
propose a scope decision process at a strategic level and a tactical level. The
former to address long-term planning and the latter to cater for a speedy
process. Furthermore, we believe it is key to balance the stakeholder input
with feedback from usage and market in a more direct way than through a long
plan-driven process
Waste sector small and medium-sized enterprises and their role in the extended producer responsibility; a case study of environmental responsibility in SMEs in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa).
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Both the waste sector and corporate enterprises, under the banner of corporate social and
environmental responsibility (CSER), have a role to play in sustainable development,
particularly in the South African context where legislation supports the waste hierarchy in its
approach to waste management, and the promotion of employment and small and mediumsized
enterprises (SMEs). SMEs, due to their vast number and the significance of their
aggregate contribution to the global economy, have been identified as key contributors to
sustainable development. Global supply chains rely heavily on SME suppliers and service
providers, yet the combined environmental impact of SMEs remains un-quantified and their
engagement in CSER is underexplored.
This research explores the role that SMEs play in extended producer and environmental
responsibility from a waste management perspective in the eThekwini Municipal area,
describes the barriers that SMEs face when implementing environmental measures and
provides a critical assessment of environmental responsibility in waste management supply
chains. Case studies, where interviews and documentations were used as data collection
methods, on waste management supply chains are provided.
It is evident that there is a culture of outsourcing of the waste management function in the
eThekwini municipal area and SMEs are an important component of the waste management
value chain. However, environmental responsibility amongst the SMEs is poor as the SMEs
response to supply chain or legislative pressure is weak. The bureaucracy of legal
requirements of the waste sector, an ill-informed public and business sector regarding
environmental issues, and the highly competitive nature of the waste sector are common
obstacles experienced. In the face of difficulties such as limited resources, some SMEs are
responding to legislative pressure and adopting the ISO 14001 certification. Many SMEs are
responding to supply chain pressure in terms of the Broad Based Black Economic
Empowerment Act and participating in social responsibility activities. Findings from this
research support the governmentâs vision of the creation of employment, the promotion of
small business within the waste sector and the role that SMEs play in sustainable
development in South Africa however; there is a need for strategies to address the
environmental problems of small business
Managing U.S-EU Trade Relations through Mutual Recognition and Safe Harbor Agreements:"New" and "Global" Approaches to Transatlantic Economic Governance?
governance; regulation; regulations; regulatory competition; directives; implementation; WTO
GResilient index to assess the greenness and resilience of the automotive supply chain
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to suggest an Index entitled GResilient Index to assess the greenness and resilience of the automotive companies and corresponding supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: An integrated assessment model is proposed based on Green and Resilient practices. These practices are weighted according to their importance to the automotive supply chain competitiveness. The Delphi technique is used to obtain the weights for the focused supply chain paradigms and corresponding practices. The model is then tested using a case study approach in the automotive supply chain. Findings: The case study results confirmed the applicability of this Index in a real-world supply chain. The results show that the Resilient supply chain management paradigm is the one considered as the one that more contributes for the automotive supply chain competitiveness. Research limitations/implications: The proposed Index was developed in the automotive sector context therefore it could not be adjusted to a different one. Future research could consider other aggregation methods for the Index construction. Practical implications: Supply chain participants will be able to evaluate the performance of their companies or supply chain in terms of Green and Resilient paradigms. Also, the Index can be effectively employed for functional benchmarking among competing companies and supply chains.Green; resilient; supply chain management; index; automotive industry
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