A Qualitative Study of Communication between Young Women with Disorders of Sex Development and Health Professionals

Background and Objectives. Health communication is a critical aspect of care for both providers and recipients having a direct influence on engagement and outcomes. Communicating which in this context includes talking and listening in order to share information or support young women to understand their DSD can be difficult especially since the topic area is sensitive. Methods. In this qualitative study thirteen young women (aged 14–19 years) with a disorder of sex development who engaged with health care professionals were purposively recruited between 2011 and 2012 from three specialist centres across the United Kingdom. The young women either were interviewed or completed a diary about their experiences of communication with a range of health care professionals. An interpretative phenomenological approach was used to analyse these data. Results. By analysis of data the young women were able to clearly articulate the qualities and skills health professional needed in relation to communication. Two main categories focused on the duty in which professionals have to share information and their role in supporting young women to manage this information. Discussion and Conclusion.The study results revealed that these young women with a DSD expected to meet skilled professionals who could recognise the emotional aspects of dialogues in the short and longer term

Guidelines, recommendations, and near future for university libraries

In the current context, library associations around the globe seek to present perspectives for the future, supporting professionals to develop strategies, projects, and skills. In Portugal, the Recommendations for Higher Education Libraries have given impetus to the work of professionals to face changes and continue their intervening and active role. At the same time, they aim to serve as a focus, creating national congruence in the areas of activity, and as an inspiration for action, motivating a convergence of information professionals, to contribute to greater unity and coherence of Higher Education Libraries in Portugal. This is the basis for this exploratory study. To this end, a literature review that embases a case study is carried out to understand the librarian's professional strategies that have been used throughout the Portuguese academic community. How do institutions and their professionals position themselves to support and develop actions around future challenges? How is being developed the support for teaching and learning, specifically in promoting information literacy skills and fostering digital fluency and user empowerment? How is addressed the support for research activities and the scientific publication, especially in the context of Open Science? How is professional and organizational development that places the librarian at the center of processes and institutions as aggregators of synergies for continuous improvement actions? And finally, how are being taken projects to the design and provision of services and partnerships that facilitate and enhance the creation of networks for cultural expression, including the preservation and dissemination of documentary heritage? It is concluded that the preparation and planning based on guidelines work as stabilizers, which anchor the actions developed, at the same time that the winds of change allow the exploration of new paths and practices, thus enhancing a virtuous context of action.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Guidelines, recommendations, and near future for university libraries

In the current context, library associations around the globe seek to present perspectives for the future, supporting professionals to develop strategies, projects, and skills. In Portugal, the Recommendations for Higher Education Libraries have given impetus to the work of professionals to face changes and continue their intervening and active role. At the same time, they aim to serve as a focus, creating national congruence in the areas of activity, and as an inspiration for action, motivating a convergence of information professionals, to contribute to greater unity and coherence of Higher Education Libraries in Portugal. This is the basis for this exploratory study. To this end, a literature review that embases a case study is carried out to understand the librarian's professional strategies that have been used throughout the Portuguese academic community. How do institutions and their professionals position themselves to support and develop actions around future challenges? How is being developed the support for teaching and learning, specifically in promoting information literacy skills and fostering digital fluency and user empowerment? How is addressed the support for research activities and scientific publication, especially in the context of Open Science? How is professional and organizational development that places the librarian at the center of processes and institutions as aggregators of synergies for continuous improvement actions? And finally, how are being taken projects to the design and provision of services and partnerships that facilitate and enhance the creation of networks for cultural expression, including the preservation and dissemination of documentary heritage.It is concluded that the preparation and planning based on guidelines work as stabilizers, which anchor the actions developed, at the same time that the winds of change allow the exploration of new paths and practices, thus enhancing a virtuous context of action

Barriers and Enablers to Vocational IT Education: Responding to South Africa's ICT Skills Crisis

Advancement in digital technologies has directed the attention of developing countries toward ICT’s to aid socio-economic advancement. These technological solutions cannot be implemented as an island, and its effective use requires proportionate advancement in local ICT skills levels to ensure effective operation and sustainability. Increasingly demands for skilled ICT workforce globally is placing pressure on institutions to be more responsive, and to produce ICT graduates with a skillset that is more relevant and closer aligned to the needs of industries. In South Africa the ICT skills landscape remains an object of conflicting reports. Depending on who the question is posed to, the paradoxical views describe the country as either facing a critical shortfall of skilled ICT professionals, or that droves of qualified ICT professionals cannot find suitable employment. These contradictory notions suggest a possible mismatch between the current skills of ICT professionals, the supply of appropriately skilled ICT graduates by education institutions and industry demands for appropriately skilled ICT workforce. Attempts to reform the country’s skills landscape has resulted in numerous policy pronouncements and skills development strategies by the public and private sectors with limited success. This focus of this study was to evaluate the National Certificate Vocational Information Technology (NCV IT) strategy, an ICT skills development mandate issued to South African Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in response to the country’s ICT skills shortage. Using the Design-Reality Gap Model, the study evaluated the intended design objectives and current reality of NCV IT to gauge its status ten years post inception. While the South African government boasts increasing access to the programme, little focus is given to the handful of graduates who successfully complete the programme and even less who find meaningful employment. The study further operationalised the Design Reality Gap Model to demonstrate its applicability and value in the evaluation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) programmes. Primary data informing the study was from focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with key NCV IT stakeholders. Secondary data supporting the study was collected by reviewing key documents relating to NCV IT. The findings reveal significant gaps exist between the programme’s intended design and current reality, indicative of the key challenges hindering the effective delivery of its ICT skills promise. It further positions the NCV IT programme as a post-apartheid dumping ground for financially disadvantaged and academically underperforming individuals hoping to achieve self-sufficiency. What was envisaged to be an enabler for the country’s ICT skills development has instead become a black hole for public funding yielding no return on investment. Recommendations were suggested along particular structural dimensions to improve the NCV IT programme, and the development of a more effective vocational ICT skills development strategy

Collaboration, wealth and value creation, SMEs’ halal products communities, and information systems

This paper takes the form of a general review. It introduces the notion of government-industry collaboration and information sharing in the Halal industry that work together for achieving common goals such as in economic, health, environmental, and social well-being – moving towards making living more meaningful, productive, fruitful and profound. Technological empowerment – in particular inter-organizational information systems (IS) and information sharing – is regarded as the key driver for supporting a sustainable economic development at the global, regional and local levels. Through IS, it is viable and essential to establish a global knowledge base, shared, used, enhanced and contributed to by a variety of experts and professionals throughout the world in different fields toward achieving common goals. The paper raises awareness of relevant government-industry collaboration initiatives, leveraging on the strategic use of IS to promote individual and community growth as well as to facilitate sustainable development. As there are five main components of an IS – hardware, software,data, procedures/processes, and people – this also mean that many different skills and effective change management programs are required to ensure users’ acceptance, leadership commitment and business processes between organizations are improved in ensuring ISs are effective in delivering the business goals of participating partners and collaborators

Effective coaching of parents and professionals supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing

This literature review examines the relationship between collaboration, adult learning and coaching. The most effective adult learning strategies and coaching strategies are discussed to help improve student outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing

Education alignment

This essay reviews recent developments in embedding data management and curation skills into information technology, library and information science, and research-based postgraduate courses in various national contexts. The essay also investigates means of joining up formal education with professional development training opportunities more coherently. The potential for using professional internships as a means of improving communication and understanding between disciplines is also explored. A key aim of this essay is to identify what level of complementarity is needed across various disciplines to most effectively and efficiently support the entire data curation lifecycle

Evaluation of Careers Yorkshire and the Humber: inspiration activity and good practice guide.

The evaluation captures the work of Careers Yorkshire and the Humber in their response to the government's 'inspiration agenda' which aims to support schools, colleges and prisons to inspire career aspiration in young people. Careers Yorkshire and the Humber is a regional provider of the National Careers Service.Careers Yorkshire and the Humbe