Bedrijfsopleidingen in internationaal perspectief

Door de steeds snellere technologische ontwikkelingen en verscherpte concurrentie komen de opleidingsinspanningen van bedrijven meer in de belangstelling te staan. Gegeven het open karakter van onze economie lijkt het nuttig de inspanningen van de Nederlandse bedrijven op het gebied van scholing te vergelijken met die van de buitenlandse bedrijven. Aan de hand van een uniforme definitie zal de omvang van bedrijfsopleidingen in Nederland vergeleken worden met die in Groot- Brittannie, Duitsland, Frankrijk en de Verenigde Staten. Naast een vergelijking op macro-niveau zal bekeken worden of zich tussen bedrijfsklassen dezelfde verschillen voordoen. Geconstateerd wordt dat opleidingsinspanningen niet alleen afhankelijk zijn van exogene factoren als technologische ontwikkeling, maar ook beleidmatig beinvloed kunnen worden door overheid en sociale partners. Een vergelijking tussen de verschillende beleidslijnen (en hun effectiviteit) in de genoemde landen zal in het Iaatste deel van (lit artikel aan de orde komen

Industrial training in the Netherlands

The substantial differences in industrial training participation rates and costs at industry level are examined. Data on costs and participation rates for the European Community (EC) member states are presented, and attention is drawn to the differences in training systems among the countries, with special emphasis on The Netherlands. Results of an extensive survey on industrial training in The Netherlands show that remarkable differences exist between industrial sectors, both in training intensity and in organizational structure. A framework of analysis is presented that aims to explain these differences. Four groups of explanatory factors are distinguished. These are: 1. the industry structure, 2. the business environment, 3. the structure of industrial training programs, and 4. industrial relations in the sector. The preliminary results of the application of the framework stress, among other factors, the importance of the organizational and financial structure of industrial training activities

White-light toxicity, resulting from systemically administered 5-aminolevulinic acid, under normal operating conditions

This study has investigated damage to the intraperitoneal organs of the rat after systemic (intraperitoneal and intravenous) administration of low doses of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and illumination with a standard white-light operating-room (o.r.) lamp. The study has been done within the framework of a larger study in which the possibility of using ALA for localization of small-volume macroscopically non-visible peritoneal metastasis of ovarian tumors is being investigated. Fluorescence diagnostics are done in addition to the standard staging and localization procedures, either through a laparoscope or during laparotomy. In these circumstances, fluorescence diagnostics involve some risk of photosensitization of critical organs since a broad-band (o.r.) light source is used during the surgical procedures for illumination of the operating area. The drug dose and the time interval between administration of ALA and illumination are varied and normal tissues are examined both macroscopically and microscopically for damage. A relationship is demonstrated between the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) of ALA (defined as the dose that does not cause any tissue damage) and the time interval between administration and illumination. The white light that is used for illumination of the operating area is sufficient to induce damage to the peritoneal organs at relatively low ALA doses. The MDTs for 2, 6 and 16 h intervals are found to be respectively 1, 10 and 100 mg kg-1. The results are similar for both intraperitoneal and intravenous administration

In situ light dosimetry during photodynamic therapy of Barrett's esophagus with 5-aminolevulinic acid

Background and Objectives: Previous studies with PhotoDynamic Therapy (PDT) in bladder and bronchi have shown that due to scattering and reflection, the actually delivered fluence rate on the surface in a hollow organ can be significantly higher than expected. In this pilot study, we investigated the differences between the primary calculated and the actual measured fluence rate during PDT of Barrett's Esophagus (BE) using 23 independent clinical measurements in 15 patients. Study Design/Materials and Methods: A KTP-dye module laser at 630 nm was used as light source. Light delivery was performed using a cylindrical light diffuser inserted in the center of an inflatable transparent balloon with a length corresponding to the length of the Barrett's epithelium. The total light output power of the cylindrical diffuser was calibrated using an integrating sphere to deliver a primary fluence rate of 100 mW cm-2. Two fiber-optic pseudo sphere isotropic detectors were placed on the balloon and were used to measure fluence rate at the surface of the esophageal wall during PDT. Results and Conclusions: The actual fluence rate measured was 1.5-3.9 times higher than the primary fluence rate for 630 nm. In general, the fluence rate amplification factor decreased with increasing redness of the tissue and was less for shorter diffusers. Fluence rate variations in time were observed which coincided with patients coughing, movement, and esophageal spasms. These factors combined with inter patient variability of the fluence rate measured appears to justify the routine application of this technique in PDT of BE

Bedrijfsopleidingen, organisatie en financieringsstructuur : naar een verklaring van sectorale verschillen in omvang en structuur van bedrijfsopleidingen

The debate surrounding the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) amateurism principles has waged for decades. The governing body of college athletics insists that the athletes who compete on a daily basis should not—or shall not—receive any compensation in exchange for their services while NCAA executives line their pockets with billions of dollars each year. This concept of “no pay for play” has drawn national criticism since the NCAA created the term “student-athlete” in the 1950s to combat a workers’ compensation claim. The amateurism principles were concocted as an attempt to prevent college athletes from being classified as employees of their universities; put more plainly, the NCAA intentionally labeled college athletes as “amateurs” to deny the athletes the compensation they are entitled to. Athletes have challenged the NCAA’s amateurism principles under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the past, petitioning courts to recognize athletes as “employees” of their universities, but to no avail. Courts traditionally rely on an “economic reality” test to determine whether an employer–employee relationship exists, entitling the petitioning party to guaranteed protections under federal labor laws. In the context of college athletics, however, the economic reality of the relationship between the athletes, their universities, and the NCAA is traditionally defined by the NCAA’s concept of amateurism. But what happens when amateurism is exposed for the sham of a concept it truly is? This Note explores how recent judicial, legislative, and societal events have eviscerated the credibility of the NCAA’s amateurism principles. Specifically, this Note argues that a district court order, though issued in the antitrust context, precludes future courts from relying on the amateurism principles to define the economic reality of college athletics. The case, In re National Collegiate Athletic Ass’n Athletic Grant-in-Aid Cap Antitrust Litigation (Alston), exposes the hypocrisy behind the NCAA’s compensation rules in a way that changes the calculus of an FLSA challenge and demands a finding that college athletes qualify as employees under federal labor laws. Now, the Supreme Court is set to get involved, granting certiorari to review Alston and allow the Court to assess the amateurism principles for the first time in thirty-five years. With the pressure surrounding the NCAA’s exploitation of college athletes reaching an all-time high, this Note proposes that the NCAA proactively abandon its commitment to its antiquated concept of amateurism and afford college athletes the basic fundamental rights they are entitled to through collective bargaining and group licensing agreements. The NCAA has stubbornly insisted on labeling college athletes as “amateurs” when reality reflects that the athletes are anything but. In fact, the only distinguishing factor that separates college athletes from their professional counterparts is the arbitrary—and frankly insulting—label that the NCAA desperately clings to. No longer can the charade continue. The NCAA’s time is up; amateur hour is over

The importance of employment protection for skill development in coordinated market economies

During the heyday of neoliberalism, employment protection was widely believed to be one of the main causes of Europe's poor economic performance and high unemployment. We challenge this view and instead argue that employment protection is crucial to preserving Europe's export success in higher value-added industries. In particular, we explore the relationship between employment protection and skills development