What Works in Reskilling?

Economies and technologies shift rapidly, which at times leaves workers behind with skills that are no longer as relevant as they used to be. Employers may also have difficulty finding employees who have the skills needed to take advantage of these new technologies. The result is a skills gap, meaning that there are lots of job openings in specialized fields and plenty of people looking for work, but they are unable to find a job because they do not have the skills to work in industries that are hiring. For example, the IDC estimates that the global shortage of web developers could rise from 1.4 million in 2021 to 4 million in 2025. Similar statistics exist throughout the economy. Workers need to develop new skills to break into new industries. This is known as reskilling.My research asks the question: What works in reskilling? To answer this question, I review the academic literature and analysis from trade associations to examine best practices in reskilling workers for a changing job market. I look at ways that governments, companies, and educational institutions can help retrain displaced workers with the skills they need to stay competitive. Many large companies, such as Amazon and Microsoft, retrain their employees themselves to help them move into better jobs inside and outside of the company. Government programs also play a role in reskilling workers, and I examine what qualities make those programs more effective. Generalized workforce development programs that many states offer do not appear to be very successful at fulfilling either the needs of workers or the companies that would hire them. In addition, I explore the strengths and weaknesses of various forms of training program funding, including loans, grants, and income share agreements.As workers are equipped with specific, industry-relevant skills, they become more valuable in the job market and find fulfilling careers more easily. State and local governments, along with program providers, should collaborate with local employers to identify the skills for which employers are most in need. According to those needs, public and private sector funds could then be allocated towards putting workers through trade schools, coding boot camps, or apprenticeship programs, each of which has high placement rates into relatively high-paying jobs. This approach lifts workers into better careers and simultaneously fills the skills gap that employers are experiencing.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/fsrs2022/1028/thumbnail.jp

Integration into the World Economy: Companies in Transition in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary

The report analyses the behavior of firms and managers in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary during their integration into the world economy. The conclusions are based on 23 case studies conducted in 1995. The investigators found a rapidly transforming mosaic of managerial behavior that both changed over time and varied from firm to firm in all three countries. They found no one pattern of behavior that could be labeled as prototypical. Success was determined, to a large extent, by the managers' flexibility to adapt to rapid -- and always uncertain -- changes. Microeconomics, managerial behavior, and case studies that illustrate them are key to understanding how economics work. Macroeconomics, fiscal and monetary policies, and stabilization are indeed very important but, by a long shot, they do not tell the whole story. The transformation and integration literature is full of microstudies; far too few micro projects have been undertaken because they are so labor-intensive. The authors hope that there will be many more micro studies. The report presents four categories of case studies: new firms, joint ventures, privatized companies, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs)

Infant Feeding Practices: History, Nutrient Needs, Assessment of Nutriture, and Special Concerns

Ideas regarding infant feeding practices have changed drastically over the past 100 years. Research discovered the composition of human milk, followed by the invention of human milk substitute (HMS). These discoveries lead to many changes in the way people feed infants. The macro and micronutrient needs of infants have been determined, and are used to develop ideal feeding practices for infants. There are many choices available for feeding infants including human milk, HMS, and solid foods. There are many guidelines available that provided suggestions on what to feed an infant, and at what age. Assessing the adequacy on infant feeding is important for the growth and development of an infant. There are some controversial issues regarding the consumption of cow\u27s milk prior to age one, and juice consumption which need consideration. There are also special concerns for infants such as premature infants and those experiencing failure-to-thrive which differ from recommendations given for the general infant population

Method of evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators using liquids [U.S. Patent US11650370B2]

The present invention relates to evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators having a liquid coupling as well as methods of making and using same. The aforementioned evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators having a liquid couplings provide increased tunability and sensing selectivity over current same. The aforementioned. Applicants’ method of making evanescent-wave coupled optical resonators can be achieved while having coupling gap dimensions that can be fabricated using standard photolithography. Thus economic, rapid, and mass production of coupled WGM resonators-based lasers, sensors, and signal processors for a broad range of applications can be realized

On Discriminating between Geometric Strategies of Surface-Based Orientation

Recently, a debate has manifested in the spatial learning literature regarding the shape parameters by which mobile organisms orient with respect to the environment. On one hand are principal-axis-based strategies which suggest that organisms extract the major and minor principal axes of space which pass through the centroid and approximate length and width of the entire space, respectively. On the other hand are medial-axis-based strategies which suggest that organisms extract a trunk-and-branch system similar to the skeleton of a shape. With competing explanations comes the necessity to devise experiments capable of producing divergent predictions. Here, we suggest that a recent experiment (i.e., Sturz and Bodily, 2011a) may be able to shed empirical light on this debate. Specifically, we suggest that a reevaluation of the design reveals that the enclosures used for training and testing appear to produce divergent predictions between these strategies. We suggest that the obtained data appear inconsistent with a medial-axis-based strategy and that the study may provide an example of the types of designs capable of discriminating between these geometric strategies of surface-based orientation. Such an approach appears critical to fundamental issues regarding the nature of space and spatial perception

Writing for Electronic Media

Introduction Welcome to Writing for Electronic Media, an OER textbook. OER stands for Open Educational Resource, which means it’s free for all who access. Since it is electronic, I will do what I can to keep it updated with the changing media. People’s viewing habits are changing as they migrate to mobile sources, social media, and kitten videos. Television News is still a dominant #1 source, and radio is still the safest way to stay informed in your car. Hopefully, you already have some journalism background. This book does not teach the who, what, when, where, why, and how of reporting; its goal is to teach how to present the journalism you already know via electronic media, primarily television.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/oer_textbooks/1002/thumbnail.jp

Teaching Narrative Interviewing: Reflecting, Narrating, and Becoming-In-Action

Qualitative inquiry teachers often seek powerful pedagogies to improve their students’ understandings. Using our experience leading a doctoral workshop, we share our method for teaching narrative interviewing using Schön’s (1983) “reflection-in-action,” meaning teachers and students reflect in the moment. We also root our pedagogy in Jerome Bruner’s (1986, 1990) narrative as a mode of thinking and a mode of being, a philosophy exploring the ways learners story their own and others’ lives. Describing our doctoral workshop, we highlight Laura, a recent graduate, narrating and becoming a qualitative inquirer. We conclude with a sample teaching lesson, designed to enhance students’ reflective research practices

Human papillomavirus E2 regulates SRSF3 (SRp20) to promote capsid protein expression in infected differentiated keratinocytes

The human papillomavirus (HPV) life cycle is tightly linked to differentiation of the infected epithelial cell suggesting a sophisticated interplay between host cell metabolism and virus replication. Previously we demonstrated in differentiated keratinocytes in vitro and in vivo that HPV16 infection caused increased levels of the cellular SR splicing factors (SRSFs) SRSF1 (ASF/SF2), SRSF2 (SC35) and SRSF3 (SRp20). Moreover, the viral E2 transcription and replication factor that is expressed at high levels in differentiating keratinocytes could bind and control activity of the SRSF1 gene promoter. Here we reveal that E2 proteins of HPV16 and HPV31 control expression of SRSFs 1, 2 and 3 in a differentiation-dependent manner. E2 has the greatest trans-activation effect on expression of SRSF3. siRNA depletion experiments in two different models of the HPV16 life cycle (W12E and NIKS16) and one model of the HPV31 life cycle (CIN612-9E) revealed that only SRSF3 contributed significantly to regulation of late events in the virus life cycle. Increased levels of SRSF3 are required for L1 mRNA and capsid protein expression. Capsid protein expression was regulated specifically by SRSF3 and appeared independent of other SRSFs. Taken together these data suggest a significant role of the HPV E2 protein in regulating late events in the HPV life cycle through transcriptional regulation of SRSF3 expression. IMPORTANCE Human papillomavirus replication is accomplished in concert with differentiation of the infected epithelium. Virus capsid protein expression is confined to the upper epithelial layers so as to avoid immune detection. In this study we demonstrate that the viral E2 transcription factor activates the promoter of the cellular SRSF3 RNA processing factor. SRSF3 is required for expression of the E4̂L1 mRNA and so controls expression of the HPV L1 capsid protein. Thus we reveal a new dimension of virus-host interaction crucial for production of infectious virus. SRSF proteins are known drug targets. Therefore, this study provides an excellent basis for developing strategies to regulate capsid protein production in the infected epithelium and production of new virions

A Classroom Experiment: Implementing a Math-Talk Environment in a University Setting

A need for reform in teaching mathematics has long been recognized. The traditional classroom with the sage on the stage lacks a higher level of engagement for the students and therefore, produces a lower level of student satisfaction. The math-talk classroom is one attempt to engage students and to raise the level of interaction and discussion, thus enabling students to increase their level of comprehension. In an effort to create a math-talk experience in my Calculus II course, I applied the methodology of Thinking Through a Lesson Protocol (TTLP) to test its effectiveness in assisting the instructor in creating an atmosphere conducive to student discussions (or math-talk)

Gaining the Rewards From Privatization Risks in Central and Easter Europe

Enterprises in transition from state to private ownership in the emerging market economies of Central and Eastern Europe face massive risks. Here we analyze how they might have also the rewards that may, only with the proper management, accompany acceptance of risks. In this paper, risks are itemized and quantified for a typical situation from their many potential sources: BUSINESS (including accounting and control system, financial, operations, marketing, strategic, and management risks), LEGAL, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT, and POLITICAL. Because these risks are felt differently by the seller, namely the state, and the buyer, the comparative objectives of buyer and seller and associated measures of performance are identified. Potential sources of joint gains for both buyer and seller are evaluated, which reduces both the risk that the enterprise is not sold, and the chance of subsequent failure of the new firm. The effectiveness and practicality of a variety of techniques for risk reduction are analyzed, including some innovations in the privatization arrangement. The potential for reducing risk will be seen to be far beyond what typically is now in place. The analysis relies on an example model that represents a typical privatization situation in a Central or Eastern European country