The selection and progress of young mining employees in the National Coal Board with special reference to the use of the Industrial Training Research Unit (Cambridge) job disposition questionnaire

This thesis is concerned with a project to find a valid form of selection in the recruitment of young trainees for the N.C.B. It describes an attempt to establish the predictive validity of two tests devised by the Industrial Training Research Unit (Cambridge): one is an occupational interest inventory called the Job Disposition Questionnaire and the other is a special aptitude test called the Trainability Test. The design and completion of the J.D.Q. study was the responsibility of the writer who was also one of the team who designed the N.C.B. Trainability Test and throughout the whole study acted as liaison with the I.T.R.U. The structure and procedures of the W.C.B. were a major influence in the design, methodology and outcome of the project. The J.D.Q. is based on finding a statistically proven "job profile" of likes and dislikes of the present successful incumbents of the job to compare with those of potential recruits. Thus the validation of the J.D.Q. consisted of successfully establishing the mining profiles, using them to score the J.D.Q. performance of recruits and then recording absence and supervisors' assessments of their performance over an eighteen month period to compare Kith their J.D.Q. scores. The Trainability Test is a job-specific test, designed around the essential elements of that job. This part of the study consisted of designing and staging a test, giving it to pre-selected recruits and, as before, monitoring their progress. No statistically significant correlations were found between tests and job progress scores but there was an observable match between test scores and supervisors' assessments for the J.D.Q. These findings are partly confirmed in two other industrial studies where no empirical correlations were found but one showed a similar positive trend on their J.D.Q. study. The difficulties of sustaining a long study, relying on people in many different locations, were well illustrated as were also the limitations associated with some of the chosen criteria. T'he results were sufficiently encouraging to suggest setting up a second stage of the study to assess the participants now that they have more job experience; and the results from the external studies point to a need to continue with the work on special aptitude testing

Germyl linker cleavage with carbon-based electrophiles.

This thesis describes the successful identification of a novel cross-coupling protocol for alkylaryldichlorogermanes, as part of an investigation towards the development of organogermanium linkers for solid phase synthesis. The application of Friedel-Crafts acylation towards the ipso degermylation of aromatic molecules with concomitant introduction of acyl functionality is also described. By way of introduction, an in depth review of the literature surrounding Group 14 organometallic cross-couplings is presented, concentrating on the recent developments in the area of organosilicon and organogermanium cross-coupling chemistry. This is followed by a review of the literature precedent for ipso acyldesilylation and acyldestannylation of aromatic molecules. Results are then presented that detail the work carried out towards successful arylgermane cross-coupling. Following extensive study and attempted optimisation of trialkylarylgermane cross-couplings, it was discovered that the incorporation of heteroatoms onto the germanium centre was necessary to obtain synthetically acceptable cross-coupling yields. Further results are also presented In relation to acyldegermylation studies that illustrate the reactivity of arylgermanes towards acyl electrophiles, and the effect on acyldegermylation of varying the electronic nature of the aryl group attached to germanium

Origins, characteristics and destination of nursing students in South West England

Abstract Background Worldwide there are concerns about the supply of nurses into health systems. Understanding and balancing the supply of and demand for healthcare professionals is crucial to efficient healthcare delivery, yet there is relatively little research that examines in detail where nursing students come from and where they go after qualification. Objectives To investigate the demographic characteristics of applicants to nursing and midwifery programmes in England, those that are enrolled, attrition during study, and their career intentions on graduation. Methods A descriptive case study was conducted in south west England drawing on a complementary set of analyses of routinely collected application and enrolment data from 2017–2020. These were augmented by derivation of student deprivation indices and a follow-up study of nursing and midwifery students qualifying between May 2020 and April 2021. Results The percentage of males applying for nursing doubled and the mean age of all enrolled students (except midwifery) increased during the study period. The mean level of deprivation of applicants increased from the 51st to the 55th centile indicating widening of participation. Most applying and enrolled students originated from the same region as the nursing school and remained working there on qualification. Successively more males than females were lost from the system at each stage from application to qualification. Qualifying students most common job choice was within acute Trusts, with Medical, District nursing and surgical being the most common choices. The most important factors regarding job choice were location, the characteristics of the Trust, having been there as a student, and family considerations. Conclusions The data provide useful information on the nursing educational pipeline. The data discussed here raise questions that would benefit from further regional and national empirical research. </jats:sec