Are physiotherapy students adequately prepared to successfully gain employment?

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Physiotherapy. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2010 Elsevier B.V.Objectives - To explore the preparedness of final-year physiotherapy students for their progression into employment, and identify what universities can do to facilitate a smooth transition. Design - A single-cohort study, utilising a qualitative design incorporating a survey followed by transcribed and coded semi-structured interviews. Setting - Interviews were held in the Placement and Careers Centre at Brunel University, London. Participants - Sixty final-year full- and part-time students participated in the survey, and 12 final-year full- and part-time students participated in the semi-structured interviews. Methods - Sixty students completed a questionnaire which explored their preparedness for employment. Questions related to the current job situation, the application process and the student's ideal first post. Responses from the questionnaire were analysed and discussed further through a digitally recorded interview. Twelve students were interviewed by an experienced interviewer from a non-physiotherapy background. Results - Students felt unprepared for employment. Forty-seven per cent wanted a rotational post, but 26% would only spend 6 months and 39% would only spend 1 year looking for a job. Seventy-one percent would change career and 99% would work abroad if they were unable to secure a post in the UK. Most importantly, students could not identify transferable skills required by potential employers; only 25% cited effective communications, and 10% cited flexible working as a transferable skill. Self-management skills (e.g. prioritisation, time management and documentation) were not perceived as essential for employment. Conclusions - The job market requires physiotherapy graduates to possess transferable skills which can be applied to any situation. Many are integral to the profession and the undergraduate curriculum; however, analysis and assimilation of these skills cannot be assumed. Universities should reflect on their curriculum delivery to produce graduates who meet employers’ expectations and make a smooth transition into the workplace

BRIDGING RADIAL AND NON-RADIAL MEASURES OF EFFICIENCY IN DEA

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been utilized worldwide for measuring efficiencies of banks, telecommunications, electric utilities and so forth. Yet, the existing models have some well known shortcomings that limit their usefulness. In DEA we have two fundamental approaches to measuring efficiency with very different characteristics; radial and non-radial. We demonstrate a method for linking these two approaches in a unified framework called Connected-SBM. It includes two scalar parameters, and by changing the parameter values we can relocate the analysis anywhere between the radial and the non-radial models. An appropriate choice of these parameters can overcome the key shortcomings inherent in the two approaches, namely, proportionality and mixed patterns of slacks.http://www.grips.ac.jp/list/facultyinfo/tone_kaoru

Making the construction industry resilient to extreme weather:lessons from construction in hot weather conditions

The construction industry is susceptible to extreme weather events (EWEs) due to most of its activities being conducted by manual workers outdoors. Although research has been conducted on the effects of EWEs, such as flooding and snowfall, limited research has been conducted on the effects of heatwaves and hot weather conditions. Heatwaves present a somewhat different risk profile to construction, unlike EWEs such as flooding and heavy snowfall that present physical obstacles to work onsite. However, heatwaves have affected the construction industry in the UK, and construction claims have been made due to adverse weather conditions. With heatwaves being expected to occur more frequently in the coming years, the construction industry may suffer unlike any other industry during the summer months. This creates the need to investigate methods that would allow construction activities to progress during hot summer months with minimal effect on construction projects. Hence, the purpose of this paper. Regions such as the Middle East and the UAE in particular flourish with mega projects, although temperatures soar to above 40̊C in the summer months. Lessons could be learnt from such countries and adapted in the UK. Interviews have been conducted with a lead representative of a client, a consultant and a contractor, all of which currently operate on UAE projects. The key findings include one of the preliminary steps taken by international construction companies operating in the UAE. This involves restructuring their entire regional team by employing management staff from countries such as Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and their labour force from the sub-continent such as India and Pakistan. This is not only due to the cheap wage rate but also to the ability to cope and work in such extreme hot weather conditions. The experience of individuals working in the region allows for future planning, where the difference in labour productivity during the extreme hot weather conditions is known, allowing precautionary measures to be put in place

Young People in Jobs Without Training, 2007

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.This is a qualitative data collection. This research aimed to provide a greater understanding of young people who leave full-time education and who are characterised as having entered jobs without training. A sample of young people who were in jobs without training and who were not working towards or did not have, an NVQ level two (or above) qualification were interviewed. As part of the same study a sample of parents, employers and policy makers were interviewed. Only the young people’s interview transcripts are available from the UK Data Archive. Two contrasting localities within England, Warwickshire (North and South) and Tees Valley (Middlesbrough), were selected to represent differences in terms of labour market conditions. A contrast between a rural and an urban location was chosen, in order to define the extent to which these factors impact on young people’s and employers’ behaviour. The research objectives of the study were to:provide a thorough and contemporary understanding of the characteristics, history, experiences, attitudes, barriers, perceptions and ambitions of young people aged 16-18 years who are in a job without training towards a level two (or higher) qualificationprovide a thorough understanding of the characteristics, experiences, attitudes and perceptions of their employers focusing in particular on attitudes to training and employment of this age groupdetermine the role of parents in influencing young people’s decision-making and in facilitating their entry into the labour marketinform the policy implementation of the Learning Agreement Pilot by drawing on an enhanced understanding of the client group, their parents and their employers generated by this researchFurther information can be found on the Young People who enter Jobs without Training ESRC Award web page.Main Topics:The young people interviews explored the following areas:background information: respondent's characteristics, their current employment and parent's current employmentschool experience and decision-making: leaving school, qualifications gained, general experience at school, how plans were made for future, who gave advice and guidance, financial incentivesactivities since leaving school: description of activities, reasons for starting and leaving each activity, job hunting process, barriers which prevented young person entering specific type of employmentcurrent employment and future plans: reasons for taking their current job, qualification/entry requirements, selection process, how they found the job, current wage, hours worked, job description, training</ul

The Auril guide to UK university contacts for information on research, consultancy, intellectual property, training, facilities hire

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:98/11962 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo