Engaging low skilled employees in workplace learning : UK Commission for Employment and Skills Evidence Report no. 43

The Employee Demand study (UKCES, 2009) highlighted the significant barriers to learning that are faced by a number of UK employees. This report sets out the findings of a study into the motivators and barriers to participation in workplace learning by low skilled employees. Employees in low skilled jobs are a group which has been overlooked in previous research. The study was carried out by the Employment Research Institute (ERI) at Edinburgh Napier University on behalf of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (the UK Commission). The report presents the results of a survey of both employee and employer views on participation in workplace learning in the care sector in north east England and the hotel sector in Yorkshire and Humberside. As well as a standard survey, the report also outlines the stated preference approach adopted. The stated preference approach allows employees to consider a hypothetical case of participation in workplace learning. Employees were given choices of combinations of job and learning related factors that might affect their preference for or against workplace learning. In conclusion, the report suggests many positive features which employers, individuals and policy makers could build on in developing the skills of people in low skilled jobs, which is important in securing our competitive advantage in the long term

Wage Scarring – The problem of a bad start

As the economic downturn continues in Europe, unemployment has risen in many countries. Among these, the UK has an unemployment rate which now stands at 8% or 2.56 million people. Of these people the unemployment rate amongst 16 to 24 year olds is particularly high at 20.7% (just over 1 million people); this is especially problematic as research shows that if one gets off to a bad start when moving from school or university into work, future job prospects and general well-being may well be compromised. Researchers such as Bell and Blanchflower (2011), Dieckhoff (2011) and Gregg and Tominey (2005) found that periods of unemployment when young may blight the future of young people in terms of their future labour market outcomes, such as the likelihood of further unemployment, lower pay, lower job quality and reduced wellbeing -- this they termed the “scarring effect”

The Social Networks of Older Workers

Over the next 25 years, the UK's workforce is projected to significantly age. However, Disney et al (1997) observed that half of men and one third of women of aged over-50 leave work before state pension age in the UK and the literature suggests that, even in relatively buoyant local labour markets, older workers are at a disadvantage due to factors such as qualifications, job search strategies and perceived age discrimination (McQuaid and Lindsay 2002, 2005). A number of recent policy proposals partly seek to, or will have the effect of, increasing the number of older workers (those aged over 50 years in this study) in remaining in or re-entering the labour force (e.g. changing pension ages, reducing numbers on Incapacity Benefits etc.) (Hollywood et al 2003). It is argued that over 50 year old men who are not employed, in particular, have poorer social networks than those in work, younger people and women

Engaging low skilled employees in workplace learning

This report sets out the findings of a study into the motivators and barriers to participation in workplace learning by low skilled employees. Low skilled in the UK is usually considered to be below NVQ level 2 qualifications. The study was carried out by the Employment Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University on behalf of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. The report presents the results of a survey of both employee and employer views on participation in workplace learning in the care sector in north east England and the hotel sector in Yorkshire and the Humber region. The hotels and catering sector has the highest relative and absolute skill gaps in low skilled occupations, with some 63 per cent of staff suffering skills gaps. In contrast, the care sector has an apparent strong training culture, with care staff expected to progress to NVQ level 3 and only five per cent of low skilled staff suffered a skills gap

Socio-Demographic changes in Bangladesh: a study on impact

The paper aims at examining the socio-demographic changes over years and their impact on the future age-sex structure of population in Bangladesh. The mechanisms of change in the population are reviewed and it is shown that success in reducing fertility will alter the profile of the dependent population potentially to the benefit of Bangladesh. The study demonstrates that a large portion of population is still under age of 15 years and this youth bulge will contribute to the country's future reproduction and that to accommodate this progress in economic development is a necessity. Finally, the paper briefly lays out some policy implications

Pre-Carboniferous Tectonostratigraphic Subdivisions of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

Cape Breton Island can be divided Into four zones on the basis of contrasting stratigraphy, metamorphism, and plutonism. A Southeastern zone Is characterized by late Precambrian volcanism and plutonism, followed by Cambro-Ordovlclan rift-basin sedimentation and minor volcanism. The Bras d'Or zone to the northwest Is underlain by gneissic basement and overlying platforms! (carbonate and clastic) sedimentary rocks. Intruded by mainly late Precambrian and Ordovician(?) granitoid rocks. The Highlands zone has a gneissic core flanked by typically lower grade sedimentary and volcanic rocks of probable Precambrian age intruded by diverse and abundant dioritic to granitic plutons ranging In age from Precambrian to Carboniferous. The Northwestern Highlands zone has gneissic basement Intruded by varied plutonlc rocks Including anorthosite and syenite, the latter of Grenvillian age. The nature and significance of the boundaries between these zones are as yet uncertain, but only the Southeastern and Bras d'Or zones are considered to be part of the Avalon Terrane. RÉSUMÉ Des contrastes de stratigraphie métamorphlsme et plutonIsme permettent de dIviser l'ile du Cap-Breton en quatre zones. Un zone sud-est se distinque par tin volcanisme et un plutonisme tardi-précambriens auzquels succedent, au Cambro-Ordovlcien, une sédimentation basslnale de type rift et un faible volcanisme. Au Nord-Ouest, la zone de Bras d'Or comporte un socle gneissique sur lequel s’est effectuée une sédimentation nèritique (terrig&#xE98ne et à carbonates). le tout injectè de granitoides prlnclpalement tardi-précambriens et ordovlciens(?). La zone de Highlands englobe un noyau gneissique ceinture de roches sédimentalres et volcaniques auzquels s'est typiquement imprimé un métamorphisme de faible intensité et qui sont probablement d'âge précambrien. Ceuz-ci sont tous recoupés par d'abondants plutons dioritiques et granitiques divers dont l'âge s'écbelonne du Précambrien au Caronifère. La zone de Northwestern Highlands renferme un socle de gneiss recoupé par diverses roches plutoniques dont l'anorthosite et la syenite, cette dernière étant d'âge grenvillen. Le doute subsiste encore en ce qui regarde la nature et la signification des frontières entre ces zones; cependant seules la zone sud-est et la zone de Bras d'Or sont conslderées comme appartenant à la lanière d'Avalon. [Traduit par le journal

Social Networks, Accessed and Mobilised Social Capital and the Employment Status of Older Workers: A Case Study

Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of social networks, and the social capital embedded in them, to secure employment if someone had become unemployed after the age of 50 years, and to reveal the process of accessing and mobilising that social capital. Design: A case study of a Scottish labour market was undertaken which involved an interview-based survey of those who became unemployed in their early 50’s and tried to regain employment. The interview had structured and unstructured parts which allowed both quantitative and qualitative analysis to compare those who were successful in regaining work with those who were not. The uniqueness of the paper is the use of social network components while controlling for other socio-economic and demographic variables in job search of older workers. Findings: Compared to those older people who were unemployed, those who returned to employment had a higher proportion of contacts with higher prestige jobs, their job searching methods were mainly interpersonal and the rate of finding their last job via their social networks was higher than those who remained unemployed. Both groups mobilised social capital, but those reemployed accessed higher 'quality' social capital. 'Strong ties', rather than 'weak ties', were found to be important in accessing and mobilising social capital for the older workers who returned to employment. Research limitations/implications: This work is limited to a local labour market and is based on a small but informative sample. However, it does show that policy is required to allow older people to enhance their social networks by strengthening the social capital embedded in the networks. The results support the use of intermediaries as bridges to help compensate for older people who have weak social networks. Besides the policy implications, the paper also has two distinct research implications. First, the use of social network component to the existing literature of older workers’ job search. Second, exploring the type and relational strength with network members to explain older workers’ re-employment. Social implications: As population age, this work points to an approach to support older people to re-enter employment and to include them in society. Originality/Value: The paper extends social network and employment literature to fill gaps on how older people require to both access and mobilise social capital. The importance of 'strong ties' in the reemployment of older workers contrasts with much of the literature on younger workers where 'strength of weak ties' so far has been regarded as essential for successful job search in literature. Measures are forwarded to reveal the relevance of social capital. The policy value of the work is in suggesting ways to facilitate older people re-enter or remain in work and hence sustain their wellbeing

Petrology and tectonic implications of Silurian(?) metavolcanic rocks in the Clyburn Brook area and on Ingonish Island, northeastern Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

Metavolcanic rocks in the Clyburn Brook area of northeastern Cape Breton Island range in composition from mafic to felsic, include flows and tuffs, and are interlayered with less abundant semi-pelitic metasedimentaiy rocks. In contrast, metavolcanic rocks on nearby Ingonish Island are mainly rhyolitic flows and tuffs, and lack interlayered metasedimentary rocks. Because correlation between these two areas cannot be confirmed without more radiometric dating, continued use of separate names (Clyburn Brook formation and Ingonish Island rhyolite) is advocated. Rocks in the Clyburn Brook formation contain greenschist facies mineral assemblages and are mainly well foliated. Although also metamorphosed, the Ingonish Island rhyolite is mainly unfoliated, and the metamorphism may be a result of contact metamorphism. A contact metamorphic overprint is also present in the Clyburn Brook formation adjacent to the ca. 402 Ma Cameron Brook Granodiorite, and felsic dykes perhaps related to the intrusion occur in both the Clyburn Brook formation and the Ingonish Island rhyolite. These observations suggest that both units are older than ca. 402 Ma, consistent with a previously published imprecise Rb-Sr date of 412 ±15 Ma for the Ingonish Island rhyolite. Petrochemical characteristics of mafic rocks in the Clyburn Brook formation indicate tholeiitic affinity and origin in an arc-related setting, possibly a back-arc. Although they show chemical differences, felsic rocks in both the Clyburn Brook formation and on Ingonish Island have compositions consistent with an extensional setting, possibly within a continental arc or back-arc such as the modern-day Taupo volcanic zone in New Zealand. Overall, the Clyburn Brook formation shows lithological and chemical similarity to the Money Point Group, a Silurian (ca. 430 Ma) volcanic arc/back-arc unit in the Aspy terrane of Cape Breton Island, and is inferred to be of similar age. Les roches volcaniques métamorphisées du secteur du ruisseau Clyburn dans le nord-est de l'ile du Cap-Breton sont composées de roches allant de mafiques à felsiques. Elles renferment des coulées et des tufs, et elles sont interstratifiées de roches métasédimentaires semi-pélitiques moins abondantes. À l'opposé, les roches volcaniques métamorphisées de Tile voisine d'Ingonish sont principalement des coulées et des tufs rhyolitiques sans roches métasédimentaires interstratifiées. Comme les chercheurs ne peuvent pas confirmer la corrélation entre ces deux secteurs sans datation radiomètrique plus poussee, ils recommandent qu'on continue a utiliser des noms séparés (formation de Clyburn Brook et rhyolite de l'ile Ingonish). Les roches de la formation de Clyburn Brook renferment des associations minéralogiques de faciès de schistes verts et elles sont passablement feuilletées. Même si la rhyolite de l'ile Ingonish est elle aussi métamorphisée, elle est essentiellement non feuilletée et le métamorphisme pourrait être dù à un métamorphisme de contact. Une surimposition métamorphique de contact est également présente dans la formation de Clyburn Brook adjacente è la granodiorite d'il y a environ 402 Ma du ruisseau Cameron, et on relève la présence de dykes felsiques sans doute reliés è l'intrusion tant dans la formation de Clyburn Brook que dans la rhyolite de l'ile Ingonish. Ces observations laissent supposer que les deux unites sont antérieures à environ 402 Ma, ce qui correspondrait è la datation au Rb-Sr imprécise de 412 ±15 Ma de la rhyolite de l'ile Ingonish précedémment publiée. Les caractéristiques petrochimiques des roches mafiques de la formation de Clyburn Brook témoignent d'une affinite tholeiitique avec un cadre associé à un arc, possiblement un arrière-arc, d'ou elles proviendraient. Les roches felsiques de la formation de Clyburn Brook et de l'ile Ingonish, meme si elles affichent des différences chimiques, correspondent à un cadre d'extension, possiblement à l'intérieur d'un arc continental ou d'un arrière-arc, comme la zone volcanique actuelle de Taupo en Nouvelle-Zélande. La formation de Clyburn Brook présente dans son ensemble une similarité lithologique et chimique avec le groupe de la pointe Money, une unité d'arc / arrière-arc volcanique du Silurien (d'environ 430 Ma) dans le terrane d'Aspy sur Tile du Cap-Breton, et on la suppose d'un âge analogue. [Traduit par la rédaction

The Innovators’s Social Network

The concept of innovation has evolved significantly over the last decade. It now appears that inherent successful innovation can be explained by the influence of the social networks and social capital. Originally based on tangible forms of capital and the necessity of technology pull and push, innovation management is now integrated in a larger system. The innovator’s social network contains knowledge and information obtained from multiple connections in the social capital embedded in organisational and Inter-organisational network. This study shows the impact of inter-organisational, personal and business network in different sectors. The impact of the different networks on start-ups and mature companies, and how this is related to different performance levels in mature companies, is also outlined.The concept of innovation has evolved significantly over the last decade. It now appears that inherent successful innovation can be explained by the influence of the social networks and social capital. Originally based on tangible forms of capital and the necessity of technology pull and push, innovation management is now integrated in a larger system. The innovator’s social network contains knowledge and information obtained from multiple connections in the social capital embedded in organisational and Inter-organisational network. This study shows the impact of inter-organisational, personal and business network in different sectors. The impact of the different networks on start-ups and mature companies, and how this is related to different performance levels in mature companies, is also outlined.The concept of innovation has evolved significantly over the last decade. It now appears that inherent successful innovation can be explained by the influence of the social networks and social capital. Originally based on tangible forms of capital and the necessity of technology pull and push, innovation management is now integrated in a larger system. The innovator’s social network contains knowledge and information obtained from multiple connections in the social capital embedded in organisational and Inter-organisational network. This study shows the impact of inter-organisational, personal and business network in different sectors. The impact of the different networks on start-ups and mature companies, and how this is related to different performance levels in mature companies, is also outlined