Small business smart business: final report

The Small Business Smart Business (SBSB) program is in it\u27s fifth year of operation and while acknowledging the changes that have occurred to SBSB over the past five years, it was determined that a review of the effectiveness of SBSB in connecting small business to the VET system would be of benefit in planning for SBSB in 2005 and beyond. The SBSB program was initially designed to provide eligible small businesses with a training voucher valued up to $200.00 towards approved training and was aimed at improving the productivity of their business. Emphasis was placed on ensuring a wide range of training options were available that could be tailored to meet particular small business needs. The program has been delivered exclusively by Business Enterprise Centres (BEC\u27s) in Western Australia through a network of 27 regional and 10 metropolitan BECs

Developing a framework of training for the older small business owner : final report

This study was conducted as a result of the critical issue of the ageing population and the implications this will have on the workforce. An employment option for older workers is to become self-employed and to start their own small businesses, rather than to continue working in mainstream employment, which becomes increasing difficult as employees age. The option of self-employment may be a viable option for older people as uncertainty of employment tenure in mainstream employment continues to increases over time and is a way to utilise work skills and competencies that have been acquired over years of work experience. The results show that self-employment is not necessarily a first choice for many older people, as the perceived high level of risk associated with starting a business is a significant barrier. For those that do start their own business, which is an increasing trend, the age of the new business owner has an influence on the type of business information and related training they require in order to operate their businesses successfully. The study was conducted in the first quarter of 2005 and employed both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. 270 small business owners participated in quantitative part of the study and an addition 15 older small business owners were interviewed in order to gain more in-depth insights into the issues facing older small business owners

CBD economic enhancement project : Final report

The City of J oondalup engaged the Small & Medium Enterprise Research Centre at Edith Cowan University to review the activities of the business community in the Central Business District (CBD) in order to support the City\u27s strategic development plan. This report provides data to inform the future strategic decisions for the City concerning how it will grow and develop its CBD. The project aimed to identify the key indicators of current economic activity within the CBD, which could then be used to assist in the development of a more targeted approach to continuous growth and development strategies for the area

On-line training for SMEs: final report

This research aimed to explore the appropriateness of on-line training delivery methods for small business owner/managers. It is widely recognised that training and education are effective ways to reduce small business failure. In Australia, small business accounts for 96 percent of Australian private sector, non-agricultural businesses and they employ 47 percent of the private sector, non-agricultural workforce. Not surprisingly then, encouraging the development of the skills of the workforce has emerged as a major priority for government policy. However, what is also recognised is that many small business owner/managers (SBOs) have limited e-competencies. Results of this research confirmed this and also demonstrated that SBOs have a poor understanding of the concept of on-line training. It would appear, therefore, that many SBOs first need to acquire the technical skills to enable them to undertake on-line training and they also need a better understanding of what is possible through this method of training delivery

Smart business incubators : the Australian context

The aim of this collaborative study was to research the current status of Australian incubators and develop a benchmark based on successful business incubators, using criteria such as tenant and manager selection, operating indicators and exit criteria..

Local learning and employment partnership: North Metro: environmental scan

Young people are vital to all communities and encouraging and supporting them to participate in education and training is a significant way to ensure that communities maintain a skilled workforce. However, there are many barriers to young people staying in the community, not the least of which is a lack of appropriate jobs. That is, jobs that the young people want to do, but are sustainable for the individual as a career path and not on a casual basis. These jobs normally involve some form of training or further education. Marrying the needs of industry in terms of their current and future workforce requirements with the career or work aspirations of the up and coming workforce (the age cohort being the subject of the study) is seen as the major challenge. For example, retail is a predominant employer of young people but as they mature most leave the industry, principally because of the wage structuring of the sector. However, the sector in itself is a sustainable industry for the cohort

Student Voice: The Beacon in Our Journey to School Improvement

Is it possible to reduce the achievement gap simply by implementing effective instructional practices? Francis Scott Key Middle School in Montgomery County Maryland learned that building the cultural proficiency of teachers had to move beyond strategies. Francis Scott Key’s Student Voice Project helped both teachers and students transform their thinking about instruction, communication, and school improvement

Bone Lining Cells: Structure and Function

Bone lining cells (BLC\u27s) cover inactive (nonremodeling) bone surfaces, particularly evident in the adult skeleton. BLC\u27s are thinly extended over bone surfaces, have flat or slightly ovoid nuclei, connect to other BLC\u27s via gap junctions, and send cell processes into surface canaliculi. BLC\u27s can be induced to proliferate and differentiate into osteogenic cells and may represent a source of determined osteogenic precursors. BLC\u27s and other cells of the endosteal tissues may be an integral part of the marrow stromal system and have important functions in hematopoiesis, perhaps by controlling the inductive microenvironment. Because activation of bone remodeling occurs on inactive bone surfaces, BLC\u27s may be involved in the propagation of the activation signal that initiates bone resorption and bone remodeling. Evidence also suggests that BLC\u27s are important in the maintenance of the bone fluids and the fluxes of ions between the bone fluid and interstitial fluid compartments for mineral homeostasis

Communication and Data Sharing between K-12 and Community Colleges

This report investigates communication and data sharing between K-12 and community colleges to identify best practices. This wide-ranging topic encompassed many efforts that impact student recruitment, retention and success in their postsecondary education. To prioritize the most pressing issues, this report focuses on recent system-wide findings and recommendations. In 2016, the Virginia General Assembly directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to review the VCCS, a process that had not been done since 1991. The JLARC report in 2017 stated that a relatively low percentage of community college students obtain a degree or credential (39 percent). In addition to the JLARC report on student success findings among Virginia’s Community Colleges, community colleges do not consistently ensure the quality of dual enrollment courses. To meet the JLARC report’s call to action, strong communication and data sharing between Virginia’s Community Colleges and their K-12 partners is essential. Through background literature research, surveys and interviews with key stakeholders, this report identifies current practices in data sharing and communication, including successes and shortcomings. Recommendations will provide concrete steps to improve communications and data sharing between Virginia’s Community Colleges and their K-12 partners