Survey of Employers in two LGAs in Southwestern Sydney 2013-2014

This is a report on the responses of 82 employers in Campbelltown, Fairfield, Narellan, Camden and Smeaton Grange, to a 2013-2014 survey designed to gather employers’ views of their skilled labour needs, in order to remain competitive and grow through innovation. Overall recommendation A lighthouse Regional Manufacturing Innovation and Workforce Development Partnership be piloted, to pioneer a regional program of information exchange and shared workforce development accessible to small and medium businesses. This Government-funded model would be supported by creating seconded or earmarked cross-organisational staff positions and roles, with the brief of working across employer groups, key training organisations and the three tiers of government. Their brief would be to provide a focus for gathering, exchanging and disseminating information that is timely, targeted, well- integrated and readily digestible. This information would cover: - Case study approaches to setting up local innovation initiatives - Environmental scanning of technological developments and locally-relevant market opportunities in Australian and global markets - Best- practice tools such as strategies and resources for induction and advice about accessing customised delivery of accredited workplace, online and off-site learning to building workplace expertise - Regional Manufacturing occupational labour market data, and a regional job-matching website specifically for use by local employers and jobseekers. The Partnership would also provide funding and practical support for the creation of recognized workplace development programs and resource materials supporting small manufacturing businesses in training novices and in upskilling staff. The Partnership would have initial funding for five years, and be tasked with the specific mission of embedding into ongoing practice the structures and approaches it develops. Development of the Badgerys Creek Precinct provides a unique catalyst, with significant multiplier effects, for the creation of such a South Western Sydney Advanced Manufacturing Initiative, one of whose focal points might be an Advanced Manufacturing and Aircraft Maintenance hub

VLA Polarimetry of Two Extended Radio Galaxies

Multi-wavelength VLA observations of two extended radio galaxies, 0235-197 and 1203+043 are presented. There is some evidence from earlier studies that these two sources exhibit low frequency (<1 GHz) variability. This work shows that both sources have linear polarizations, if any, below the detection limits at 320 MHz, so we cannot explain the variability as being due to instrumental polarization effects as has been suggested for 3C159. Refractive scintillation may be the cause of the variability in 0235-197. This would require the existence of a bright, compact component in one of the hot spots seen in these observations. This is not implausible but the resolution of this observational program is insufficent to address that question. The radio source 1203+043 lacks any bright compact component thereby ruling out a refractive scintillation mechanism for its variability. Consequently, it is possible that claims of variability in this source are spurious. However, the 320 MHz VLA observations show that 1203+043 has an `X'-shaped radio structure. This is a rare morphology for the brightness distribution of a radio galaxy; the implications of this are examined.Comment: 8 pages, plain tex, accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics, Supplement Serie

X-ray variability in M87

We present the evidence for X-ray variability from the core and from knot A in the M87 jet based on data from two observations with the Einstein Observatory High Resolution Imager (HRI) and three observations with the ROSAT HRI. The core intensity showed a 16% increase in 17 months ('79-'80); a 12% increase in the 3 years '92 to '95; and a 17% drop in the last half of 1995. The intensity of knot A appears to have decreased by 16% between 92Jun and 95Dec. Although the core variability is consistent with general expectations for AGN nuclei, the changes in knot A provide constraints on the x-ray emission process and geometry. Thus we predict that the x-ray morphology of knot A will differ significantly from the radio and optical structure.Comment: 9 pages latex plus 6 ps figs. To appear in Monthly Notices of the RA

Men are from investment Mars and women are from investment Venus : further evidence of differential investment performance in South Africa based on gender

Includes bibliographical references.There is an on-going debate amongst economists as to whether or not markets are efficient. The efficient market hypothesis is predicated on the assumption that investors are rational. The growing body of research in behavioural finance has challenged the rational investor theory, by showing that certain psychological biases affect the behaviour of investors in a manner which causes them to behave irrationally at certain times. The purpose of this paper is to gain further evidence of differential investment performance (which stems from some of these psychological biases) between genders in South Africa. A particular focus is on differences in risk aversion between genders. The data analysed suggests that men tend to hold riskier portfolios than women and tend to be more confident in their abilities than women are. A sample of 2,380 individual investors from a South African asset manager was analysed over ten years (1 January 2003 – 31 December 2012) in order to draw conclusions on the trading behaviour, resultant returns and variances in returns earned by men and women. The results show that there is a statistically significantly negative correlation between trading frequency and investor return. Over the ten year period analysed, there was no statistically significant difference between men and women either in returns earned or the variance of those returns. Further, there was no statistically significant difference between genders in trade frequency. However, in certain age groups and in certain sub-periods of the data, statistically significant differences between genders in both returns and variance of returns is observed, as well as statistically significant differences between the genders of trade frequency. Men had statistically significantly higher variances of their portfolio returns for the period from 1 January 2003 to 28 April 2006 (the period ending before the financial 3 crisis of 2008/9). Given that there is no significant difference in the investment returns earned by men and women in the same period, it follows that women were better investors (on a risk-adjusted basis) in this period. This may be explained by the fact that women are more risk averse than men and tend to hold less risky portfolios. Men had statistically significantly higher returns for their portfolios for the period from 1 May 2006 to 31 August 2009 (the period ending after the financial crisis of 2008/9). Given that there is no significant difference between men and women in respect of the variances of returns over this period, it follows men were better investors (on a risk-adjusted basis) for the period ending after the financial crisis. This could be due to men, being less risk averse than women, re-allocating their portfolio to riskier assets quicker than women after the financial crisis, and being better exposed to the upside of the market recovery. When stratifying the population into age groups to determine whether there is any differential behaviour on this basis, men in the 30 – 39 year old cohort were found to have a statistically significantly higher trade frequency than women. No other significant differences between genders within age groups were measured

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN AMERICA

This research is about “Martin Luther King Jr.’s Struggle for Equality for Black People in America”. This library research thesis is based on historical and biographical approach. The purpose of this research is to find out how Martin Luther King Jr. struggled for equality in America especially for the black people. Historical approach is used to view the historical background of the black people in America from the first settlement and first slave trade to the slave abolishment until in the middle of 20th Century. Biographical approach, however, is used in this thesis to view the struggle conducted by Martin Luther King Jr. in order to fight for the civil rights. After analyzing the background of the black people, the writer found out that the reason Martin Luther King Jr. fought for civil rights was because of the law that was not run in practice in America, even though black people are guaranteed by the law. Martin Luther King, Jr. made a significant change to America especially for the black people. Even though issues of racism are still found these days in America, generally the life of the black people in America developed to a good improvement in economy as well as in politics