Skills Training Works: Examining the Evidence

In spite of public consensus that education and training lead to economic advancement, recent federal policies have made it harder for low-income Americans to get the education and training they need to succeed in today's economy. A number of recent federal policies, like the 1996 law that established the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program, have in different ways adopted a "work first" approach that encourages or requires low-income adults to find employment immediately, rather than allowing them first to develop skills that might lead to better jobs with family-sustaining wages and benefits, and opportunities for steady work and advancement. This policy shift away from skills training and toward work first strategies has come about, in part, from a misconception that "training does not work." Many policymakers have heard that government-sponsored research -- such as the National Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Study, the Greater Avenues to Independence (GAIN) Evaluation and the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS) -- shows that low-income adults who receive training do no better in the job market than people who do not receive such services, or who receive only the less expensive job search assistance typical of many work first strategies. In fact, a more comprehensive look at the existing research reveals the documented effectiveness of skills training

Exploring the Dimensions of Fit within Sports Sponsorship

A reason for sponsoring events is to garner positive image transference from the event to the sponsor (Gwinner and Eaton 1999; Speed and Thomson 2000). This suggests that perceived fit between the event (sponsee) and the sponsor is important. But fit in sports sponsorship contexts involves more than just that between the sponsee and the sponsor. What also needs to be taken into consideration is the fit between other stakeholders: cosponsors and consumers. This exploratory research seeks to understand the dimensions encompassing fit (or relatedness: see Johar and Pham, 1999) in the sponsorship marketplace. Using semi-structured interviews with sponsorship managers, findings suggest there are six dimensions of fit within sports sponsorship: target market, product endorser image, geography, typicality, complementarity, and clash. Whilst most have received attention by marketing scholars, others, including interactions, have yet to be addressed. Each of these dimensions is identified; conclusions and implications follow.Griffith Business School, Department of MarketingFull Tex

Task force on immigration and higher education in Central Massachusetts

In August 2007, the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. created a task force to examine the issue of immigration and higher education in Central Massachusetts. It has become increasingly clear from recent demographic and economic studies and projections that the population in the northeast, and certainly in Central Massachusetts, is showing minimal growth. There is evidence that a decline in the “native-born” population is caused by significant out-migration due to a number of factors, including the high cost of living, limited career opportunities and a declining birth rate. The limited population growth that is evident is due primarily to the recent influx of immigrants to this area, with the most significant numbers in Worcester coming from Ghana, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, El Salvador, Albania and Liberia. It is also clear that the area’s economy is becoming more knowledge-based with an increasing percentage of all new jobs requiring some form of postsecondary education. According to the 2007 Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development’s Job Vacancy Survey, 38 percent of current job vacancies in Massachusetts require an associate’s degree or higher. This represents an increase from 30 percent in 2003. Consequently, the level of education that the immigrant population attains is of vital importance to everyone—not only to immigrant students and their families but also to the economic well-being of the entire region. The Task Force was charged with researching the barriers to higher education faced by this new wave of immigrants and suggesting recommendations to address those barriers. The 36-member Task Force was made up of representatives from Consortium member institutions; federal, state and local governments; community and faithbased organizations; the Worcester Public Schools; the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education; and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition. Meetings were held over six months, during which the Task Force identified three main barriers faced by immigrant communities in accessing higher education, and sub-committees were created to work on each of these. Speakers were invited to present on topics of interest. Two public hearings were held, the first of which was conducted at Worcester State College in October. It attracted community representatives, as well as college and high school faculty and administrators. The second hearing, held at the downtown branch of Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) in December, was attended by immigrants (English for Speakers of Other Languages – ESOL and GED) students as well as QCC staff.Published versio

An internet-based system to support interdisciplinary and inter-organisational collaborative conceptual design

This paper builds on work presented at the last two CIBSE conferences, and describes the development of an Internet-based design tool to support interdisciplinary teams during the conceptual phase of the design process. Originally, devised as a paper-based framework comprising five phases and twelve activities, the interactive internet-based version accords well with the richly iterative and often non-linear process which design typically follows. The tool is intended to encourage inspirational concept design without imposing a rigid procedure. As well as offering alternative routes through concept design, the tool contains ‘team thinking tools’ to help designers widen the solution space, set priorities and evaluate options. In addition, drawing on management science literature about effective teamwork practices, it helps a team deal with social interactions. Also, at the user’s option, the system can be used to capture, store and retrieve decisions made, and the reasoning behind them. Overall the system, which exists as a working prototype, offers the combined prospects of decision support, an audit trail, and improved knowledge management. The prototype is available openly on the web, and constructive feedback from users is welcomed. At least one of the collaborating organisations is adapting the system to its individual needs and embedding it within its own operating procedures

One step forward and three back: a study of the patterns of interdisciplinary conceptual design

One step forward and three back: a study of the patterns of interdisciplinary conceptual desig

Using training workshops to map interdisciplinary team working

Contemporary building projects are increasingly complex and demand close integration between the design of the building services and the fabric. The early stages of the design process, when alternative concepts are being generated and the least promising are eliminated, are recognised as crucial, since they define the parameters within which the whole project will be constrained. AMEC Design, a large practice of building service engineers, surveyors, architects and other building design professionals is committed to interdisciplinary teamwork at the conceptual phase of design, and is participating with other construction organisations and with the University of Cambridge in research to map the process of design at the concept phase. Workshops for design team members are run regularly by the company as part of its staff development programme. A recent workshop provided an opportunity to monitor interdisciplinary design teams and to develop an initial 12-phase model of the conceptual design process. The process as observed was clearly non-linear, implying the need for models which allow flexible interpretations. Future revisions will be followed by further testing in similar workshops, and eventually its application on live projects

Mapping the early stages of the design process - a comparison between engineering and construction

The conceptual stage of a construction project is a vibrant, dynamic and creative period. Ideas are generated rapidly about the nature of the project, the requirements and desires, and potential solutions. But this period can also be disorganised and even chaotic; there are many uncertainties about the project, and the risks are high. Design team members may be unfamiliar to each other and unaccustomed to one anothers' ways of working. Maps of the design process are intended to obviate the need for the design team to re-invent the process each time, and to contribute to a working environment in which good design can flourish. Several process maps already exist for construction. One of the best known in the UK is the Plan of Work published over 30 years ago by the Royal Institute of British Architects, and whose terminology continues to be used throughout the industry. Recently other maps of the process have begun to emerge, some from industry, others from academic institutions. Neither the RIBA Plan of Work, nor more recent maps, give in-depth support to the concept phase. At the Department of Architecture at Cambridge University we are working with a number of construction industry firms (AMEC Design, BAA, Hotchkiss Ductwork Ltd, Hutter, Jennings & Titchmarsh, Matthew Hall, Pascall & Watson) on Mapping the design process during the conceptual phase of building projects. The project runs from April 1998 to March 2000 and is funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Loughborough University is also involved in the project. It focuses on two areas: i) the collation, evaluation and potential transfer of established mapping methods and design techniques at the concept stage from engineering and other industries to construction; and ii) the refinement, testing and exploitation of these design techniques by construction industry designers

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes

Understanding and improving transitions of older people: a user and carer centred approach

This project focuses on older people and their transition between different services and agencies in health and social care. Research studies and reports from inspectors have shown that older people experience many problems before, during and after transitions. This project will be conducted in four local areas and has two key aims. First, it will explore what information, support and care is needed by older people (and their carers) as they go through a transition. Second, the project team will work with people and organisations in the four local areas to put the findings into practice.It is increasingly recognised that older people should be involved in improving the quality of services for their use. In this project, older people who are service users and carers will be recruited, trained and supported to participate in the research. They will work with academic researchers to conduct in-depth interviews in order to find out about older people's experiences of a recent care transition. Analysis of the data and presentation of the findings will be carried out jointly by academic and user/carer researchers.The project team will feed back the findings of the interviews in each of the local areas. It will also provide support to people and organisations in these areas to put the findings into practice, in order to improve transitions for older people. In each area, a local advisory group, which include service users and carers, will lead this process. The findings from the in-depth interviews and the local implementation activities will be shared with NHS, social care and other organisations nationally