Assessing alignment between information technology educational opportunities,professional requirements,and industry demands

Information technology (IT) and computing are growing fields, offering far more job opportunities than applicants. Yet, little data are available to indicate how course content, employer needs, and additional learning opportunities work together the prepare graduates to enter the IT workforce. To understand the extent to which learners were prepared to for these highly technical careers, we used text analysis to examine the extent to which course syllabi, job postings, internship postings, and industry certifications from information technology preparation programs at state college and two universities commonly reflected national IT curriculum knowledge areas. Integrated data suggested that while the two-year and four-year programs imparted key technical skills, to qualify employers sought applied, or “soft,” skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and written and verbal communication. These soft skills were more difficult to detect as learning outcomes, but the determination of the extent to which the examined programs foster these skills presents a fertile area for subsequent research.     

Employment Outcomes of Gerontology Certificate Graduates

Students desiring specialized skills and knowledge in working with older adults frequently pursue gerontology certificates. This paper reports the results of a study of gerontology certificate graduates which examined their educational backgrounds, their employment status, the predictive factors which led to aging-related jobs, and their recommendations for improvement to the certificate program. Certificate graduates came from varying educational backgrounds. Most were able to use their gerontology training, usually by being employed in aging-related work or else by utilizing their skills in other professional capacities. Implications for job placement and curriculum development are discussed.     

Workers with disabilities in sheltered employment centres: a training needs analysis

The work presented is part of a study that the research group CIFO (Research Team in Training for the Labour Market, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona) has carried out, relating to the training needs analysis and basic competences and skills in the environment of sheltered employment centres (SECs) in Catalonia (this study was undertaken in collaboration with the Coordination of Workshops for People with Mental Disabilities in Catalonia). The analysis and assessment of needs is useful from the perspective of training, as a starting point for planning adapted to the reality of disabled workers in SECs. To do this, various elements such as skills, knowledge and attitudes of individual and social nature have been considered from a systemic approach. By placing ourselves in clearly defined contexts (SECs), we bear in mind the characteristics of workers, the features of the job context, the types of activities performed, the skills related to work activities carried out, the definition of competence profiles required on the basis of the essential skills and the real training needs, through the characteristics of workers and those skills related to the labour activities that are performed as well as the needs for training perceived by workers. Identifying training needs in relation to basic skills and job requirements allows us to meet the challenge, as a trend that supports a competence basis for any worker, of raising general actions that may govern and underlie the training proposals, yet without undermining the specific competences. The importance acquired by what workers themselves have considered about their positioning is understood from the standpoint of its validity, so as to assume conclusions through triangulation processes.     

The Future of the Academy: Who’s Looking for Whom?

Individuals seeking academic employment opportunities often do so by exploring hiring announcements that are advertised online through Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, American Society of Criminology, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Because limited educational resources and budget constraints can impact hiring decisions that are made at institutions of higher learning over time, it is important for candidates to consider exactly what employers are looking for in prospective professionals and to see how they measure up to the demands brought on by academic job searches. Using quantitative content analyses of recent job postings on popular academic job search websites, this study explores recent trends in the hiring of criminology and criminal justice professionals, paying particular attention to exactly which positions are being sought after by colleges and universities and how the presence of online technology has changed hiring trends within our field.     

试论求职技巧的训练与指导

求职过程是求职者全面展现自身综合素质的过程,求职技巧作为综合素质的表现始终贯穿于求职过程的全部。目前,中国的就业形势比较严峻,求职者面对的竞争越来越大,企业对求职者的要求也越来越高,面试方式更趋多样化,为此,对求职者进行求职技巧的训练和指导对求职成功与否起着至关重要的作用。本文采用实例法进行研究,从阐述求职技巧的内涵及求职技巧训练与指导的重要作用出发,针对求职者求职技巧的现状进行分析,提出求职技巧训练与指导的具体措施。     

Effects of “Like Type” Sex Pairings between Applicants–Principals and Type of Focal Position Considered at the Screening Stage of the Selection Process

This study addresses the screening decisions for a national random sample of high school principals as viewed from the attraction-similarity theory of interpersonal perceptions. Independent variables are the sex of principals, sex of applicants, and the type of focal positions sought by hypothetical job applicants (teacher or counselor). Dependent variables are principals’ assessments of job candidates’ skills on specific job related criteria and the perceived probability of extending job candidates an interview opportunity. Principals’ assessments of hypothetical applicants were cast into a 2×2×2 completely crossed factorial design and were analyzed through a stepdown analysis of variance procedure. By approaching selection as a process, these results fit within the tenets as suggested by the attraction-similarity paradigm. Similar sex pairings between principals and applicants were more likely to be extended interview offers than dissimilar sex pairings regardless of the focal position under consideration.This research was supported in part by the University of California Educational Research Center (UCERC). Contents of this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of UCERC.     

论知识经济与高校创新型外语人才的培养

80年代末以前提出的具有"听说读写译"基本技能的工具型外语人才以及80年代末提出的既懂外语又懂某一专业知识的"复合型外语人才"已不能满足一些岗位的更高要求。知识经济时代需要有一批更为尖端的外语专业人才,即创新型人才,他们能在国际交流中独当一面,能够创新性地开展工作。本文首先指出知识经济环境下我国大学教育面临的普遍问题,在此基础上提出培养创新型外语人才的必要性,并对其培养模式作出有益的探讨。     

State Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Education

Contemporary test-based reforms are often grounded in the claim that test performance is the key to international economic competitiveness. However, this oft-repeated assertion lacks empirical support. According to the World Economic Forum, the United States' recent loss of economic competitiveness standing is due to macroeconomic instability rather than to a lack of workforce skills and knowledge. In contrast to the claims of President Obama and Secretary Duncan, the nation has no shortage of qualified job applicants. There are, on average, three qualified applicants for every high tech job. Furthermore, 80% of projected jobs require only technical or on-the-job training. The vast majority do not require the skills measured by contemporary accountability schemes. For example, only 5% require any math beyond basic operations. Educators must continue to focus on equality of educational opportunities for all children and, as contrasted with narrow economic rationales, embrace a broader vision of the purposes of education.     

Drs. Strangelove or: How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Job Search Process

The purpose of this paper is to provide prospective job applicants in higher education and others interested in the job search process with an account of three individuals' job search experiences. First, we outline our experiences and career goals as all but dissertation (ABD) candidates. Second, we sketch the steps that we took in the job search process: applying, interviewing, and receiving and responding to offers. Third, we compare and contrast our successful (received an interview) and unsuccessful (did not receive an interview) applications in ways to help understand the job search process. These comparisons include the level at which positions were advertised, percentage match for advertised positions, reasons for submitting applications, and time variables for the job search process. Finally, we offer suggestions for prospective applicants and search committees.     

Helping Business Students Acquire the Skills Needed for a Career in Analytics: A Comprehensive Industry Assessment of Entry‐Level Requirements

Fact‐based decision making is changing job functions within organizations more than any other technology. Analytics, once the purview of the data scientist, is now spread throughout organizations. No longer is there a single job title, job function, or set of required skills and credentials for an analytics career. Companies have moved away from seeking applicants with a specific degree to now recruiting analytics talent based on required skill sets. For more than a decade, business schools have been developing new programs in analytics in response to industry's needs. However, in developing meaningful career‐ready professionals, business programs must understand the skills required across different analytics job functions. In this article, the authors present a comprehensive assessment of the skills sought by employers when considering a candidate for an entry‐level analytics position. The authors describe the demand for various types of analytics professionals, identify the job titles and functions with the most significant demand, and then draw a comparison of the job requirements of hard skills, soft skills, software skills, and credentials between three of the most sought‐after analytics areas: data science, data analytics, and business analytics. The authors conclude by providing faculty and administrators with recommendations on how to adapt their courses and programs to provide students with the fundamental preparation necessary for careers in data science, data analytics, and business analytics.     

A Look at the Anatomy Educator Job Market: Anatomists Remain in Short Supply

In 2002, a widely publicized report projected an anatomy educator shortage based on department chairpersons' perceptions. Now, 17 years later, the question lingers: “Does an anatomy educator shortage persist and, if so, how severe is the shortage?” Trends in the number, type, and fill rate of anatomy educator job openings were explored by analyzing job posting in the United States over the past two years. A survey was distributed to leaders of anatomy-related departments in the United States, Canada, and European Union. Most departmental leaders who responded (65% or more) from the United States/Canada (n = 81) and the European Union (n = 52) anticipate they will have “moderate” to “great” difficulty hiring anatomy educators in gross anatomy, histology, and embryology over the next five years. Within the United States, the number of anatomy educator job postings at medical schools more than doubled from at least 21 postings in 2017 to 52 postings in 2018. Twenty-one percent of postings between 2017 and 2018 were never filled. While the number of anatomy educator openings within the United States/Canada is perceived to remain in a steady state for the next five years, the European Union estimates a five-fold increase in the number of openings. Departmental leaders prioritize anatomy educator applicants who have teaching experience (mean ± SD = 4.64 ± 0.84 on five-point Likert scale), versatility in teaching multiple anatomy disciplines (3.93 ± 1.07), and flexibility in implementing various teaching pedagogies (3.69 ± 1.17). Collectively, these data suggest the shortage of anatomy educators continues in the United States/Canada and the European Union.     

Investigative interviewing with children: evaluation of the effectiveness of a training program for child protective service workers.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research suggests that training workshops on investigative interviewing conducted with front-line workers, such as police officers or child protective service (CPS) workers, may result in improved knowledge about appropriate strategies to use. Limited research has addressed whether such training programs result in improvements in actual interviewing skills. The present investigation assessed the impact of a training workshop on CPS workers' knowledge about conducting and behavior during investigative interviews. METHOD: Twelve CPS workers participated. To evaluate the impact of the training, a quasi-experimental design was used. Participants completed outcome measures prior to, immediately following, and 3 months following the training. Outcome measures included (a) a questionnaire to assess knowledge about interviewing practices, (b) simulated interviews with a confederate to assess participant behavior during an investigative interview, and (c) questionnaires to gather information related to the simulated interviews (e.g., materials requested for use during interview, abuse status of confederate). All participants completed 6 hours of training during 3 weekly 2-hour sessions. RESULTS: Participants' knowledge on the topic, as well as several interviewing skills during simulated interviews, improved following the training. However, the training failed to impact several key interviewing skills such as the types of questions asked or the length of the interview. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge-based workshop training programs may not adequately prepare CPS workers to conduct appropriate investigative interviews with children who were allegedly abused. Further, knowledge about how to conduct such interviews may not be the best indicator of whether someone is prepared for this aspect of the job.     

“Old People are Cranky”: Helping Professional Trainees' Knowledge,Attitudes, Aging Anxiety,and Interest in Working with Older Adults

This study investigated the efficacy of a gerontology education course in decreasing ageism and aging anxiety and increasing knowledge and interest in working with older adults among undergraduates training for social services careers. Participants completed study measures at the beginning and end of semester. Analyses supported the study hypotheses: ageism and aging anxiety declined over the semester whereas knowledge of aging and interest in working with older adults increased over the semester. Implications for training individuals for aging-related careers are discussed.     

New Assistant Professors of Counselor Education: Their Preparation and Their Induction

The literature documents that there has been a limited number of qualified applicants to fill counselor education positions. This article features a profile of assistant professors who accepted their first counselor education positions in 1999 as well as their comments regarding their experiences as applicants. Recommendations derived from the data are included for counselor educators, professors‐in‐training, and search committees.     

高职院校大数据技术创新实验室建设与研究

随着大数据技术的落地与发展,各高职院校为适应社会发展需求和企业人才需求,纷纷开设大数据技术与应用专业。在日益完善大数据专业人才培养、课程体系结构和企业岗位需求同时,也更加注重该专业人才培养过程中的实验室建设。文章以作者单位大数据实验室为研究对象,对其整个建设过程加以详细说明,并对今后该创新实验室对专业人才培养、课程体系建设、学生技能竞赛、企业岗位需求和教师科研等方面进行深入研究和探讨,为其专业培养大数据技能型人才提供有力保障。     

浅析高职电子专业如何做到顶岗实习岗位与专业对口

为提高顶岗实习质量,切实做到为企业培养高素质技能人才的目标,本文对高职电子专业实习岗位与专业对口进行了探讨。总结出该专业以适应企业的岗位群能力培养为出发点,将学生校内的理论知识学习、专业技能训练等与企业岗位能力有机结合起来;以“企业、学生”双向选择为主线,加强和完善顶岗实习制度,规范管理过程,从而使学生实习岗位与所学专业对口。     

Solutions to Literacy Deficiencies in the Workplace; A Survey of Current Practices

Much attention has focused on employee basic skill (literacy) problems in recent years. Most authorities on the topic have focused their attention on two solutions alone: (a) offering in-house training to employees short-term solution intended to rectify existing basic skill deficiencies in the workforce; and (b) supporting public education as a long-term solution intended to ensure that future job applicants/employees possess basic skills adequate for beginning work. Few writers or authorities have suggested alternative performance improvement strategies to address basic skill problems. This article identifies a range of performance improvement strategies for addressing basic skill deficiencies and summarizes results of a recent survey of training and development professionals about how often these strategies are used in their organizations. In general, many survey respondents indicated that their organizations are using many different performance improvement strategies to address basic skill problems.     

Effects of a training intervention to foster argumentation skills while processing conflicting scientific positions

Argumentation skills play a crucial role in science education and in preparing school students to act as informed citizens. While processing conflicting scientific positions regarding topics such as sustainable development in the domain of ecology, argumentation skills such as evaluating arguments or supporting theories with evidence are beneficial for developing deep understanding and well-grounded conclusions. We developed a 50-min training intervention to foster argumentation skills in the domain of ecology on topics related to sustainable development and analyzed its effects in a control-group design: (a) training intervention to foster argumentation skills (n = 41), (b) no such training intervention (n = 42). Results showed that this short-term training intervention successfully fostered three components of argumentation skills (i.e., evaluative knowledge, generative knowledge, and argument quality) and declarative knowledge about argumentation. The positive effect on declarative knowledge was stable 1 week after the training and it was mediated by learning processes during the training intervention: self-explaining the principles of argumentation underlying the video-based examples mediated the effect on declarative knowledge 1 week after the training. In short, the training intervention is an effective instructional method to enhance argumentation skills as well as declarative knowledge about argumentation.     

A Survey on Dementia Training Needs Among Staff at Community-Based Outpatient Clinics

Dementia is a major public health concern. Educating health-care providers about dementia warning signs, diagnosis, and management is paramount to fostering clinical competence and improving patient outcomes. The objective of this project was to describe and identify educational and training needs of staff at community-based outpatient clinics related to treating and managing veterans with dementia. Health professionals took an online survey consisting of questions related to general knowledge and skills in working with veterans with dementia and their families, staff training, and attitudes toward people with dementia. Most participants considered knowledge of dementia important; however, few reported having received training in dementia care within the past year. Furthermore, over half of participants considered themselves beginners in terms of knowledge and skills in dementia care. Regarding training needs, topics that could improve the overall care of veterans with dementia and their caregivers were most often cited. Participants reported being most satisfied with in-person training. Physicians rated their dementia knowledge and skill as greater than nurses'/other medical professionals’ and support staff's. Compared with support staff, nurses/other medical professionals held more positive attitudes toward persons with dementia. Survey results suggest that staff are interested in improving knowledge of, and skills for, working with persons with dementia, and that job classification is associated with differences in attitudes.