This study sought to determine if community college baccalaureate programs in Florida were fulfilling the goals that were set forth in the legislation that created them. The study examined whether the baccalaureate level education programs at three community colleges in Florida were increasing access to baccalaureate education. The study investigated enrollment trends at all public institutions in Florida, reasons why students chose the community colleges for their upper division education, alternative plans students may have had if these programs did not exist, whether the limited number of baccalaureate programs at the community colleges impacted students' choice of major, and how the schoolwork habits of students in the community college baccalaureate programs compared with their counterparts at other four-year institutions in the state. The data included enrollment data, responses from a survey instrument that i created, and data from the national survey of student engagement's (nsse) data warehouse. The enrollment data included the upper division enrollment in education programs at public institutions in florida. The survey instrument used open-ended questions and likert-scale items from the nsse. The survey's respondents were juniors and seniors (n=140) from baccalaureate education programs at the three community colleges. Most students chose the community colleges for their upper division education because of location and cost. Almost three-fourths of the students who participated in this study reported that they would have attended another institution for their baccalaureate studies if the upper divisions at the community colleges did not exist. One-fifth of the respondents said that they would not have been able to earn a baccalaureate degree without the community college baccalaureate programs. The overwhelming majority of participants chose to major in education for a traditional reason. Finally, the students from the community college baccalaureate programs seemed to have better schoolwork habits and were more engaged than their counterparts at other four-year institutions in the state. The results of this study suggest that the baccalaureate level teacher education programs at community colleges in Florida are increasing access to baccalaureate education.

This thesis examines and explains multinational employers' experiences of localized shortages of skilled process workers in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), China. It explains three challenges facing SIP employers in accessing sufficient skilled process workers and their responses within HRM to such challenges. These three challenges are employers' experiences with vocational education and training (VET) deficiencies in students' skill development, employers' experiences of poaching of skilled process workers by other companies, and employers' experiences of provision of workplace training for skilled process workers in their own companies. In response to these challenges, SIP employers have adopted various HRM measures that include differing combination of recruitment and selection, employee retention, training and development, and employment relations management. These policies and practices represent the different ways that SIP employers have attempted to meet the challenges of localized skill shortages in the context of their own business strategies.

abstract: Electricity infrastructure vulnerabilities were assessed for future heat waves due to climate change. Critical processes and component relationships were identified and characterized with consideration for the terminal event of service outages, including cascading failures in transmission-level components that can result in blackouts. The most critical dependency identified was the increase in peak electricity demand with higher air temperatures. Historical and future air temperatures were characterized within and across Los Angeles County, California (LAC) and Maricopa County (Phoenix), Arizona. LAC was identified as more vulnerable to heat waves than Phoenix due to a wider distribution of historical temperatures. Two approaches were developed to estimate peak demand based on air temperatures, a top-down statistical model and bottom-up spatial building energy model. Both approaches yielded similar results, in that peak demand should increase sub-linearly at temperatures above 40°C (104 °F) due to saturation in the coincidence of air conditioning (AC) duty cycles. Spatial projections for peak demand were developed for LAC to 2060 considering potential changes in population, building type, building efficiency, AC penetration, appliance efficiency, and air temperatures due climate change. These projections were spatially allocated to delivery system components (generation, transmission lines, and substations) to consider their vulnerability in terms of thermal de-rated capacity and weather adjusted load factor (load divided by capacity). Peak hour electricity demand was projected to increase in residential and commercial sectors by 0.2–6.5 GW (2–51%) by 2060. All grid components, except those near Santa Monica Beach, were projected to experience 2–20% capacity loss due to air temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). Based on scenario projections, and substation load factors for Southern California Edison (SCE), SCE will require 848—6,724 MW (4-32%) of additional substation capacity or peak shaving in its LAC service territories by 2060 to meet additional demand associated with population growth projections. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 2018

Ãgua à um recurso essencial para o desenvolvimento social e econÃmico como tambÃm para manutenÃÃo saudÃvel dos ecossistemas. Devido sua importÃncia econÃmica e social à fonte de conflitos sociais entre os setores interessados em adquiri-la e usufruÃ-la, sendo a Ãpoca de escassez o momento de maior conflito. Assim, como forma de harmonizar conflitos de interesses entre os setores, este trabalho objetivou pesquisar e desenvolver mecanismos financeiros de gestÃo do risco climÃtico em recursos hÃdricos, fundamentado em seguro baseado Ãndice associado a contrato de opÃÃo e fundo financeiro que possibilitem menores variaÃÃes nos preÃos dos recursos hÃdricos, tendo como critÃrio o princÃpio da compensaÃÃo aos usuÃrios pela transferÃncia hÃdrica quando das falhas no abastecimento. A metodologia de avaliaÃÃo dos recursos financeiros que satisfizessem os setores foi a quantificaÃÃo econÃmica dos recursos transferidos a partir das equaÃÃes de benefÃcios especÃficas dos setores. Os valores dos recursos hÃdricos transferidos foram obtidos por meio da permuta de metodologia de alocaÃÃo: sistema de prioridades e rateio linear. Foram simulados cinco cenÃrios que dividiam as disponibilidades hÃdricas entre dois setores (irrigaÃÃo e urbano) com os seguintes coeficientes, respectivamente, para esses setores (0,10; 0,90), (0,25; 0,75), (0,50; 0,50), (0,75; 0,25) e (0,90; 0,10) para as garantias de 98%, 95% e 90%. Os pagamentos de opÃÃes fundamentados nos contratos de opÃÃes apresentaram linhas de tendÃncias semelhantes aos impactos negativos da irrigaÃÃo (perdas), porÃm com valores abaixo destes para todos os intervalos e garantias simulados. As perdas cresceram atà o cenÃrio de coeficientes (0,52, 0,48), a partir do qual os impactos econÃmicos do setor urbano (ganhos) superam aos da irrigaÃÃo. No entanto, para os cenÃrios de coeficientes acima de (0,90, 0,10), os ganhos diminuem a valores abaixo dos das perdas. Quanto ao fundo financeiro, somente para os cenÃrios com coeficientes localizados entre (0,50, 0,50) e (0,90, 0,10), considerado cenÃrios viÃveis, à que esse fundo possui viabilidade financeira, sendo, dentre os cenÃrios simulados, o de coeficientes (0,75, 0,25) que possui os maiores valores acumulados. Por fim, conclui-se que a viabilidade econÃmica das transferÃncias hÃdricas se concentrou apenas nos cenÃrios localizados entre os coeficientes (0,50, 0,50) e (0,90, 0,10). AlÃm disso, conclui-se que a associaÃÃo entre contrato de opÃÃes, seguro baseado no Ãndice vazÃo liberada e fundo financeiro pode contribuir para um entendimento mÃtuo entre os setores interessados nos recursos hÃdricos locais/regionais quanto à necessidade de se harmonizarem, principalmente, nos momentos mais conflituosos, no caso, Ãpocas de escassez hÃdrica. / Water is an essential resource for the social and economic development and to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Due to its economic and social importance is a source of social conflict between the sectors interested in acquiring it and enjoy it, being the lean season far more conflict. So, as a way to harmonize conflicting interests among sectors, this study aimed to investigate and develop financial mechanisms for climate risk management in water resources based on index-based insurance associated option contract and financial background to enable minor variations in resource prices water tended as the principle of compensation to users for transfer when the water supply disruption. The valuation methodology of financial resources that met the sectors was the quantification of economic resources transferred from the equations of specific benefits of sectors. The amounts of transferred water was obtained through the exchange of allocation methodology: linear priorities and assessment system. Five scenarios that divided water availability between two sectors (irrigation and urban) with the following coefficients, respectively, for these sectors (0.10, 0.90), (0.25, 0.75) were simulated, (0, 50, 0.50), (0.75, 0.25) and (0.90, 0.10) for guarantees of 98%, 95% and 90%. Payments of options based on options contracts had lines similar to the negative impacts of irrigation (losses) trends, but with values below these intervals for all warranties and simulated. Losses grew to the scene of coefficients (0.52, 0.48), from which the economic impacts of the urban sector (gains) outweigh the irrigation. However, scenarios for the above coefficients (0.90, 0.10), the gain values decrease below losses. On financial background, only for scenarios with localized coefficients between (0.50, 0.50) and (0.90, 0.10), considered viable scenarios, is that this fund has financial viability, being among the scenarios simulated, the coefficients (0.75, 0.25) having the highest accumulated values. Finally, it is concluded that the economic viability of water transfers only focused on scenarios located between the coefficients (0.50, 0.50) and (0.90, 0.10). Furthermore, it is concluded that the association between options contract based insurance index released flow and financial background can contribute to mutual understanding between the sectors interested in local / regional on the need to harmonize, especially in times water more conflicting in the case, times of water scarcity.

Cheap and reliable electricity is an essential stimulus for economic and social development. Currently fossil fuels are used for the majority of global electricity generation, but energy shortages and pressure on all industries to reduce CO2 emissions provide incentives for growing emphasis on the development of alternative energy-generation methods. Presently hydropower contributes about 17% of global energy generation, which is only a fraction of its total potential. In Africa only 5% of its estimated hydropower potential has been exploited, making it the most underdeveloped continent in terms of hydropower. An often overlooked source of hydropower energy is found in conduits, where pressure-reducing stations (PRSs) are installed to dissipate excess energy. The energy dissipated by these devices can instead be captured as hydroelectricity if turbines are installed in the conduits, either by replacing pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) with a turbine, or by installing the turbine in parallel with the PRV. An initial scoping investigation indicated that significant potential exists for small-scale hydropower installations in water-distribution systems in South Africa. Almost all of the country’s municipalities and water-supply utilities have pressure-dissipating stations in their water-distribution systems, where hydropower potential may exist. This dissertation reflects the development of a Conduit Hydropower Decision Support System (CHDSS), summarised in a series of flow diagrams that illustrate the developmental process (Figure i(a) provides an example). A Conduit Hydropower Development (CHD) Tool was developed to facilitate the calculation of necessary factors (the Phase 1 Economic Analysis is shown in Figure i(b)). The objective of this CHDSS was to assist municipalities and engineers in identifying conduit hydropower potential in South Africa and to provide proper guidance for the development of potential sites. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Civil Engineering / Unrestricted

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2020 / This thesis examined the impact skills shortage among artisans in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) field have on the industry. The rationale for this investigation is based on the view of engineers and company owners in the HVAC industry that there is a dire need to train more artisans and to improving the skills of already qualified artisans. The thesis employed a mixed method research approach and reviewed relevant literature. Empirical data was obtained from HVAC contracting companies being members of the South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (SARACCA) in the Western Cape. The study demonstrates that there is a shortage of skilled and qualified artisans in the HVAC industry. Although there are individuals within the HVAC industry who are passionate about training, their efforts cannot supply the whole industry with knowledgeable qualified artisans. More emphasis should be placed on basic education, the level of artisan training, continuous training of qualified artisans and the retention of skilled artisans. Based on the findings, the study concluded that skilled artisans and poor quality workmanship is being experienced on a continuous basis. The lack of skilled artisans and the cost implication to obtain skilled artisans force companies to employ unskilled labour. It is recommended that the industry should work closer with government agencies to ensure that training being offered by private training institutions and colleges is aligned with the industry requirements. This together with an improved education system will secure skilled artisans.

Problemformulering: Hur ser beslutsprocessen ut för allmännyttiga bostadsbolagen i kommuner med tydlig befolkningstillväxt? Hur arbetar de allmännyttiga bostadsbolagen för att motverka bostadsbristen? Vilka faktorer påverkar beslutsprocessen vid nyproduktion? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att beskriva hur allmännyttiga bostadsbolag arbetar med beslutsprocessen i kommuner med en tydlig befolkningstillväxt för att motverka bostadsbristen Metod: För att uppnå syftet med studien samt besvara befintliga frågeställningar utförde skribenterna en kvalitativ studie tillsammans med en deduktiv forskningsansats. Skribenterna har insamlat empiri via kvalitativa intervjuer med fem allmännyttiga bostadsbolag från de fem kommuner som haft den tydligaste befolkningstillväxten senaste elva åren Slutsats: Slutsatsen beskriver hur allmännyttiga bostadsbolag arbetar med beslutsprocessen inför investeringar, varför de bemöter svårigheter, samt diverse faktorer som påverkar processen för nyproduktion / Problem formulation: What does the decision-making process look like for municipal public housing companies with the most apparent population growth? How do the public housing companies work to counteract the housing shortage? What factors influence the decision-making process in new production? Purpose: The purpose of the study is to describe how public housing companies work with the decision-making process in municipalities with a clear population growth to counteract the housing shortage Method: To accomplish the purpose of the study, the writers carried out qualitative research together with a deductive research approach. The writers have collected empirical data through qualitative interviews with five public housing companies from the five municipalities with the most apparent population growth in the last eleven years Conclusion: The conclusion describes how housing companies work with investments, why they face difficulties, and various factors that affect the process of new production

Background: In a globalised world and increased interconnected business environments effective resilience capabilities are pivotal for disruption mitigation. In the pharmaceutical industry this concerns the phenomenon of medicine shortages and high geographical sourcing dependencies resulting in severe consequences for healthcare providers and patients. Purpose: Analysing challenges affecting resilience in the upstream of the pharmaceutical supply chain network and root-causes of the heparin sourcing shortage. This study aims to find resilience strategies to effectively manage future heparin sourcing shortages. Method: This qualitative case study analysed the dynamic phenomenon of supply chain network resilience in a German listed healthcare company. Semi- structured interviews were conducted based on non-probability purposive sampling. The empirical findings were analysed according to the thematic analysis. Conclusion: The findings indicate that insufficient management of challenges impacting the supply chain network resilience leads to medicine shortages. Driven by the ethical obligation the pharmaceutical supply chain network particularly has to deal with external hurdles and sourcing dependencies created by complex product characteristics.

This study examines the 2019 ‘FEG’ through policy process and interest-based lenses, thus aiming to address the relationship between labour shortages and migration policy. Hence, the roles of political stakeholders and interest groups in the policy process are discerned.

This thesis investigates the supply chain of Vancomycin and Piperacillin/Tazobactam in order to understand why the two antibiotics have been exposed to back orders during recent years in Sweden. The health economical consequences due to these back orders of the two antibiotics was also examined. The used methods were literature search and elementary calculation methods. The supply chains for the two antibiotics consists of multiple manufacturing actors, both primary and secondary. The manufacturing actors are mostly located in low and middle income countries, which increases risks for the supply chains. The Swedish market is unattractive due to its small size and ineffective purchasing system, which also increases risks of shortages. The unattractive market is a probable cause of the lower amount of market authorisation holders which sell the antibiotics in Sweden. Furthermore, a financial model was created to assess the health economic impacts of shortages. The costs were calculated as the sum of the additional labor required to deal with shortages along with the costs of the alternative medicines. It was estimated that a shortage of Vancomycin can cost up to SEK 1 600 000 in fixed costs followed by up to SEK 202 997 per additional day of shortage and that a shortage of Pipetazo can cost up to SEK 1 600 000 in fixed costs followed by up to SEK 923 650 per day. There are also other negative aspects of these consequences, such as worsening of patient health and contributions to increased AMR.