This dissertation explores connections between the labour market experiences of skilled middle-class immigrants in Canada, and their civic engagement in both sending and receiving countries. My work expands scholarship by delving into the ways that the criteria of social distinction, such as gender, race, immigrant status, and class, and the internalized roles, values, and norms passed down over generations shape citizenship practice. I argue that there is a link between inclusion and the possibilities offered through civic engagement, in that the struggle for inclusion is also a struggle for the recognition of resources that are valued as markers of valued members of society. This research engaged with a theoretical orientation that required synthesizing various forms of social structures that shape societies. Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice offered an alternative perspective on the use of assets in order to retain or improve social positioning, and the use of networks and civic engagement as a form of capital that can also serve to influence one’s place in society. Semi-structured interviews and participant observation were used to gather information regarding the experiences of skilled Jamaican immigrants involved in ethnic-based organizations that support economic, social, and infrastructural development projects in Jamaica and organizations that focus on the socio-economic well-being of the black community in Canada. This research shows that the processes of migration and (re)settlement have implications for the ways ideologies and social relations shift across space. I found that historically-shaped values, ideals, and norms associated with the development of a middle-class identity informed the ways the participants responded to barriers in the labour market, and changes in socio-economic status. Responses to changed socio-economic positioning through civic engagement were found to be based on gendered relations, the recognition and experiences of racism, and political attitude towards Jamaica, and relied on familiar strategies of the uses of social and cultural capitals to retain and/or improve their middle-class positions. This process of negotiation revealed the complex ways that middle-class(ness) is produced and reproduced across territories, and the implications for civic participation not only in Canada, but also in support of Jamaican development. / Thesis (Ph.D, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2014-01-29 20:12:27.959

Although manpower and educational planning have been used in Malaysia for a considerable time to ensure an adequate supply of qualified manpower for the economy, the problem of skilled manpower shortages still persists. Estimated employment targets forecasted by planners to meet the economic needs of the country often clash with the needs and capabilities of vocational students who are seeking employment in the labour market. These students face the problem of occupational choices. Sometimes their occupational preferences tend to be far removed from the demand of the country's manpower needs, resulting in shortages and surpluses in certain occupational categories. The upwardly distorted, educational system, the narrow range of available careers, inadequate careers information and limited careers guidance have frequently been cited as reasons why vocational stream students manifest these unrealistic career ambitions. A study of vocational stream students' occupational expectations could generate a wide range of information for formulating appropriate policies for the development of the vocational education system and the labour market. Unfortunately, despite the usefulness of such information, there is a paucity of research in this area. In view of the above, the study was formulated to achieve the following objectives: 1) to concentrate on the extent to which students of vocational schools are aware of national manpower needs and how their occupational expectations relate to them; 2) to explore the extent to which factors other than manpower needs may affect students' occupational expectations; 3) to investigate the role played by careers guidance in the vocational school in helping students to make their occupational decisions; 4) to acquire an understanding of the role of the technical and vocational education planners in relation to the way manpower and educational planning has developed and operates. To explore possible explanations for the persistence of manpower needs and students' occupational expectations, two kinds of data were used: sample surveys and interview data. A total of 420 Form V vocational stream students were surveyed. The interviews were conducted with three groups of key informants: 28 vocational stream students, 3 careers guidance and counselling teachers and 4 technical and vocational education planners. The analysis of the data confirms that: 1) a majority of vocational stream students were unaware of the country's skilled manpower requirements although there were efforts made by the schools to help them prepare for future occupations; 2) vocational stream students' occupational expectations were often not in accordance with the country's skilled manpower requirements. Vocational students' occupational expectations were unrealistic. Students tend to place priority on their own individual needs rather than being influenced by the occupational structure of the country; 3) except for job security and parents, other factors that affected vocational stream students' choice of expected occupations were not dominant. However, students' occupational expectations were negatively related to their fathers' present occupations; 4) the vocational course specialisation was a significant determinant in selecting expected occupations of vocational stream students, however, these did not make them renounce other occupations; 5) male vocational stream students were more likely to exhibit extrinsic reasons for job expectations than were vocational stream female students who showed a marked preference for people-oriented aspects of occupational expectations; 6) the secondary vocational schools' careers guidance and counselling programmes were generally appreciated and thought to be helpful, there is very little evidence that they provided the source of careers information; 7) there are limitations in manpower and educational planning models, and there is a lack of some of the conditions required for their optimal functioning. The secondary vocational schools are not demand driven, their output has not matched actual industrial requirements.

This thesis investigated a range of interdependent themes. There were two central questions. The first addressed whether visual information for the control of skilled actions is transformed and represented in a similar fashion as that used to represent the world for perception. The second addressed the nature of the visual information used in the control of reaching and grasping movements. A MacReflex (Qualisys AB) motion analysis system was used to measure kinematic parameters of reaches to real-world objects in a variety of situations. The results of the first empirical chapter, which explored the effects of pre-response delay on performance on various perception- and action-based tasks, supported Milner and Goodale's (1995) contention that visual processing for perception and for the control of action are segregated in two quasi-independent processing streams. Three further empirical chapters investigated the importance of binocular cues relative to monocular pictorial cues in the control of prehensile movements. Binocular cues were found to be sufficient but not necessary for the control of reliable reaches, both when reaching to single objects in isolation and when reaching into multiple-object scenes. This finding questions the current view that they play a primary role in the control of reliable reaches. Height in the visual field, which can, in principle, specify metric properties of the scene, was also found to be sufficient to support reliable reaching. The final empirical chapter addressed the implications of restricting peripheral information for estimates of distance and size used in the control of reaches. It was found that restricting the field of view resulted in underestimates of object distance although estimates of size were unchanged. In summary, the findings reported in this thesis support the dissociation between visual processing for perception and action, as proposed by Milner and Goodale (1995) and suggest that a variety of binocular and monocular sources of information are used in the control of natural reaching and grasping movements.

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Despite the evidence that supports the benefits of a holistic, collaborative approach to autism intervention, but there is little training to teach those skills to professionals. Behavior analysts working in applied settings will often partner with different individuals from very different backgrounds and disciplines. Skilled Dialogue has been recommended as an approach to conversations that values everyone's contributions in fostering compassionate, collaborative, and culturally responsive care to benefit the children served. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a training workshop to teach the concept and strategies of skilled dialogue to behavior analysts in training. The participants were taught and practiced using the six strategies of Skilled Dialogue: welcoming, allowing, sense-making, appreciating, joining, and harmonizing through use of instructions, rationales, activities, simulations, and feedback. The success of the training was evaluated using a multiple baseline design across training components. Audio and video responses to role-play scenarios were recorded, transcribed, and scored to measure the results of the training workshop on communication skills. The results suggested that the training workshop was an effective method to teaching future behavior analysts how to engage in the strategies and components of skilled dialogue, increasingly the likelihood of collaborative, and children centered communication and care.

Skilled labour retention continues to receive attention from researchers as a critical challenge faced by organisations globally. The loss of skilled labour in an organisation contributes to the high labour replacement costs, which may result in an organisation‟s failure to achieve its mandate since it is deprived of its high performance, experienced and knowledgeable labour. Organisations must, therefore, be able to diagnose the factors that contribute to the loss of skilled labour and implement strategies that could assist in the mitigation of such losses. Consequently, an integrated model for skilled labour retention in the Botswana Police Service was developed. The literature study which explored the phenomenon of skilled labour retention, revealed a deficiency of a universal implementation strategy that guides organisations in managing skilled labour retention. However, human resources management literature unanimously concur that in order to implement an effective skilled labour retention strategy, it is necessary for organisations to devise a unique human resources management strategy aimed at addressing their individual causes of skilled labour turnover. This study utilised human resource management best practices, theories and frameworks to develop an integrated skilled labour retention model for the Botswana Police Service. The study followed both the qualitative and quantitative research design. Skilled labour retention factors that should be included in a skilled labour retention model were identified through an analysis of a scholarly literature review, a closed-ended questionnaire and an analysis of official documentation. The identified skilled labour retention factors were included in the proposed retention model. The study also proposed an implementation strategy that should be followed when implementing the proposed skilled labour retention model. The empirical study investigated the validity of the identified retention factors that should be included in the integrated skilled labour retention model for the Botswana Police Service. The retention factors entail: job satisfaction, organisational commitment, work-life balance, remuneration, career development, development opportunities (learning, training and development), work environment, decisionmaking and management style. Before the retention factors could be included in the new retention model, the researcher determined the current arrangements in the organisation to establish the status quo. Interviews were held with senior management in the Botswana Police Service to ascertain the aforementioned. It was established that the current retention arrangements impeded the retention of skilled labour in the organisation, which contextualised the significance to develop the new skilled labour retention model. / PhD (Development and Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Skilled labour retention continues to receive attention from researchers as a critical challenge faced by organisations globally. The loss of skilled labour in an organisation contributes to the high labour replacement costs, which may result in an organisation‟s failure to achieve its mandate since it is deprived of its high performance, experienced and knowledgeable labour. Organisations must, therefore, be able to diagnose the factors that contribute to the loss of skilled labour and implement strategies that could assist in the mitigation of such losses. Consequently, an integrated model for skilled labour retention in the Botswana Police Service was developed. The literature study which explored the phenomenon of skilled labour retention, revealed a deficiency of a universal implementation strategy that guides organisations in managing skilled labour retention. However, human resources management literature unanimously concur that in order to implement an effective skilled labour retention strategy, it is necessary for organisations to devise a unique human resources management strategy aimed at addressing their individual causes of skilled labour turnover. This study utilised human resource management best practices, theories and frameworks to develop an integrated skilled labour retention model for the Botswana Police Service. The study followed both the qualitative and quantitative research design. Skilled labour retention factors that should be included in a skilled labour retention model were identified through an analysis of a scholarly literature review, a closed-ended questionnaire and an analysis of official documentation. The identified skilled labour retention factors were included in the proposed retention model. The study also proposed an implementation strategy that should be followed when implementing the proposed skilled labour retention model. The empirical study investigated the validity of the identified retention factors that should be included in the integrated skilled labour retention model for the Botswana Police Service. The retention factors entail: job satisfaction, organisational commitment, work-life balance, remuneration, career development, development opportunities (learning, training and development), work environment, decisionmaking and management style. Before the retention factors could be included in the new retention model, the researcher determined the current arrangements in the organisation to establish the status quo. Interviews were held with senior management in the Botswana Police Service to ascertain the aforementioned. It was established that the current retention arrangements impeded the retention of skilled labour in the organisation, which contextualised the significance to develop the new skilled labour retention model. / PhD (Development and Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States faced one of the largest labor shortages in recent memory. In 2021, there were 11 million job openings compared to only 6.9 million people who are unemployed yet want to work – a gap of over 4 million workers. Millions of those available openings were skilled labor jobs, and ongoing labor shortages continue to raise many questions. Scholars have long debated the causes and effects of labor shortages, with competing theories and inconsistencies in methodology. This two-part study explores the roles of perceived job attractiveness and skilled labor training and their relationship to skilled labor employment. The first part looks at the national picture of the skilled labor gap, and the second part focuses more specifically on Ohio and Central Ohio. This research develops a model to examine the U.S. and Ohio employment of welders and machinists in the durable goods manufacturing industry to better understand the perceived labor shortages, how they have changed over time, and the influence of key variables. In contrast to popular opinion about the skilled labor gap, the analysis shows that wages and employment have been flat over the last 20 years even as training has increased. Additionally, the results show that these jobs are safer than ever while training and apprenticeships have trended upward. A geographic analysis of Central Ohio also identifies some barriers to work regarding access and infrastructure. These results contribute to scholarly research in labor economics and mesoeconomics. It informs policymakers and firms as to possible strategies to plan for and cope with shortages, such as altering human resource practices, considering diversity hiring strategies, engaging in apprenticeship programs, and developing relationships with post-secondary institutions. This research makes a clear contribution to human resource management theory and practice. / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

Text in Afrikaans / A national databank of skills for the South African labour market becomes a necessity when manpower management acquires a strategic perspective. It provides a base from which an enterprise can determine necessary training and development of human resources to achieve its strategy. The necessity for a national training and development strategy is addressed; and a proposed strategy is recommended. To develope a databank of skills existing manpower needs for achieving national goals and existing manpower supply will have to be ascertained. This will indicate what skills must be acquired through the manpower management function. From the inquiry into construction and industrial industries, it appears that the need exists for a national skills databank. The need for general guidance in the field of manpower planning is also clearly visible. Strategic manpower management and planning also appears to be a very real item in the present business and political arena. / 'n Nasionale databank van vaardighede vir die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark word 'n noodsaaklikheid wanneer mannekragbestuur 'n strategiese perspektief kry. Dit verskaf 'n basis waarvandaan ondernemings kan bepaal watter opleiding en ontwikkeling vir mens like hulpbronne vereis word ten einde die ondernemingstrategie te kan bereik. Die noodsaaklikheid van 'n nasionale opleidings- en ontwikkelingstrategie is aangespreek, asook 'n voorstel vir 'n strategie gemotiveer. Deur 'n databank van vaardighede te ontwikkel, sal bepaal moet word watter mannekragbehoeftes bestaan om nasionale doelwitte te bereik asook watter mannekragaanbod bestaan. Di t sal aandui watter vaardighede verkry moet word deur middel van die mannekragbestuursfunksie. Uit die ondersoek waarin konstruksie en nywerheidsondernemings deelgeneem het, blyk di t dat 'n behoefte aan 'n nasionale databank van vaardighede bestaan. 'n Behoefte na algemene leiding op mannekragbeplanningsgebied kom oak duidelik na vore. Strategiese mannekragbestuur en -beplanning blyk oak 'n baie aktuele onderwerp in die huidige sake en politieke arena te wees. / M.Com (Business Economics)

There is a dearth of research on migrant entrepreneurship in the context of contemporary UK policy. At the same time, there is evidence of burgeoning transnational socio cultural connectivity. This thesis evaluates the impact of these conditions on migrant entrepreneurship in a rapidly changing policy environment. Migrant entrepreneurship is viewed differently in academia, policy and public perception. This causes significant policy tensions and disjunctions that are manifest a migration policy system which fails to take into account the agency of migrant entrepreneurs. In a break from previous studies, the migrant entrepreneur s negotiations of power and agency that stem from transnational connections in a contemporary UK context will be addressed. It is important to acknowledge structures of migration policy and economic landscape at national, regional and local scales. Three areas of the UK are addressed; London, focusing on Inner London East, Birmingham and the West Midlands and Cambridgeshire.