Magister Human Ecology - MHE / Forced migration is a serious problem worldwide and it is always associated with political, ethnic or violent conflict accompanied by intensive human rights abuses. Africa has the largest number of refugees (more than 15 million) compared to other regions. Many Africans are forced to abandon their homes and go into exile because of ethnic conflicts, civil wars and ongoing violence which in turn cause millions of refugees to be separated from their families and loved ones. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of refugees in the Western Cape province with regard to their integration into the society. The objectives of the study were (1) to explore the experiences of refugees in the Western Cape, South Africa; (2) to explore the link between their experiences and integration into the South African society. This research employed an exploratory study design that was conducted qualitatively. Semi-structured interviews with refugees were conducted with the aim of understanding personal experiences and challenges that refugees face. The population of the study was refugees who visited two of the refugee centres in Cape Town. A purposive sampling method was used. A total of ten refugees were interviewed and a questionnaire was used to collect the demographic characteristics of the participants. Data was analyzed by thematic analysis method where the data was coded and categorized and discussed according to the aims and objectives of the study in relation to previous studies. The major themes identified were employment and financial independence, education, health, language, culture, emotional sustainability, support and xenophobia. The results of the study were made available to refugees and the centres participating in the study. The main findings were that most refugees are educated and have skills and relevant work experience yet they feel dissatisfied in their current work place because they are underutilized and not using their skills optimally. Emotional sustainability and integration is often challenged and refugees rely on spiritual faith to face their hardships. Issues of cultural differences and language gaps contribute to the lack of well being. Accessing treatment in public health care facilities was described as inadequate by refugees. Xenophobia contributes to the problems of integration. Participants felt to some extent their difficulties could be reduced if proper intervention could be made by the government in terms of support. The main recommendations resulting from the research were 1) government and non governmental institutions should work together to improve services delivery to refugees for integration purposes; 2) policy intervention is needed from the government to address the problems of refugees and 3) nongovernmental organizations should extend their services to community development to improve the interaction of refugees in adopted countries.

The 21st century has seen nations becoming more competitive yet ironically more interdependent as their future becomes even more dependent on the knowledge, skills, and resourcefulness of its people, creating new opportunities and difficulties for education, (Power, 2000). The education-work-society interdependency has therefore become more important now than ever. It is also because of this triad-interdependency that tertiary education‟s relevance to industry needs has become a crucial issue in societal development. The ever changing needs of South Africa, the unemployment rate, introduction of new technologies and many other ripple effects of globalization have seen more and more pressure mounting on the South African education system as more and more people try to ensure that the education system answers the crucial challenges of the country today and tomorrow.The discussion below provides a detailed account of the context, in which this discourse on curriculum relevance takes place, highlighting some relevant cornerstones of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, (RDP, 1994). Furthermore, this chapter exposes the key research questions and significance of the study. The subsequent chapter 2 gives an account of what other scholars have said on issues of curriculum relevance, development and the South African Higher Education system. Chapter 3 explains the research methodology as a research process used to investigate the problem in question. In this research study the researcher uses both quantitative and qualitative design (online surveys of three groups, these are the graduates, prospective employers and the lecturers). The analysis is based on quantitative data and further substantiated through qualitative data analysis. The subsequent chapter tabulates and lays out the results according to the surveys. The final chapter discusses the findings and makes future recommendations.

This study explores the role of social capital in the development of employability skills and attributes of first generation undergraduate students in a business school. The research, based on the reflections of graduates, examines the impact of social capital on participation in higher education and investigates the conditions within the learning environment which enhance or inhibit the development of bridging and linking social capital, as students connect with networks within the institution and with the wider business community. The findings suggest that the ability to recognise and activate bridging and linking social capital is an important determinant of employability. The analysis illustrates that when students have opportunities to connect with and work within a variety of networks, they build a range of employability skills and capabilities, particularly the interpersonal and social skills valued by employers. Students, who are confident and have the necessary skills to participate in a variety of networks within the immediate environment and with the wider business community, are not only able to access a greater range of resources but are more able to recognise the potential benefits that these activities have to offer. The reflections of the participants also illustrate that the skills and competencies which enable them to network effectively need to be developed deliberately. By supporting students in recognising the relationship between bridging and linking social capital and employability, and giving them the opportunity to reflect upon the achievement of interpersonal skills and affective capabilities, including the importance of relating to diverse others, their understanding and acknowledgement of employability will be enhanced. The study also reflects on Quinn’s concept of imagined social capital and considers its impact on the development of employability. Building on her work, the analysis identifies two new typologies; unimagined and unimaginable social capital. Both categories are important in understanding how students acknowledge the potential networks and resources available to them.

La flexicurité est un concept qui tente de concilier deux objectifs. Ainsi elle associe un marché du travail flexible caractérisé par exemple par une protection du travail relativement faible contre le licenciement et une solide protection sociale contre le chômage avec des allocations chômage généreuses. Parallèlement à cela, la flexicurité promeut une politique d’emploi qui vise à raccourcir la période entre deux emplois. Ce concept qui est apparu dans les pays du nord de l’Europe est présenté par l’Union européenne comme modèle social de référence. En France l’adoption de ce concept s’est fait de manière hésitante après l’échec du Contrat première embauche. Mais depuis 2008, la construction de ce concept prend de plus en plus d’ampleur. En ce sens, la France a innové en instaurant de nouveaux procédés de rupture de la relation contractuelle avec par exemple la rupture conventionnelle. La loi du 14 juin 2013 s’inscrit dans la continuité de cette démarche en réduisant les délais des actions qui portent sur l’exécution ou la rupture du contrat. Mais pour autant l’impact de ces mesures sur le taux de chômage n’est pas convainquant. Il s’agira alors de savoir quelle est l’importance réelle des mécanismes d’importation de ce concept en France. / Flexicurity is a concept that attempts to join two objectives. It combines a flexible labor market characterized by the relatively labor law protection against dismissal and a strong social protection against unemployment with generous unemployment benefits. At the same time, flexicurity promotes an employment policy that aims to shorten the time between jobs. This concept derived from the northern Europe countries and was presented by the European Union as a social reference model. In France this concept was not really adopted due to the failure of First Employment Contract. But since 2008, the construction of this concept is becoming increasingly important. In this field, France has innovated by introducing a new process of out of the contractual relationship whose interesting example is the contractual termination. The 14th 2013 Act is a continuation of this approach to reduce the time of the procedure to the breach or execution of contract.However the impact of these measures on the rate of unemployment is not convincing. It would therefore be interesting to assess in the case of further studies the impact of this concept in the French context.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T17:54:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARCELO BOFE_DISSERTACAO_29_04_2011.pdf: 2159757 bytes, checksum: 3389c41851a08f8db3e239dc8f9af5cd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-27 / The current work aims at analyzing the importance of digital technology for adolescents insertion in the job market. The discussion and analysis in this research rely on the concern with professional development and strategies to provide adolescents with access to technologies and knowledge, so as to better prepare them for the insertion in the job market. A quanti-qualitative field research was conducted by using a semi-structured questionnaire as research tool, which was applied to 50 adolescents who had left the Programa Agente Jovem, offered by Centro Social Marista, in Londrina, PR, in the years 2005 to 2007. By means of this research, it was possible to conclude that the adolescents were successful in their insertion in the job market and use knowledge acquired in the project. The majority of the adolescents are employed, about 88% of the total number researched, and 44% of them earn between 2 and 3 minimum salaries. / A presente dissertação tem como objetivo analisar a importância da tecnologia digital na inserção de jovens no mundo do trabalho. A discussão e análise desta pesquisa se dá por meio da preocupação com a capacitação e as estratégias para oferecer acesso a tecnologias e conhecimentos aos jovens, como forma de melhor prepará-los para sua inserção no mundo do trabalho. Optou-se por uma pesquisa de campo, de caráter quanti-qualitativo, utilizando como instrumento de pesquisa um questionário semiestruturado que foi aplicado a 50 jovens egressos dos anos 2005 a 2007 do Programa Agente Jovem que frequentaram o Projeto Centro Social Marista Irmão Acácio, na cidade de Londrina, PR. Através da pesquisa foi possível identificar como resultado que os jovens conseguiram se inserir no mercado de trabalho e utilizam o conhecimento adquirido no Projeto. A maioria dos jovens está empregada, cerca de 88% do total de pesquisados sendo 44% deles com ganhos entre 2 e 3 salários mínimos.

Människor lever allt längre med fortsatt arbete längre upp i åldern. Samtidigt förekommer fördomar mot äldre som medför åldersdiskriminering av äldre arbetssökande på den svenska arbetsmarknaden. Syftet med denna studie är att med fokus på attityder finna förståelse för varför åldersdiskriminering av äldre arbetssökande sker på den svenska arbetsmarknaden och hur det kan motverkas. Datainsamling sker genom gruppintervjuer där HR-aktiva resonerar om upplevelser och erfarenheter av äldre arbetssökande i rekryteringsprocesser. Materialet analyseras utifrån Ronald Ingleharts värderingsteori som föreslår hur attityder och värderingar uppstår och förändras mellan generationer. Studiens resultat visar att rekryterare i Sverige, utifrån HR-aktivas resonemang, anses ha omedvetna och medvetna fördomar om äldre arbetssökande. Dessa inverkar negativt på äldres anställningsbarhet och bidrar till åldersdiskriminering av äldre arbetssökande i rekryteringsprocessen. Resultatet presenterar även resonemang om förekomsten av positiva stereotyper om äldre arbetssökande vilket i kontrast till fördomar förbättrar äldres anställningsbarhet. Avslutningsvis redogör studiens resultat för åtgärder som HR-aktiva resonerar kan motverka rekryterares risk att åldersdiskriminera äldre, exempelvis kompetensbaserad rekrytering och samtal mellan kollegor. / As life expectancy increases amongst the population, so does the expectation to remain active in the work force. However, there is both prejudice and discrimination against older workers in the Swedish job market. The purpose of this study is to, with a focus on attitudes, understand why older workers are being discriminated when applying for new positions and in what ways this discrimination can be counteracted. Data collection is performed through group interviews where HR-professionals discuss and share their experiences of older workers in the hiring process. The material is analyzed using the value theory of Ronald Inglehart, who suggests that attitudes and values both occur and change with generational progression. The results of the study show that recruiters in Sweden, in the experience of active HR-professionals, are prone to possess both implicit and explicit prejudices against older workers. These prejudices have a negative effect on the employability of older workers and contribute to further discrimination of this group. The results also suggest the occurrence of positive stereotypes associated with older workers which, in contrast, could increase their employability. Finally, the results of the study describe measures that HR-professionals can take to counteract the risk of discriminating against older workers during the hiring process. For example competence-based recruitment and an increased amount of real life discussions between recruiters.

Thesis (M. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The research report gives a critical review of the factors that contributed to the nonsustainability of the employment of the beneficiaries of the Expanded Public Works Programme in the Limpopo Province of South Africa with special focus on the Greater Giyani Municipality. The main problem as identified by the researcher is that a large majority of former Expanded Public Works Programme beneficiaries end up being unemployed despite the fact that the government spent money on skills training for them in an effort to equip them with skills so that they can be employable in other sectors of the economy when they exit the programme. The report clarifies the factors that contributed to the beneficiaries not managing to get new employment after exiting the programme. The report also clarifies the roles played by the different stakeholders in the implementation of the programme and this assists in clarifying the origin of the problems that led to the failures of the programme. From the research done the researcher found that skills’ training has not been done in most projects and also that where training was done the skills training was for none accredited courses which were not equipping the beneficiaries to be employable in the job market. The key words in the research are Expanded Public Works Programme, Employability, and Skills training.

This study reflects on how the experiences of differently abled persons can inform career development. This will assist in the identification of support needed by differently abled persons and will assist in informing career development programs and policies. This study is aimed at preparing differently abled persons to make appropriate career choices, and also providing motivation to pursue further education and enhancing employability for social justice. Four participants were selected with the objective of investigating the types of support needed for effective career development of differently abled persons. A qualitative case study was used for the purpose of obtaining in-depth insight and understanding whilst data was collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and an inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Participants indicated that family, teachers and lecturers assisted them on their career development journey. The findings highlighted that educational institutions can be a valuable resource for the career development of differently abled persons and that participants’ personal attributes also played a role. Results from the study shed light on society in general as differently abled participants indicated that people and institutions are often not very accommodating and are unaware of the unique challenges they face. It is hoped that the findings of this study will assist in informing career development programs and policies. This will mean that differently abled persons are more prepared to make appropriate career choices. This will also provide them with motivation to pursue further education and especially enhance the employability of differently abled persons for social justice. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

This study explores the role of universities as well as their strategies and extent to which entrepreneurship education is fostered in terms of policy frameworks, the curriculum and stakeholders‟ perceptions of entrepreneurship education. The study was guided by the question: “How do universities in Tanzania foster entrepreneurship education in different fields of study?” Shapero‟s entrepreneurial event model has been adapted to analyze the feasibility and desirability of entrepreneurship education in a university-wide curriculum. This is a case study of two public universities in Tanzania: the University of Dar es Salaam and Mzumbe University. In-depth interviews were conducted with lecturers across disciplines at the selected universities. Some officials from relevant government ministries and agencies were also interviewed. In addition to the interviews, relevant documents from the universities and government were also reviewed. An analysis of the data indicates that entrepreneurship education is not well-integrated within the university-wide curricula because its implementation does not suit the pedagogical needs of some disciplines. Its desirability and feasibility is still debatable because of various factors such as ; the incoherence between national and university policy strategies; complexity of university multidisciplinary structures; variations in stakeholders‟ perceptions; the business-oriented view of entrepreneurship education reflected in the literature and the evolution of the selected universities. However, the role of donor support for the current status of entrepreneurship education is significant by virtue of projects that are attached to some faculties and schools. Through these projects, entrepreneurship-related courses, programmes, centres and staff capacity development have been established. This study recommends that entrepreneurship education should be tailored to enhance the skills necessary for all forms of employment. This should go hand-in-hand with the establishment of boundary crossings between academia and emerging labour market. Donor-oriented projects should be well-negotiated between partners so that entrepreneurship education initiatives are tailored to suit the local context. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

There is an increasing demand for engineering talent from a growing and developing global population. Engineers are in demand because they have instigated technological developments that have contributed to the creation of our modern society. Talented engineers are needed to devise solutions for modern day technological challenges such as new sustainable energy resources, more efficient use of materials and the recovery of materials from waste. These professionals play a pivotal role in developing countries in particular. While there is a growing need for multi-talented engineers, the number of young engineers entering the market is decreasing. Moreover, many engineers are leaving the profession. Factors contributing to engineers leaving the technical environment include lack of adaptability skills, lack of continuing professional development opportunities, insufficient career paths, under-utilisation of engineers and under-qualified engineering staff (Du Toit & Roodt, 2009). Engineering graduates are generally well prepared with regards to engineering theory and fundamentals. However, due to the demands of engineering curricula, engineering students do not have much time to consider other factors that could influence their future lives and career direction (Millar, 2011). Engineering students often have an underdeveloped sense of personal knowledge and insight to enable them to commit to live certain decisions. According to Millar (2011) a career of purpose, fulfilment and financial success in engineering is gained by (1) knowing oneself and the fact that one is in charge of one’s life and future, (2) being aware that soft skills (communication skills, leadership skills, capacity to work in teams and to plan ahead) are needed to support technical skills, and (3) that every person is a salesman of him/herself and his or her product. The purpose of my study is to develop the sense of self of a young engineer to enable him to manage his future career path effectively and meaningfully. Research questions that will be explored are the essential aspects of a narrative approach, including what the sense of self of a young engineer entails and the possible influence of a narrative approach on the sense of self of a young engineer. A case study design is utilised. The focus will be on narrative techniques to develop the sense of self of a young engineering graduate in a new working environment. A multiple method approach will be implemented to collect and analyse data. Priority will be given to qualitative approaches (in other words, a QUALITATIVE-quantitative approach will be used). The following standardised questionnaires will be utilised: Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) (Briggs and Briggs Myers, 1994), Self-Directed Search (SDS) (Gevers, Du Toit & Harilall, 1995), Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) (Bar-On, 2004), as well as the Career Adapt-Adaptabilities Inventory (CAAS) (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012). Qualitative methods that will be used are: Career-genogram, Collage, Career Interest Profile (CIP) (Maree, 2010), Life Chapters (Cochran, 1997), Career Construction Interview (CCI) (Hartung, 2011), informal interviews and reflective feedback notes. Inductive data analysis will be used to analyse and interpret the data. I hope to make recommendations that will enhance the sense of self of an engineering student who seeks the advice of a career counsellor. Ultimately, my aim is to contribute meaningfully to this client’s decision-making career, self-construction and life designing. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Educational Psychology / unrestricted