The aim of this study was two-fold: firstly, it attempted to focus on the earnings of foreign-born STEM professionals in the U.S. workforce to examine whether this population was at an earning disadvantage compared to the U.S. citizens. Secondly, it aimed to investigate whether legal status acquisition (from temporary work visas to permanent residency) enhanced the earnings of foreign-born STEM professionals in the U.S. workforce. This study utilized a mixed-methods (QUAN/QUAL) research design. ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance) was used to test the hypothesis in order to determine any statistically significant differences between the group means. Secondary data from the National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) was utilized for this study. The results of the ANCOVA test showed that temporary worker visa holders were not at earning advantage/disadvantage compared to the U.S. citizens, and there was no statistical evidence that legal status acquisition enhanced the salaries of the foreign-born STEM professionals in the U.S. workforce. The interviews indicated that foreign-born STEM professionals (temporary worker visa holders, LPRs, and naturalized U.S. citizens) were not at earning disadvantage compared to their U.S.-born counterparts. Although the legal status change did not enhance the salaries of the skilled immigrants, it did improve job mobility and overall flexibility.

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.

Falls and complications from falls are a common problem among adults aged 65 years and older. About 60% of older adults fall every year, causing injuries, hospitalization, nursing home placement, and even death. Most studies on falls among skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents focus on fall preventive measures that fail to include staffing variables such as nursing hours. Although researchers have examined the relationship between nursing staff and patient outcomes in hospital settings, similar studies have not occurred in long-term care facilities. The purpose of this retrospective longitudinal study was to determine whether a correlation exists between nursing staff hours per shift and rate of falls. The secondary data included Minimum Data Set 3.0, Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting, and residents' event reports from four skilled nursing facilities over 6 months. Statistical analysis of Latent Growth Curve Model of SPSS informed this retrospective longitudinal study. The theoretical framework of Donabedian's model of structure, process, and outcome provided the background for this study. The findings suggested that there is no correlation between higher nursing staff ratios and decreased fall rates. However, there were more falls during the day shift, with a higher nursing staff ratio. The study findings have implications for social change. The dissemination of study findings could assist Medicare and Medicaid services to improve SNF staff rating systems. Additionally, findings could inform and influence SNF administrators, policymakers, and health care providers in the development and implementation of policies and intervention programs that assist in fall prevention measures.

No description available.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of: Master of Science in Building (Project Management in Construction) / In 2009 an article titled “Crisis hits another WITS department” appeared in the Business Day newspaper. The article was based on the results that came from an internal quality review performed by the university on the School of Construction Economics and Management. The issues pertaining to the article were that the school was experiencing a shortage in staff that led to the deterioration of standards and the quality of graduates in the year 2008 and 2009. The School of Construction Economics and Management is a major source of young professionals into the built environment, which is important for the country’s ability to deliver infrastructure projects. This research examines the graduateness and employability of graduates that were produced from the school in the period between 2008 and 2011. Questionnaires were sent out to graduates and employers in order to find out what the perceptions were of both the concept of graduateness and employability. The key findings were that whilst the graduates said that they were ready for employment after completion of their respective degrees, the employers said that graduates did not have sufficient experience to enter the working world. Thus it is clear a gap certainly exists between the perceptions of graduates and employers. It was concluded that an effort must be made between the different stakeholders to breach this gap.

Accessibility is a well-established concept that appears frequently in urban planning. It refers to the ability of citizens to actively participate in society. Nevertheless, inaccessibility is experienced in many places, which can lead to exclusion of citizens. Against this background, this master's thesis aims to center on the concept of accessibility and examine it from two perspectives - strategic urban planners and individuals. The thesis examines how accessibility is interpreted by strategic urban planners in the two suburban municipalities of Botkyrka and Huddinge and how it is experienced by a group of “low-skilled” workers in an area where there are identified shortcomings in traffic planning. The thesis studies how this group experiences their accessibility in their daily commute before and after they test a Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) service. The theoretical framework consists of the concepts of accessibility strategies, transport and accessibility, objective accessibility, perceived accessibility, accessibility barriers and social exclusion, which are used to analyze the two different perspectives. The results show that strategic planners view accessibility as the relationship between citizens and destination points, and that inaccessible places are mainly associated with rural or sparsely populated areas. At the same time, the thesis shows that the workers experience inaccessibility in their daily trips, despite living in surrounding municipalities. The results also show the identified potentials and risks of DRT in suburban environments from the perspective of both strategic planners and individuals. The results show that DRT reduced travel times for the workers. Furthermore, perspectives such as reliability, safety and equity are highlighted as important aspects in the design of DRT services.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the personal, cultural and structural experiences and barriers faced by highly skilled Canadian university graduate immigrants regarding finding a good job related to their qualification in the labour market, and how this struggle has shaped their lives. Data was collected through individuals by semi-structured questionnaires. Interviews were the deep source of skilled immigrants’ experiences and problems they have faced in the labour market. Applying the critical race theory perspective and using the Thompson PCS Model as investigating tool, this study sought to capture the participants’ reality. The findings suggest that immigrants are facing many structural and systemic barriers and racial discrimination in the labour market. It is affecting them not only individually but also affecting their families and because of that these skilled immigrants have a plan to leave Canada for better job opportunities because even after graduating from Canadian universities they were unable to find work according to their field of study and work experience. Major themes emerging from this research include: why skilled immigrants pursued more education if they were already graduated from their home countries; immigration policies and labour market policies mismatch; non-recognition of immigrants credentials and work experience; inadequate settlement services; racial discrimination in job market; and what difference they feel before and after graduating from Canadian university in finding a job. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

No description available.

The construction and usage of gender stereotypes are a continuous social process that occurs daily in the labour market. It is a common conception that negative stereotypes are harmful; however, they are still regularly used for decision-making. Gender stereotypes affect which occupations are interpreted as suitable for women and men. Therefore, women in the labour market face several obstacles to being viewed as legitimate workers and have a more challenging time advancing. This problem is especially evident in low-skilled male-dominated occupations. This paper aims to study how workers in low-skilled male-dominated occupations accept and rationalise differences in internal mobility opportunities. Material from vignettes will be analysed through a mixed method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The results will be analysed through the concepts of the Worker and the Woman, which have been constructed with inspiration from social role theory, gender systems theory, and the ideal worker. The result shows that it is more accepted among workers in low-skilled male-dominated occupations that male workers with less experience get more internal mobility opportunities than female workers with more experience. This phenomenon is rationalised through gender stereotypes, such as that men have more significant interest and experience in these types of occupations, and are more likely to be favoured by their managers. Women’s opportunities for internal mobility are less accepted, and they are more expected to need help developing their skills. This study concludes that gender stereotypes affect the acceptance and rationalisation of gender differences in internal mobility. Thus, women in low-skilled male-dominated occupations face several challenges, and the results should be used as motivation that efforts to improve the gendered organisational culture is needed.

Nigeria is one of the most populous countries in the world. It is considered the giant of Africa due to its population density. Nigeria has had its history of emigration more than immigration. In the 1970s, most Nigeria emigrated permanently to the Western world to further their higher education; some emigrated for better opportunities. However, the emigration of Nigerian high- skilled youths has increased significantly in recent years. Using a qualitative design, this thesis is carried out to understand the factor(s) contributing to the emigration of Nigerian's younger generations of citizens. The issue of youth emigration in Nigeria is highly important due to the limited focus on emigration in Africa. By looking into youth emigration in Nigeria, this research shifts focus from Euro-centric immigration and contributes to the debate. The study reveals that there are more than one factors that influence the decision of high-skilled youth when deciding to emigrate.