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31. BEST Corp: Quality Training for Quality Jobs

Author:
Jenny Weissbourd
Publication Date:
07-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
Hospitality ranks among America’s fastest-growing sectors, but millions of hotel workers are not reaping the rewards. Boston Education, Skills & Training (BEST) Corp. is solving this problem by providing best-in-class training that prepares workers to excel and engages hotels in discussions about the value of training. BEST was founded in 2004 as a nonprofit workforce development program focused on helping individuals develop skills and find good jobs in Boston’s hospitality industry. BEST serves nearly 500 job seekers and hotel workers each year, with training in English, computer skills, culinary skills, and industry-specific certifications like food safety. Through career coaching BEST helps participants secure quality jobs and provides hotels with the skilled talent to thrive in an increasingly competitive industry. As the third prong of a productive labor-management partnership, BEST works closely with Local 26, the hospitality worker’s union, and its high road hotel employers. These 35 hotels pay a starting hourly wage as high as $21.43 to BEST graduates, and provide a generous benefits package, which includes career advancement training through BEST. BEST’s model programs benefit workers, hotels, and Boston’s regional economy by placing engaged employees in stable jobs. BEST reaches the working poor – particularly immigrants and people of color – and provides them with the opportunity to obtain a quality job and enter the middle class. Hotel partners report that BEST-trained workers bring the critical thinking skills and cultural competency to perform better with decreased turnover, contributing to stronger financial performance. The Aspen Institute’s interview with Alex Pratt, Area Director of Human Resources at Omni Hotels & Resorts, speaks to BEST’s vital role in preparing top talent and enabling operational excellence.
Topic:
Training, Job Creation, Labor Market, and Hospitality
Political Geography:
United States of America and North America

32. Chicago’s Fresh Approach to Incumbent Worker Training

Author:
Amanda Newman and Jenny Weissbourd
Publication Date:
11-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
In recent years, the United States grocery industry has become increasingly competitive and experienced unprecedented consolidation. In Chicago, 25 stores closed between 2015 and 2017 — bringing the total number of stores down to its lowest number since 2009. Independent, privately owned food retailers rate competition as their highest concern, followed by worries about hiring and retention. In 2017, sales declined for half of the nation’s independent grocers. Pete’s Fresh Market (Pete’s) offers a notable exception. Launched in the early 1970s as a small, full-service produce stand on the South Side of Chicago, today Pete’s has 13 stores in the city and plans to open five more in the next few years. This family-owned grocer recognizes what it takes to succeed in a rapidly changing industry. One key to Pete’s growth strategy is its partnership with Instituto del Progreso Latino (Instituto), a nonprofit organization committed to the fullest development of Latino immigrants and their families through education, training, and employment. Reimagine Retail, an initiative of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program funded by the Walmart Foundation, explores ways to enhance job quality and improve mobility for the retail workforce. In Chicago, we partner with a collaborative of workforce organizations, including Instituto, that is testing approaches to advance and retain workers in the retail sector. We caught up with Alita Bezanis, director of organizational development at Pete’s, and Yesenia Cervantes, dean of student services and community affairs at Instituto, who were eager to share how the partnership supports growth for Pete’s — and for Pete’s workers.
Topic:
Labor Issues, Employment, Training, and Skilled Labor
Political Geography:
North America, Chicago, Illinois, and United States of America

33. Enhancing Peacekeeping Training Through Cooperation

Author:
Adriana Erthal Abdenur, Giovanna Kuele, and Ariane Francisco
Publication Date:
06-2018
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Igarapé Institute
Abstract:
There is growing recognition at the UN and among member states that peacekeeping must be made more effective, especially in face of major budget cuts and wavering leadership by traditional actors. Against this backdrop, how can member states improve the quality of pre-deployment and mission preparation for UN peacekeeping? This policy brief focuses on one area in which innovation has become more urgent than ever: enhancing the effectiveness of peacekeeping through better training. More specifically, we analyze the emerging configurations, innovations, and challenges of international cooperation for peacekeeping training centers (PTCs), drawing on the case of Latin America.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Conflict Prevention, Peace Studies, Regional Cooperation, United Nations, Peacekeeping, Training, and Peace
Political Geography:
Latin America

34. Training Manual on Non-Sewered Urban Sanitation

Author:
Shubhagato Dasgupta, Anju Dwivedi, Ambarish Karunanithi, Swati Dhiman, Deepti Raj, and Neha Agarwal
Publication Date:
09-2018
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for Policy Research, India
Abstract:
Odisha, while being among the relatively less urbanized states in the country, has registered a significantly high decadal urban growth rate of 27%, with the urban population growing from 37 million to 42 million during the decade 2001-2011. With the addition of small towns in the Census, the Government of Odisha has committed itself to address the challenges of poor sanitation and inadequate infrastructure related to sanitation in urban areas. The Government of Odisha has undertaken significant efforts towards improving urban sanitation in Odisha. As part of this effort, large-scale underground sewerage projects are being implemented in major cities. Keeping in view the challenges in executing underground sewerage projects and the high cost implications, over the last two years Housing and Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha with support of Scaling City Institutions for India: Sanitation (SCI-FI) team at the Centre for Policy Research have engaged in finding appropriate lower-cost, more easily implementable solutions for city-wide environmental sanitation in two small towns (Angul and Dhenkanal) and AMRUT Cities. The Odisha Urban Sanitation Policy and the Odisha Urban Sanitation Strategy released in late 2016 supported by Scaling City Institutions for India: Sanitation (SCI-FI) team at the Centre for Policy Research lay out the state strategy for sanitation emphasizing alternative solutions. This strategy is under active implementation currently and will ensure improved sanitation across our secondary and smaller cities. The ‘Training Manual for Non-Sewered Urban Sanitation’ was developed by the Scaling City Institutions for India: Sanitation (SCI-FI) team at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, with the able support of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha. This training manual is an essential instrument for furthering the goals of the Odisha Urban Sanitation Policy. It adapts most recent developments from across the globe, translating the lessons to make the training modules relevant in the context of Odisha. The subsections include: Module 1: Sanitation and Its Relevance; Module 2: Sanitation Flow Diagram; Module 3: Institutional and Policy Framework for Waste Water Management; Module 4: Urban Waste Water Management Systems; Module 5: Introduction to Faecal Sludge Management; Module 6: Containment and Handling of Faecal Sludge; Module 7: Treatment and Re-use/ Disposal of Faecal Sludge; Module 8: Operation and Maintenance of Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant; Module 9: Financial Management; Module 10: Community Engagement in Faecal Sludge Management; Module 11: Planning of Faecal Sludge Management System. This manual shall be a good resource to train all officials and other stakeholders involved in local service delivery to achieve the Odisha Urban Sanitation Policy targets.
Topic:
Government, Training, Urban, and Sanitation
Political Geography:
South Asia, India, and Asia

35. Types of Security Education in Poland. Selected examples

Author:
Marlena Zadorożna
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
The purpose of the article is to examine selected examples of types of security education in Poland. At the beginning of the 20th century, national security was centered on military and political aspects, but recent decades have seen the successive shifting of the focus from the military-political plane of security to other areas. It seems that educational concepts adapt to emerging challenges. This thesis is confi rmed by the concept of global education, the idea of military classes, as well as the military training of pro-defensive organisations within the framework of the Passport Program. All of these educational concepts were covered in the study. One of the most important conclusions of the article will be to emphasise the correlation between the evolution of the understanding of security, the transformation of threats and changes in the field of educational concepts.
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Education, Training, and Military
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

36. National defence training of public administration personnel in Poland

Author:
Bogdan Grenda and Andrzej Soboń
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
National defence training of public administration personnel can be broadly defined as a set of activities undertaken at all levels of public administration, aimed at preparing staff to perform official duties concerned with state defence. This paper opens with the presentation of essential areas of national defence training. The subsequent section provides an overview of implementations of national defence training at various levels of public administration and at Higher Universities. The final part of this analysis describes the assumptions of a new didactic framework of courses in defence for public administration and national authorities at the Faculty of National Security of War Studies University in Warsaw.
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Training, Personnel, and Administration
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

37. Military education for students within the framework of the Academic Legion: A pilot project

Author:
Przemysław Wywiał
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
The paper presents assumptions about the new model of military training for students within the framework of the Academic Legion. It also discusses the traditions of military training of students and graduates in the Second Polish Republic and following the transformations of 1989, with special focus on the tradition of the Academic Legion. Furthermore, it examines assumptions about the pilot project of military training of students that was implemented in the academic year 2017/2018 and highlights the training curriculum for the theory course and for the practical military drills during holidays.
Topic:
Education, Armed Forces, Training, Students, and Military
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

38. Gaming for peace: Gender awareness training and the Polish military

Author:
Anne Holohan, Justyna Pyz, and Kamila Trochowska
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
Despite regulatory and legal changes, women are persistently underrepresented in military organisations on peacekeeping missions. This article argues that part of the reason for this can be found in persistent stereotypical ideas about gender roles, and looks at the attitudes and experience of Polish military personnel who have been deployed on peacekeeping missions as evidence of this. However, witnessing other militaries stance on gender, where such stereotypes are still there, but not as entrenched, can cause personnel to contextualise if not question their own organisation’s stance on gender. Sixteen Polish military peacekeepers were interviewed in-depth about their experiences on peacekeeping missions as part of a European H2020 project, Gaming for Peace (GAP). The interviews were used to build scenarios for a digital role-playing game to develop soft skills among peacekeeping personnel, and these soft skills included gender awareness. This article analyses the interviews to explore the experience of gender for both men and women in the Polish military, and shows that there is an urgent need for the type of training in gender awareness that is part of GAP.
Topic:
Peacekeeping, Women, Training, Peace, Stereotypes, Gender, and Military
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

39. Effects of TVET on the Well-Being of Youth from Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds

Author:
Christina Reitz
Publication Date:
03-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for Development and Peace
Abstract:
Considered by policy-makers of the global South as a tool to fight youth unem- ployment and alleviate poverty, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has experienced resurgence in the course of the last decade. While aca- demic research appears to focus on (macro-)economic effects of TVET and qual- itative empirical research on micro-level effects of TVET participation is limited, this paper broadens the perspective on education and training by exploring the effects of TVET participation on overall well-being of youth from low socio-eco- nomic backgrounds. This thesis bases its findings on indicative data derived from a field study conducted in late 2014 and encompassing personal interviews with graduates from the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Ashaiman, Ghana and em- ployer representatives from the industry for data triangulation.
Topic:
Youth, Training, Unemployment, and Job Creation
Political Geography:
Global South

40. Industry Labor Force Skills Gap Investigation

Author:
Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre
Publication Date:
01-2018
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC)
Abstract:
Sluggish economic growth coupled with high unemployment rates have become synonymous with the economy in Swaziland. In particular, youth unemployment, which stood at 51.6% in 2014, the last year for which reliable data is available, has skyrocketed amidst limited opportunities for young people in the economy. Put differently, these figures suggest that one in every two young people in Swaziland is unemployed. Moreover, the ‘youth bulge’ – a situation in which the population share of the 15-24 year-olds exceeds 20% and the share of the 0-14 year-olds (often also referred to as the "children bulge" and a good predictor of future youth bulges) is higher than 30% –, means the country’s population is also growing faster than jobs are created. This calls for urgent strategies and public policies that can transform the economy, reignite economic growth, and capitalise on Swaziland’s youthful population. Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has emerged as a credible route for the production of the necessary skills and knowledge that will feed directly into industry in a bid to enhance the employability of young people and create employment. Indeed, the talent, know-how, skills and capabilities of human capital can provide the relevant stock of competencies needed to increase efficiency and overall productivity in industry. However, at the present moment, there is very little information on whether or not the skills produced by the TVET sector in Swaziland are meeting the needs of industry. Conceivably, this has compromised efforts aimed at increasing the contribution of TVET in human capital development in Swaziland. In an attempt to make TVET education more relevant in Swaziland, His Majesty’s government has partnered with the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan, which has agreed to provide assistance in upgrading technical skills in Swaziland with a focus on the automotive, electrical engineering, and information and communications technology (ICT) industries. This Report presents the results of a TVET-industry skills gap analysis in the automotive, electrical engineering, and information and communications technology (ICT) industries in Swaziland. It investigates the relevancy of the skills supplied by the TVET institutions against the skills demanded/required by the three industries considered in this study. Closing the skills gap in the technical and vocational labour force could directly impact the productivity of local companies, create new enterprises, and enable the economy to grow through both formal and informal employment. The study focuses on four objectives: (i) to ascertain the development trends in each of the three industries and specify the existing challenges and opportunities; (ii) to assess the capacity and quality of Swaziland’s TVET system and its position to serve the skills required by industry; (iii) to identify the gaps between the skills supplied by TVET training institutions in Swaziland, (particularly, SCOT, and Gwamile VOCTIM) versus the skills demanded by the automotive, electrical, and ICT industries; and (iv) to recommend strategies for reducing the labour force skills gap within the three focus industries.
Topic:
Economics, Education, Employment, Economic Growth, Training, Vocational Training, and Industry
Political Geography:
Africa and Swaziland