It seems evident that the prospects of the country's development lie in a balanced model of the sectors and branches of Russia's economy, first and foremost with the creation of high-technology sectors and with higher significance attached to intellectual work and services. In terms of sociology, this task is linked closely to changes in the…

This study investigated acquired and required competencies in interactive computer technology (ICT) in labour data were collected from employers' and employees'. The study is a descriptive research of the survey type. The population of the study consisted of unemployed graduates, employed graduates and various parastatal where graduates seek for…

A study of 106 male apprentices working in the building and construction industry examined the occurrence of mentoring relationships. The results indicate that apprentices identify a range of mentors in their lives, predominantly in their personal lives, and that the majority of these relationships develop organically. In particular, apprentices…

The head gangman in the Swedish building trade is a worker elected organiser in a gang comprising between about 4 and 16 workers and an "on-site" and trained representative of the trades union. In 2002 the employer association for the building industry in Sweden (BI) and the Swedish Building and Allied Trades Union (SBATU) signed a joint…

The purpose of this article is to review the extant literature on women in skilled trades and construction to identify specific gaps in our knowledge of the career development processes and needs of this understudied and underserved population. Our aim is to stimulate the interest of scholars and their engagement in research and practice relevant…

The popularity of simulators to augment training programs for operators of heavy machinery has been growing across several industries including mining, rail and more recently construction. High-fidelity, interactive simulation is typically achieved through complete immersion in brief, stressful and complex VR scenarios. The use of simulation…

A Draw an Engineer Test was used to capture the perceptions of engineering held by two similar groups of 6th grade African-American students. Forty-four students who had graduate level engineers in their classrooms during a prior school year as part of a GK-12 project were matched to 44 students who had not. Matching criteria included race,…

In two studies of young Australian workers, participants generally displayed positive attitudes towards financial management practices; however, a substantial proportion failed to display positive financial management practices, experienced financial problems and dissatisfaction, and reported low rates of seeking financial assistance, particularly…

As video-based instructional materials become available to distance learners to learn practical skills at a distance, it is important to assess the instructional effectiveness of these materials and to understand how students respond to them. This paper is the second part of a larger exploratory study that assessed the instructional effectiveness…

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's (MGCCC) long-term commitment to providing workforce training in a post-Katrina environment became a catalyst for designing short-term flexible educational opportunities. Providing nationally recognized skills training for the recovery/rebuilding of communities challenged the college to develop innovative,…

Wages of entry-level carpenters have been driven down along with those of many other non-professional occupations in recent years. If carpenters stay in the field, they typically advance slowly over the years until they reach the level of master craftsman, perhaps by the time they reach the age of 40. However, technology is having a major impact…

The skilled building trades offer true vocations that are well paid, challenging, and usually require extensive training and continuing education. The National Center for Construction Education and Research is meeting the challenge of creating a skilled work force. (JOW)

This article showcases August's School Web Site of the Month, http://magnoliaisdcommunities.org/communities/bschuster, which was produced by Bradley H. Schuster (bschuster@magnoliaisd.org) and his students at Magnolia High School, Magnolia, Texas. Schuster teaches architectural drafting and building trades classes at both Magnolia High School and…

Discusses the definition of apprenticeship and explains the purposes it serves. Examines criticisms of apprenticeship and looks at research on apprenticeship in the building trades to illustrate the purposes and test the criticisms. (JOW)

Print-based instructional materials have been more popular than any other medium for teaching practical skills during the delivery of technical and vocational education and training via distance learning. However, the approach has its shortcomings and in recent times alternatives have been sought. The comparative instructional effectiveness of one…