Responses from 173 new staff and 756 promoted staff among 1,998 exempt employees, and from 993 of 3,858 nonexempt employees indicated that nonexempts with high aspirations were more committed to the organization/job and had higher career goals than new staff in supervisory positions. Results suggest that hourly workers eager for career development…

Responses from more than 400 employers indicated that the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) competencies adequately identified entry workers' needs. Over 90% said the following were necessary for entry workers: personal quality skills, basic skills, thinking skills, and interpersonal competencies. Disparities between the…

Data from a survey of 26 British training providers, 19 land-based colleges, 56 new workers in agriculture, and 29 employers revealed difficulties understanding the language of National Vocational Qualifications and Scottish Vocational Qualifications, concerns about their validity and reliability, and ambiguity surrounding their essential purpose.…

Results of research into the graduate recruitment and selection practices of 30 British small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the skills being sought by employers suggest that SMEs value transferable skills and that small employers expect an immediate contribution from graduate recruits. (JOW)

Provides one approach to a comprehensive library staff development program that addresses the needs of both the new and long-term employee. Discusses keys to successful employee orientation, primary objectives to staff development, developing and enhancing employee knowledge through small training sessions, ensuring opportunities to develop…

Addresses the manager's dilemmas and options in resolving emerging latent intergenerational conflict in the contemporary knowledge-rich workplace. Topics include a theoretical framework for generational divide management; the polarization in task requirements; social and environmental factors; differences in employee needs and expectations; and…

Understanding complex systems is fundamental to understanding science. The complexity of such systems makes them very difficult to understand because they are composed of multiple interrelated levels that interact in dynamic ways. The goal of this study was to understand how experts and novices differed in their understanding of two complex…

It was a banner year for women in 2006. Their average annual starting salary finally cracked through the $40,000 glass barrier, increasing to $40,566 for all women and with a substantial gain of 11.3% for women in the Southwest. There was small, but solid, growth in salaries overall. Another surprise was the substantial leap in graduates reporting…

This study examines the impact of fluctuations in entry-level labor market conditions on the graduate school enrollment decisions of newly minted undergraduate degree holders. Using repeated cross-section data for recently graduated science and engineering undergraduates from the National Survey of Recent College Graduates, and state-level…

This document provides a standard that defines the requirements and program for the American Welding Society to certify entry-level welders. The certification of entry-level welders requires performance qualification and practical knowledge tests that require a minimum of reading, computation, and manual skills to complete. The Entry-Level Welder…

To moderate severe increases in the cost of labor, we must increase the labor supply to meet the increasing demand. This means we must assure equal employment opportunity for all in the industry, increase productivity through vocational training, adopt innovative techniques, and reduce seasonality, and make special arrangements in the construction…

The study conducted in the Buffalo, New York standard metropolitan statistical area, was undertaken to formulate and test a simple model of labor supply for a local labor market. The principal variables to be examined to determine the external supply function of labor to the establishment are variants of the rate of change of the entry wage and…

Inadequate employee orientation programs can cost companies in high turnover and reduced productivity. This article discusses training techniques that can be used to orient new employees. (JOW)

Surveyed recruiters whose companies hire liberal arts graduates to assess the educational qualities they found most attractive, and their recommendations for the job search. Communication skills placed a strong first, followed by human relations and interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and research and investigative skills. Generally,…