scholarly journals Overt and covert: Successful strategies for building employability skills of vocational education graduates

Author(s):  
Cath Jane Fraser ◽  
Gerard Duignan ◽  
Deb Stewart ◽  
Agustilia Rodrigues

Knowing how well higher education providers prepare learners for the working world is becoming increasingly important at all programme levels, and this is nowhere more apparent than with vocational education training. Ensuring our learners can hit the ground running and become immediately productive is essential for the relevance, and probably the survival, of New Zealand’s Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs). Yet while there is much commentary about the challenges of transitions from tertiary study into employment and the ‘employability skills gap’, there is all too little given to how this is being addressed in teaching. This paper describes the work of an inter-institutional research collaboration into current approaches being used to embed skills that enhance employability. Drawing on a number of frameworks and models, the research team selected ten core attributes: positive attitude, communication, teamwork, self-management, willingness to learn, thinking skills, resilience, innovation, entrepreneurship and cultural competence. The team then identified a range of strategies being used by highly commended teachers to enhance the ten employability skills: firstly, by observing classroom and online practices of 23 selected teachers from participating organisations; and secondly through follow-up interviews with the same teachers. The key takeaway of this research is raised awareness and intentionality of the overt and covert approaches vocational educators are using to enhance the employability of their students.

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaliza Hanapi ◽  
Mohd Shazielan Mohd Shariff ◽  
Azlina Paijan ◽  
Abu Bakar Mamat ◽  
Faizah Abu Kassim

The phenomenon of unemployment problem among graduates is not a new issue. In fact, it also involves graduates who hold an education degree. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the indicators of employability skills needed by the education graduates especially from technical and vocational education field in Malaysia. This study was conducted qualitatively through interview among five experts.  Respondents were among those with experiences in teaching and working in technical and vocational education field.  Results showed that there were nine elements of employability skills needed to be mastered by graduates in technical and vocational education.  These indicators are communication skills, creative and critical thinking skills, information management skills, self-management skills, teamwork and cooperation skills, leadership skills, ethics and moral professionalism, entrepreneurial skills and social skills.  The mastery of these employability skills are deemed important in order to produce teachers with highly qualified and competitive professionals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i12-i42
Author(s):  
C Yang ◽  
Z Hui ◽  
S Zhu ◽  
X Wang ◽  
G Tang ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Medication self-management support has been recognised as an essential element in primary health care to promote medication adherence and health outcomes for older people with chronic conditions. A patient-centred intervention empowering patients and supporting medication self-management activities could benefit older people. This pilot study tested a newly developed medication self-management intervention for improving medication adherence among older people with multimorbidity. Method This was a two-arm randomised controlled trial. Older people with multimorbidity were recruited from a community healthcare centre in Changsha, China. Participants were randomly allocated to either a control group receiving usual care (n = 14), or to an intervention group receiving three face-to-face medication self-management sessions and two follow-up phone calls over six weeks, targeting behavioural determinants of adherence from the Information-Motivation-Behavioural skills model (n = 14). Feasibility was assessed through recruitment and retention rates, outcome measures collection, and intervention implementation. Follow-up data were measured at six weeks after baseline using patient-reported outcomes including medication adherence, medication self-management capabilities, treatment experiences, and quality of life. Preliminary effectiveness of the intervention was explored using generalised estimating equations. Results Of the 72 approached participants, 28 (38.89%) were eligible for study participation. In the intervention group, 13 participants (92.86%) completed follow-up and 10 (71.42%) completed all intervention sessions. Ten participants (71.42%) in the control group completed follow-up. The intervention was found to be acceptable by participants and the intervention nurse. Comparing with the control group, participants in the intervention group showed significant improvements in medication adherence (β = 0.26, 95%CI 0.12, 0.40, P < 0.001), medication knowledge (β = 4.43, 95%CI 1.11, 7.75, P = 0.009), and perceived necessity of medications (β = −2.84, 95%CI -5.67, −0.01, P = 0.049) at follow-up. Conclusions The nurse-led medication self-management intervention is feasible and acceptable among older people with multimorbidity. Preliminary results showed that the intervention may improve patients’ medication knowledge and beliefs and thus lead to improved adherence.


Author(s):  
William S. Shaw ◽  
Robert K. McLellan ◽  
Elyssa Besen ◽  
Sara Namazi ◽  
Michael K. Nicholas ◽  
...  

AbstractPurpose An increasing number of workers in the US have chronic health conditions that limit their ability to work, and few worksite interventions have been tested to improve worker coping and problem solving at work. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a worksite-based health self-management program designed to improve workplace function among workers with chronic health conditions. Methods We conducted a randomized, controlled trial of a worksite self-management program (“Manage at Work”) (clinicaltrials.gov #NCT01978392) for workers with chronic health conditions (N = 119; 82% female, ages 20–69). Most workers were recruited from the health care or light manufacturing industry sectors. Workers attended a 5-session, facilitated psychoeducational program using concepts of health self-management, self-efficacy, ergonomics, and communication. Changes on outcomes of work engagement, work limitation, job satisfaction, work fatigue, work self-efficacy, days absent, and turnover intention at 6-month follow-up were compared to wait-list controls. Results The most prevalent chronic health conditions were musculoskeletal pain, headaches, vision problems, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, and mental health disorders. The self-management program showed greater improvement in work engagement and turnover intent at 6-month follow-up, but there was no evidence of a parallel reduction in perceived work limitation. Trends for improved outcomes of work self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and work fatigue in the intervention group did not reach statistical significance in a group x time interaction test. Conclusions Offering a worksite self-management program to workers with chronic health conditions may be a feasible and beneficial strategy to engage and retain skilled workers who are risking disability.Clinical trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov #NCT01978392.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Otth ◽  
Patrick Wechsler ◽  
Sibylle Denzler ◽  
Henrik Koehler ◽  
Katrin Scheinemann

Abstract Background The successful transition of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) from pediatric to adult long-term follow-up care is a critical phase, and determining the right time point can be challenging. We assessed the feasibility of the use of existing transition readiness tools in the context of the Swiss health care system, assessed partly transition readiness in Swiss CCSs, and compared our findings with Canadian CCSs for which these tools were originally developed. Methods We officially translated the Cancer Worry Scale (CWS) and Self-Management Skill Scale (SMSS) into German and integrated them into this cross-sectional study. We included CCSs attending the long-term follow-up (LTFU) clinic in the Division of Oncology-Hematology, Department of Pediatrics, Kantonsspital Aarau. We used descriptive statistics to describe transition readiness. Results We randomly recruited 50 CCSs aged ≥18 years at participation. The CCSs had a median CWS score of 62 (interquartile range 55–71), indicating a moderate level of cancer-related worry. Despite high self-management skills, some answers showed a dependency of CCSs on their parents. Our experience shows that the CWS and SMSS are easy for Swiss CCSs to use, understand, and complete. The interpretation of the results must take differences in health care systems between countries into account. Conclusions The translated CWS and SMSS are appropriate additional measures to assess transition readiness in CCSs. These scales can be used longitudinally to find the individual time point for transition and the completion by CCSs enables the health care team to individualize the transition process and to support the CCSs according to their individual needs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 519-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladlena Benson ◽  
Stephanie Morgan ◽  
Fragkiskos Filippaios

Author(s):  
Catherine W. Gathu ◽  
Jacob Shabani ◽  
Nancy Kunyiha ◽  
Riaz Ratansi

Background: Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is a key component of diabetes care aimed at delaying complications. Unlike usual care, DSME is a more structured educational approach provided by trained, certified diabetes educators (CDE). In Kenya, many diabetic patients are yet to receive this integral component of care. At the family medicine clinic of the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Nairobi, the case is no different; most patients lack education by CDE.Aim: This study sought to assess effects of DSME in comparison to usual diabetes care by family physicians.Setting: Family Medicine Clinic, AKUH, Nairobi.Methods: Non-blinded randomised clinical trial among sub-optimally controlled (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 8%) type 2 diabetes patients. The intervention was DSME by CDE plus usual care versus usual care from family physicians. Primary outcome was mean difference in HbA1c after six months of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included blood pressure and body mass index.Results: A total of 220 diabetes patients were screened out of which 140 met the eligibility criteria and were randomised. Around 96 patients (69%) completed the study; 55 (79%) in the DSME group and 41 (59%) in the usual care group. The baseline mean age and HbA1c of all patients were 48.8 (standard deviation [SD]: 9.8) years and 9.9% (SD: 1.76%), respectively. After a 6-month follow-up, no significant difference was noted in the primary outcome (HbA1c) between the two groups, with a mean difference of 0.37 (95% confidence interval: -0.45 to 1.19; p = 0.37). DSME also made no remarkable change in any of the secondary outcome measures.Conclusion: From this study, short-term biomedical benefits of a structured educational approach seemed to be limited. This suggested that offering a short, intensified education programme might have limited additional benefit above and beyond the family physicians’ comprehensive approach in managing chronic conditions like diabetes.


1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobby Newman ◽  
Dawn M. Buffington ◽  
Mairead A. O'grady ◽  
Mary E. Mcdonald ◽  
Claire L. Poulson ◽  
...  

A multiple baseline across students design was used to investigate the effects of a self-management package on schedule following by three teenagers with autism. During baseline conditions, noncontingent reinforcement was provided. In the treatment phase, students contingently self-reinforced the verbal identification of transition times. Systematic increases in accurate identification of transitions were observed across all students. Accurate identification of transition time and self-reinforcement were maintained in a one-month follow-up.


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