Skills Needs of the Civil Engineering Sector in the European Union Countries: Current Situation and Future Trends

The construction sector has always occupied a strategic place in the European economy. The European construction industry suffered during the 2007–2008 global financial crisis, and today the sector is undergoing a recovery process. Among all the construction subsectors, civil engineering has the highest growth rate. Currently, the sector has to face profound industrial changes emerging with digital transformations (Industry 4.0), sustainability, climate change and energy efficiency. To promote the growth of the civil engineering sector and accelerate the recovery, we need to create a highly qualified and competent workforce that can handle the challenges coming up with the technological progress and global competitiveness. The main condition to achieve this capable workforce is to define the expected evolution of skills requirements. For that purpose, our work focuses on identifying current and near-future key skills required by the civil engineering occupations. To achieve this, we developed an automated sectoral database for the current and near-future skills requirements of the selected professional profiles. It is our belief that this sectoral database is a fundamental framework that will guide the sector through the future changes. We also believe that our research can be used as a key tool for construction companies, policy-makers, academics and training centers to develop well-designed and efficient training programs for upskilling and reskilling the workforce.

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A Comparative Analysis of the Legislation Evolution for Drone Use in OECD Countries

Drones ◽

10.3390/drones3040075 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 75 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nikolaos Tsiamis ◽

Loukia Efthymiou ◽

Konstantinos P. Tsagarakis

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Ethical Dilemmas ◽

Oecd Countries ◽

The European Union ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Intensive Use ◽

Legislative Framework ◽

Catch Up ◽

Legal Frameworks ◽

Near Future

Drones have been employed for multiple uses, such as for military, surveillance, recreational, scientific, and research purposes. Their presence inside civil areas has necessitated the need to regulate their use. Towards this direction, many countries worldwide have issued national legislations, which vary on vehicle categorization according to the size, weight, flight altitude, purpose of use, and restrictions. In this study, we pursued the first comparative analysis of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries’ national legislations, in order to explore the similarities and differences in drone use and recommend improvements and homogenization. Some of the examined countries issued legislation during recent years of drone application, while others amended their existing legislative framework in order to catch up with drone technology evolution. Although from the 35 OECD countries 22 belong to the European Union, we observed much diversity among national legal frameworks. The intensive use of drones has led to severe ethical dilemmas that policy makers will need to address in the near future. We conclude with a proposal regarding the basic legislation for different uses according to the criteria that have been developed so far, followed by limitations and restrictions.

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A Guide for the Food Industry to Meet the Future Skills Requirements Emerging with Industry 4.0

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods9040492 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 492 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tugce Akyazi ◽

Aitor Goti ◽

Aitor Oyarbide ◽

Elisabete Alberdi ◽

Felix Bayon

Keyword(s):

Industry 4.0 ◽

Food Industry ◽

Business Models ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Continuous Training ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Key Skills ◽

Smart Technologies ◽

Near Future ◽

New Phase

The food industry has recently faced rapid and constant changes due to the current industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, which has also profoundly altered the dynamics of the industry overall. Due to the emerging digitalisation, manufacturing models are changing through the use of smart technologies, such as robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, etc. They are experiencing a new phase of automation that enables innovative and more efficient processes, products and services. The introduction of these novel business models demands new professional skills requirements in the workforce of the food industry. In this work, we introduce an industry-driven proactive strategy to achieve a successful digital transformation in the food sector. For that purpose, we focus on defining the current and near-future key skills and competencies demanded by each of the professional profiles related to the food industry. To achieve this, we generated an automated database of current and future professions and competencies and skills. This database can be used as a fundamental roadmap guiding the sector through future changes caused by Industry 4.0. The interest shown by the local sectorial cluster and related entities reinforce the idea. This research will be a key tool for both academics and policy-makers to provide well-developed and better-oriented continuous training programs in order to reduce the skill mismatch between the workforce and the jobs.

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Paris

10.1093/oso/9780198817314.003.0004 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Laure Quennouëlle-Corre

Keyword(s):

Asset Management ◽

Financial Services ◽

Global Financial Crisis ◽

The European Union ◽

Financial Centre ◽

Banking Stability ◽

Long Term Trends ◽

The Global Financial Crisis ◽

The Uk ◽

Near Future

This chapter discusses Paris as an international financial centre and focuses on the role played by financial services and the numerous and various criteria that affect a financial centre’s competitiveness. It stresses both the long-term trends and the new circumstances that influence its current strengths and weaknesses compared to its main European competitors. The chapter analyses to what extent and how the Global Financial Crisis affected the financial activities of the French capital. Its banking stability, its active asset management industry, and its highly skilled labour market remain decisive advantages. The main uncertainty in the near future comes from the Brexit negotiations between the UK and the European Union, but there is also uncertainty arising from the development of technological delocalization of global firms’ financial activities.

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Crucial challenges to global and oil-rentier economies

Contemporary Arab Affairs ◽

10.1080/17550910902853983 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 292-303

Author(s):

Sabri Zire Al-Saadi

Keyword(s):

Market Efficiency ◽

Global Financial Crisis ◽

Free Market ◽

Economic Recession ◽

The United States ◽

The European Union ◽

Macroeconomic Policies ◽

Monetary Policies ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Role Of The State

This article highlights the limitation of the traditional macroeconomic policies related to oil-rent crucial issues and suggests remedies for the current global financial and economic crises in view of free market efficiency principles as advocated by contemporary economic doctrines: Keynesian and Monetarism. It also reasserts the long-term alternative strategy for the liberalization of the oil-hostage rentier economies. The given analysis is based on the experience of the oil-rentier countries, as well as the fiscal and monetary policies applied in the advanced economies; especially the United States, Britain and the European Union for dealing with the current global financial crisis and economic recession. The general aim of the analysis is to establish the bases for the required confidence in market efficiency and the benefits of the globalization thrust that are not consistent with the applied remedies. It suggests that for both advanced and oil-rentier economies, heavy investment in modernizing and the expansion of the physical, social, and environmental infrastructure projects are, at this stage, essential. However, for the oil-rentier economies, more emphasis should be given to the role of the state until the objectives of the required economic diversification strategy are achieved. As the credibility and trust of the banks and financial institutions, the policy-makers, fiscal and monetary authorities and regulators are very low, it is essential to retain the confidence of business communities and consumers in the financial and economic systems by undertaking unbiased assessment of the causes, impact, and remedies of the crises for different economies.

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History, modernity and future of the department "Water supply, sewerage and hydraulics" in KHNUCEA

New Collegium ◽

10.30837/nc.2020.4.66 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (102) ◽

pp. 66-70

Author(s):

S. Epoyan ◽

V. Shilin ◽

V. Kuzmenko ◽

S. Lukashenko

Keyword(s):

Water Supply ◽

Civil Engineering ◽

Scientific Activity ◽

Highly Qualified ◽

State Budget ◽

Construction Companies ◽

Industrial Enterprises ◽

National University ◽

High Level ◽

Leading Enterprises

The article highlights the main stages of formation and development of the Department of Water Supply, Sewerage and Hydraulics of the Kharkiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (then Kharkiv Civil Engineering Institute). At the beginning of its founding it was called as "Water Supply, Sewerage and Sanitation". ‘ The information on the heads of the department is given. Famous graduates are mentioned, who later became famous scientists, production organizers, managers of utilities and construction companies. It is noted that during the existence of the department its employees have published a significant number of works of scientific and scientific-methodical nature, including monographs and textbooks, received copyright certificates and patents of Ukraine and other countries. It is emphasized that during all the years the training of young specialists at the department was carried out not only for our country, but also for more than 30 countries. Currently, students are trained at the first (bachelor's) and second (master's) levels by highly qualified scientists and specialists with many years of pedagogical, scientific and industrial experience in specialties 192 "Construction and Civil Engineering" professional direction "Water Supply and Sewerage" and 194 "Hydraulic Construction, water engineering and water technologies". Moreover, close partnership with the leading enterprises in Kharkiv had provided an opportunity to open department branches, which helps to practice for students at a high level. The main directions of scientific activity, which are embodied in the implementation of state budget and economic-contractual works, are shown. At the same time, significant work is carried out at the department for the training of highly qualified specialists, which allows the staff of the department to maintain the optimal composition of experience and youth. An important component of the department is international cooperation with universities and scientific or industrial enterprises in other countries. Perspective ways of the department for future are shown.

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Ocena antykryzysowej polityki gospodarczej Stanów Zjednoczonych i wybranych państw członkowskich Unii Europejskiej w latach 2005–2014

10.31338/1641-2478pe.2.16.2 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 26-46

Author(s):

Marcin Jan Flotyński

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

European Union ◽

Financial Markets ◽

Global Economy ◽

Global Financial Crisis ◽

The United States ◽

The European Union ◽

High Volatility ◽

The Global Financial Crisis ◽

Domestic Products

The global financial crisis in 2007–2009 began a period of high volatility on the financial markets. Specifically, it caused an increased amplitude of fluctuations of the level of gross domestic products, the level of investment and consumption and exchange rates in particular countries. To address the adverse market circumstances, governments and central banks took actions in order to bolster the weakening global economy. The aim of this article is to present the anti-crisis actions in the United States and selected member states of the European Union, including Poland, and an assessment of their efficiency. The analysis conducted indicates that generally the actions taken in the United States in response to the crisis were faster and more adequate to the existing circumstances than in the European Union.

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Quantity and quality of childcare and children’s educational outcomes

Journal of Population Economics ◽

10.1007/s00148-021-00835-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jo Blanden ◽

Emilia Del Bono ◽

Kirstine Hansen ◽

Birgitta Rabe

Keyword(s):

School Achievement ◽

Additional Term ◽

Publicly Funded ◽

Highly Qualified ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Quality Rating ◽

Quality Of Childcare ◽

The Impact ◽

School Records

AbstractPolicy-makers wanting to support child development can choose to adjust the quantity or quality of publicly funded universal pre-school. To assess the impact of such changes, we estimate the effects of an increase in free pre-school education in England of about 3.5 months at age 3 on children’s school achievement at age 5. We exploit date-of-birth discontinuities that create variation in the length and starting age of free pre-school using administrative school records linked to nursery characteristics. Estimated effects are small overall, but the impact of the additional term is substantially larger in settings with the highest inspection quality rating but not in settings with highly qualified staff. Estimated effects fade out by age 7.

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Ever-Single Heterosexual Couples in Nonmarital Cohabitation: Spirituality, Connectedness, and Adjustment

The Family Journal ◽

10.1177/10664807211023928 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 106648072110239

Author(s):

Samta P. Pandya

Keyword(s):

Middle Class ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Upper Class ◽

Heterosexual Couples ◽

Highly Qualified ◽

Christian Couples ◽

Work Intervention ◽

Do It Yourself ◽

Near Future

This article reports a study on the effectiveness of WhatsApp-based spiritual posts in promoting connectedness and adjustment among ever-single heterosexual couples in nonmarital cohabitation in four global cities. In comparison with trivia posts, the spiritual posts had greater impact and were more effective for Christian couples, middle class, highly qualified, and professionals-salaried cohabitants. This was in comparison with Hindu–Buddhist–Sikh dyads, upper class, with college degree, and entrepreneurs. However, cohabitation duration, initial cohabitation experience with other partners, having children/cohabitation dependents, and near future marriage plans were not significant predictors. Gender also did not significantly moderate spiritual intervention responses as proposed in the previous research. Couple intervention outcomes were mutually interdependent and intervention compliance in terms of number of posts read and do-it-yourself exercises posted were robust predictors of intervention success. With some subgroup-specific refinements, WhatsApp-based spiritual posts would be an effective spiritually sensitive social work intervention for improving relationship quality of nonmarital cohabitants.

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New Plant Breeding Technologies: An Assessment of the Political Economy of the Regulatory Environment and Implications for Sustainability

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13073687 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 3687

Author(s):

Vincent Smith ◽

Justus H. H. Wesseler ◽

David Zilberman

Keyword(s):

Political Economy ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Development Policy ◽

Regulatory Environment ◽

The European Union ◽

Policy Makers ◽

International Policies ◽

Modern Biotechnology ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu

This perspective discusses the impact of political economy on the regulation of modern biotechnology. Modern biotechnology has contributed to sustainable development, but its potential has been underexplored and underutilized. We highlight the importance of the impacts of regulations for investments in modern biotechnology and argue that improvements are possible via international harmonization of approval processes. This development is urgently needed for improving sustainable development. Policy makers in the European Union (EU) in particular are challenged to rethink their approach to regulating modern biotechnology as their decisions have far ranging consequences beyond the boundaries of the EU and they have the power to influence international policies.

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Are International Indices Good Predictors of Economic Growth? Panel Data and Cluster Analysis for European Union Countries

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13116003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 6003

Author(s):

Manuel Carlos Nogueira ◽

Mara Madaleno

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

European Union ◽

Panel Data ◽

Human Development ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

The European Union ◽

Global Competitiveness ◽

Environmental Performance Index ◽

European Union Countries ◽

And Cluster Analysis

Every year, news about the publication of rankings and scores of important international indexes are highlighted, with some of the most prestigious being the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), the Human Development Index (HDI), the Ease of Doing Business (EDB), the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) and the Global Entrepreneurship (GEI). A country’s progression in these indices is associated with economic growth, especially since several empirical studies have found evidence to reinforce these beliefs, the indices having been built based on the scientific literature on economic growth. Building a database on these indices for European Union countries between 2007 and 2017 and using panel data methodologies and then 2SLS (Two-Stage Least Squares) to solve the problem of endogeneity, we verify empirically through panel data estimates, what is the relationship between the mentioned indices and the European Union countries’ economic growth for the period. However, as the European Union is made up of diverse countries with different economic and social realities, we divided the countries into six clusters and made an individual interpretation for each one. We found that human development and competitiveness play an important role in economic growth, and entrepreneurship also impacts this growth. Regarding income distribution, applying the Gini index, we found that only human development mitigates inequalities.

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