Education Commons^™

Improving Engagement Of Construction Industry Firms In Apprenticeship Training In A Post-Recession Economy, Eoghan Ó Murchadha, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

The Irish economy is currently experiencing a recovery phase following a ‘lost decade’ of growth due to the severe economic downturn of 2007. While the construction industry in Ireland is recording increased output, and improving rates of employment, in the vital economic and labour market sector of apprenticeship there is a significant lack of engagement. Without employer buy-in to apprenticeship training, there exists potential future skills gaps and lack of efficacy of the construction industry. This increasingly likely possibility is disquieting, not just for the possible impact upon the future of apprenticeship but also for the Irish economy as a …

The Student Voice - Undergraduate Student Insights Of Pre-Placement Experience, Jennifer Lawlor, Geraldine A. Gorham, Colin O'Connor

Other resources

Placement is an important component of an undergraduate degree programme and has been recognised as being beneficial to the student population, the academic community and to the organisations that enable the internship process. For example, it allows students to apply their theoretical knowledge and develop their skills within a ‘real-life’ organisational environment (e.g. Gavin and Coleman, 2016). Furthermore, it facilitates increased co-operation and relationship-building between higher education institutions and companies (Burdett and Barker, 2017).

However, whilst there is general awareness of the benefits and opportunities of experiential learning, there has been a call for further research to be undertaken regarding …

Sydney Playground Project: A Cluster‐Randomized Trial To Increase Physical Activity, Play, And Social Skills, Anita C. Bundy, Lina Engelen, Shirley Wyver, Paul Tranter, Jo Ragen, Adrian E. Bauman, Louise A. Baur, Wendy Schiller, Judy Simpson, Anita Niehues, Gabrielle Perry, Glenda Jessup, Geraldine A. Naughton

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

BACKGROUND

We assessed the effectiveness of a simple intervention for increasing children's physical activity, play, perceived competence/social acceptance, and social skills.

METHODS

A cluster‐randomized controlled trial was conducted, in which schools were the clusters. Twelve Sydney (Australia) primary schools were randomly allocated to intervention or control conditions, with 226 children (5‐7 years old) selected randomly to participate. Data were collected at baseline and after 13 weeks. The intervention consisted of introducing recycled materials without an obvious play purpose into school playgrounds and a risk‐reframing workshop for parents and teachers.

RESULTS

Children from the intervention schools increased physical activity and reduced …

Teaching Kids 21st Century Skills Early Will Help Prepare Them For Their Future, Iram Siraj

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

It may be a truism that the future will be different, but human expectations have rarely been so high about the degree of imminent change. This century's rapid development of artificial intelligence and digital systems has convinced us that almost every aspect of our children's and grandchildren's lives will be different to ours.

Toys Redesigned: The Intersection Of Industrial Technology And Service-Learning Principles, Jill Stefaniak, Petros Katsioloudis, Basim Matrood

STEMPS Faculty Publications

To provide students with a situated learning experience that encouraged them to develop creative design solutions, the authors created a service-learning activity that required industrial technology students to apply design principles and procedures to design and develop toys to be given to pediatric patients at a local children's hospital. The following are excerpts from student reflections addressing the technological skills used and key takeaways from the project: * "I was able to use my mechanical skills in this project by knowing how to operate the drill press and by cutting all the pieces that were needed and assembling them." * …