CVA's PICKS OF THE MONTH

Canada. Partnering for Performance: Enhancing Partnerships between Post-Secondary Education and Business
Partnerships between post-secondary education and business are crucial to Canada's competitiveness and prosperity. They enhance student learning, facilitate research and commercialization, and increase local and regional economic development.
Tags : Canada; Partnership - public/private sectors; Post-secondary education; Report; Source: Conference Board of Canada;

Argentina Has The Highest Shortage Of Skilled Labor In Latin America
A whopping 59 percent of employers in Argentina say they face difficulty in finding skilled labor for open positions, marking a 21-point increase from last year and positioning the country as the worst in Latin America.
Tags : Argentina; Article; Skills - shortage; Source: The Bubble;

Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. Tertiary Technical Education and Youth Integration
Vocational training versus a traditional university education. This chapter seeks to answer the question of whether ‘tertiary technical education’ has contributed to increasing economic and social opportunity for young people in Latin America, using three case studies from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
Tags : Analysis - comparative; Brazil; Colombia; Education - higher; Education - youth; Higher education; Mexico; Paper; Source: International Development Policy; VET - vocational education and training;

Germany. Coaching, Counseling, Case-Working: Do They Help the Older Unemployed Out of Benefit Receipt and Back into the Labor Market?
Job search assistance and intensified counseling have been found to be effective for labor market integration by a large number of studies, but the evidence for older and hard-to-place unemployed individuals more specifically is mixed. To identify the treatment effects, we exploit regional variation in program participation. Based on survey evidence, we argue that participation of regions is not endogenous in the vast majority of cases. We use a combination of different evaluation estimators to check the sensitivity of the results to selection, substitution and local labor market effects. We find large positive effects of the program in the range of five to ten percentage points on integration into unsubsidized employment. However, there are also substantial lock-in effects, such that program participants have a higher probability of remaining on public welfare benefit receipt for up to one year after commencing the program.
Tags : Employment - older workers; Germany; Older workers; Paper; Source: IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor;

Mauritius. Training Funds and the Incidence of Training: The Case of Mauritius
Training funds are used to incentivize training in developing countries, but the funds are based on payroll taxes that lower the return to training. In the absence of training funds, larger, high-wage and more capital intensive firms are the most likely to offer training unless they are liquidity constrained. If firms are not liquidity constrained, the fund could lower training investments. Using an administrative dataset on the Mauritius training fund, we find that the firms most likely to train pay more in taxes than they gain in subsidies. The smallest firms receive more benefits than they pay in taxes.
Tags : Mauritius; Paper; Source: IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor; Training - subsidies;

EU. Roads to recovery: three skill and labour market scenarios for 2025
Projections for skill supply and demand in the European Union (EU) foresee a gradual return to job growth and an older, but better qualified workforce. The latest forecast extends the time horizon from 2020 to 2025 and differs from its predecessors in seeing demand for high-level qualifications speeding up.
Tags : Briefing note; Employment trend 2020-2025; European Union; Source: Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training; Trend - employment 2020-2025;

Best Practices for Developing Competency-based Job Profiles
Six recommendations for organizations that are planning to develop multi-level competency profiles and transition to a competency-based HR practice.
Tags : Article; Best practice; Competences - profiles; Profiles - competences; Source: Human Resource Systems Group;

Education and Employment Mismatch
This policy debate is based on a study, which looked at skill development in 25 different countries and investigated education-to-employment initiatives. The authors claim that the most successful efforts are those where different stakeholders interact intensively and frequently. Employers need to get involved in education, and educators should play a bigger role in employment.
Tags : Mismatch training/workforce - skills; Paper; Skills - mismatch training/workplace; Source: International Development Policy;

What does NEETs mean and why is the concept so easily misinterpreted?
This technical brief, based on an analysis of the recent School-to-work transition surveys (SWTS) from 28 low- and middle-income countries, hopes to contribute to a better understanding of the NEETS indicator.
Tags : Analysis; Lower/medium income countries; NEET - not in employment - education or training; Source: ILO - International Labour Organization; Technical brief;

Professional development for VET teachers and trainers
In the coming years, VET teachers and trainers will be required to help shape quick and flexible responses to emerging needs, related both to the integration of thousands of refugees and migrants into the labour market and to the need to develop basic, digital and entrepreneurial skills.
Tags : Briefing note; Source: Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training; Teachers - vocational; VET - vocational education and training; Vocational teachers;

The World needs almost 69 million new teachers to reach the 2030 Education goals
In the next 14 years, countries must recruit 68.8 million teachers to provide every child with primary and secondary education: 24.4 million primary school teachers and 44.4 million secondary school teachers.
Tags : Education - access; Employment trend 2030; Fact sheets; SDG 4 - Sustainable development goal; Source: UNESCO/Institute for Statistics (UIS); Sustainable development goal 4 (SDG); Teachers; Trend - employment 2030;

Enhancing employability
This paper aims to set out the challenges confronting G20 economies and to develop a proposal for a set of concrete actionable measures to improve the employability of each economy’s workforce, making skills more transferable and workplaces more adaptable.
Tags : Employability; G20 economies; Paper; Source: OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;

How to close the skills gap: lessons from emerging economies Tags : Analysis - comparative; Article; Comparative analysis; Employment trend; Gap - skills; Lower/medium income countries; Skills - gap; Source: World Economic Forum; Trend - employment;

Mastering these skills could get you hired in 2017
To find out what exactly employers are looking for, and what it takes to successfully land a job, LinkedIn looked at billions of data points and analyzed all of the hiring and recruiting activity that occurred on its site so far in 2016 to identify the most sought-after skills.
Tags : Article; Employment trend 2017; Source: World Economic Forum; Trend - employment 2017;

Guiding Principles of Career Development - Infographic
These Guiding Principles are intended as a starting point to inform discussions with clients, employers, funders, policy-makers and families. The Guiding Principles include an exploration of the word “career” and outline the many benefits of career development.
Tags : Career - development; Infographic; Source: CERIC - Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling;

Australia. VET: skills for growth
The report examines the role of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in meeting the skills required for Australia's growth.
Tags : Assessment - report; Australia; Report - assessment; Source: CEDA - Committee for Economic Development of Australia; VET - vocational education and training;

Australia. Mapping Australian higher education 2016
Many recent science and information technology graduates are failing to find full-time work at a time when science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is a priority for government and industry. The report shows that in 2015, only half of bachelor degree science graduates seeking full-time work had found it four months after completing their degrees, 17 percentage points below the average for all graduates.
Tags : Australia; Employment trend 2015; Report 2016; Source: Grattan Institute; STEM - Science_technology_engineering_and mathematics; Trend - employment 2015;

Canada. Regulated professions and trades
Many occupations in Canada are regulated to protect the health and safety of the public. If you plan to practise a trade or profession, or hire a tradesperson or professional to work for you, these regulations affect you. You’ll want to understand the job requirements and standards specific to your occupation, industry, and location, as well as the education and certification options that are available.
Tags : Canada; Professions - regulated; Regulated professions; Source: Government of Canada/Canada Business Network;

Canada. Career Development Practice in Canada: Perspectives, Principles, and Professionalism
The book has been designed to be a learning tool for students, a resource for educators and a reference for career practitioners in the field.
Tags : Book; Career - development; Source: CERIC - Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling;

Canada. Inside and Outside the Academy: Valuing and Preparing PhDs for Careers
This report examines the employment opportunities and outcomes of PhD holders inside and outside academia, the state of professional skills development for PhD students, and examples of professional development initiatives in Canada and peer countries.
Tags : Canada; Report; Skills; Source: Conference Board of Canada; University students;

Canada/Ontario. Labour Market Trends and Outlooks for Regulated Professions in Ontario
Professional degree holders, whose credentials prepare them for a specific occupation, might assume they'll move directly into a job post-graduation. But this study finds that attempts to manage these professions have resulted in swings between under-supply of new entrants and over-supply of graduates.
Tags : Canada/Ontario; Employment trend; Professions - regulated; Regulated professions; Source: HEQCO - Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario; Study; Trend - employment;

Canada/Saskatchewan and the Yukon. Employment and skills strategies
This report looks at a range of local employment and economic development issues in Saskatchewan and the Yukon, Canada, with a focus on indigenous peoples. The report provides a comparative framework to understand the role of the local level in contributing to more and better quality jobs, and practical recommendations to help federal, provincial/territorial, and local policy makers in Canada build effective and sustainable partnerships that join-up efforts across employment, training, and economic development policies.
Tags : Aboriginals; Canada/Saskatchewan; Canada/Yukon; Policy - employment; Report; Source: OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;

The Future of Jobs - Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Tags : Employment trend 2020; Industrial revolution; Source: World Economic Forum; Study; Trend - employment 2020;

Bangladesh. Resource guide on gender mainstreaming into TVET
The guide provides guidance and practical tools on how to tackle the challenges and barriers to female participation in training and provides information on available technical resources.
Tags : Bangladesh; Gender - equity; Guide; Source: ILO - International Labour Organization; VET - vocational education and training;

Canada. Aboriginal Career Guide
The school-to-work transition can be challenging. This guide is full of resources for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students and grads who are navigating the transition. Use this guide to learn about different career paths, success stories, unique opportunities and more.
Tags : Aboriginals; Canada; Guide; School-to-work transition; Source: TalentEgg;

Canada. Directory of Career Development Education Programs 2015
This Directory has been produced and updated to give aspiring and practicing career counsellors/career development practitioners a tool by which to review the various Canadian programs in existence today.
Tags : Canada; Career - development; Directory; Resources; Source: CERIC - Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling;

Canada. Employer Guide to Hiring Newcomers: Information & Resources
Canada is welcoming thousands of Syrian refugees who are job-ready and looking for their first Canadian employment opportunity. This guide provides a glimpse into their skills and educational background as well as practical tips and easy-to-use resources to help employers engage with Canada’s newest arrivals through meaningful employment.
Tags : Canada; Foreign workers; Guide; Source: Hire Immigrants; Syrian Arab Republic;

France. One Portal Featuring More than 34,000 Open Educational Resources Developed by Universities in France
Since 2004, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research has supported the development of eight Digital Thematic Universities (Universités Numériques Thématiques – UNT) and one unique web-TV portal, Canal-U, with the goals of: - Improving the results of undergraduate students; - Publishing re-usable Open Educational Resources (OERs) created by professors and researchers from partner institutions. All of the OERs are quality assessed in terms of content, pedagogy, and technology; and - Promoting French higher education in all the domains represented by the eight UNTs.
Tags : eLearning; France; OER - Open Educational Resources; Open Educational Resources - OER; Resources; Source: TechOnline;

The Crowdsourced Guide to Learning
This e-book offers useful advice on how to start learning, organise your studies, remember what you’ve learnt, keep motivated and learn with other people. Submitted by Edward Schrader
Tags : Guide; Resources; Source: Future Learn;

Mentoring Program Tool Kit
Mentoring programs are a smart, cost-effective way to enable employee career development at your organization. This handy tool kit includes everything you need when planning and designing your program. Use this information to get your mentoring program off the ground fast to produce real results that affect your bottom line.
Tags : Mentoring; Resources; Source: Chronus; Toolkit;

Teaching in a Digital Age. Guidelines for designing teaching and learning for a digital age
Through 12 informative chapters, the book answers your questions and provides helpful guidance and suggestions on a host of topics including:
– How do I decide whether my courses should be campus-based, blended or fully online?
– What strategies work best when teaching in a technology-rich environment? What methods of teaching are most effective for blended and online classes?
– How do I make choices among all the available media, whether text, audio, video, computer, or social media, in order to benefit my students and my subject?
– How do I maintain quality of teaching, learning, and resources in a rapidly changing learning environment?
– What are the real possibilities for teaching and learning using MOOCs, OERS, open textbooks?
Tags : Book, Course - development, Guidelines, Source: TeachOnline, Teaching - model