Search Results (103)

In the last two decades, the prevalence of South Asian migrant workers has significantly increased in the UAE’s construction sector, and they are under huge debt. Although researchers heavily stress the role of employers in migrant workers’ debt, the role of debt before departure has not been investigated. Thus, this study bridges this gap in the literature in the context of South Asian construction migrant workers. The objective of this study is to investigate how informal recruitment fees and debt arrangements contribute to bonded labor and dependency among migrant workers. A qualitative approach was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 30 South Asian migrants employed in the construction sector. This article highlights how pre-migration debt—which is often accrued through informal loans and exploitative recruitment fees—has been underexplored in migration studies. Drawing on interviews with 30 South Asian laborers, this study identifies five interconnected themes: pre-migration debt bondage, exploitative lending practices, lack of legal recourse, emotional manipulation, and a cycle of dependency. While UAE labor policies have improved, the real vulnerabilities lie in the informal recruitment systems and weak oversight in migrant workers’ countries of origin. Consequently, five themes were generated from the analysis: pre-migration debt bondage, exploitative lending practices, no legal recourse, emotional manipulation, and cycles of dependency. This study contributes to our existing knowledge by revealing the experiences of migrant construction workers from South Asia in the UAE. While the UAE has established one of the region’s most progressive legal frameworks to protect migrant workers and set clear labor standards, many exploitative practices occur outside its jurisdiction, particularly in the workers’ countries of origin. This study underscores that the root of the problem lies in weak enforcement and informal recruitment networks in sending countries, not in UAE policy itself. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated international action to ensure that migrant protection begins well before arrival. Full article

With the advent of Big Data, data mining techniques have become crucial for improving decision-making across diverse sectors, yet their employment demands significant resources and time. Time is critical in industrial contexts, as delays can lead to increased costs, missed opportunities, and reduced competitive advantage. To address this, systems for analyzing data can help prototype data mining pipelines, mitigating the risks of failure and resource wastage, especially when experimenting with novel techniques. Moreover, business experts often lack deep technical expertise and need robust support to validate their pipeline designs quickly. This paper presents Rainfall, a novel framework for rapidly prototyping data mining pipelines, developed through collaborative projects with industry. The framework’s requirements stem from a combination of literature review findings, iterative industry engagement, and analysis of existing tools. Rainfall enables the visual programming, execution, monitoring, and management of data mining pipelines, lowering the barrier for non-technical users. Pipelines are composed of configurable nodes that encapsulate functionalities from popular libraries or custom user-defined code, fostering experimentation. The framework is evaluated through a case study and SWOT analysis with INGKA, a large-scale industry partner, alongside usability testing with real users and validation against scenarios from the literature. The paper then underscores the value of industry–academia collaboration in bridging theoretical innovation with practical application. Full article

Forests are increasingly under pressure due to rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, and the conversion of forest land for non-forestry uses. In Istanbul, large-scale infrastructure projects—including a major airport, motorways, and a bridge—constructed in forested northern regions have led to significant land use change, generating complex social and environmental impacts. This study examines how local populations perceive the social consequences of these projects. Data were collected through 995 questionnaires across 25 neighborhoods and semi-structured interviews with 18 neighborhood headmen and 5 representatives from NGOs and professional organizations. Exploratory factor analysis was used to categorize perceptions, and Mann–Whitney U tests assessed differences based on proximity to project sites and project type. The findings indicate that both proximity and project type play a key role: residents living closer to the projects—and particularly those living near the airport—report more negative impacts, including feelings of insecurity, increased accident risk, limited employment opportunities, loss of forest, agricultural, and pasture lands, heightened environmental, noise, and air pollution, as well as adverse effects on physical and mental health. Measuring and mitigating these impacts during and after the projects is essential. Properly conducted, audited, and effective social impact assessments are of vital importance for the local people living around the project. Full article

Metaverse environments aim at replicating physical reality at various scales. While the potential growth of digital land is limitless, certain development factors may drive greater growth and lead to changes in surrounding land use and the expansion of developed land. In this study, we are bridging digital and physical world living environments using physical land as an example. Specifically, we focus on Tennessee as a study area and offer a spatial perspective on factors of urban land growth and study the relationship between infrastructure (road) development, employment, mobility, and land use change in the physical world, which may help understand this connection in the digital land and real estate domain. We show a significant role of employment hubs in driving developed land growth (i.e., land development). Economic activity consistently appears significant in urban land expansion, with the land development effect of employment stretching over a larger area well beyond immediate proximity to road infrastructure. Land development is measured in this study by a developed land density in both urban and rural areas. Mobility (measured by VMT) has a weaker impact on land development though still positive and statistically significant. This research is crucial for developing sustainable land growth strategies and informing future transport planning and land-use policies. Full article

This paper presents my personal experiences of cross-disciplinary national and international academic mentoring over 30 years in a higher education setting, supporting 605 mentees in public health, health education, and the health services. I supported mentees at diverse career stages through (a) one-to-one mentoring relationships (n = 231 mentees; from the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australasia; academics, industry, and healthcare professionals), (b) a cross-faculty structured mentoring programme (n = 52; junior faculty), (c) a cross-institutional interprofessional internship programme including mentoring and public health placements (n = 302 interns; from five universities), and (d) an interprofessional learning programme in workplace health called WHIRL, which was embedded within Test@Work, a public health innovation bridging health promotion practice, research, and industry and involving peer mentoring and mentor support (n = 20; volunteer healthcare trainees). In this paper, I outline the broader concept of mentoring, together with an overview of mentoring types, uses, and benefits. The diverse contexts in which mentoring occurs are discussed: (i) micro-mentoring, (ii) inducting new staff, (iii) peer mentoring, (iv) career transition moments, (v) career advancement mentoring, (vi) diversity mentoring, (vii) knowledge sharing mentoring, (viii) collaborative learning and support mentoring, and (ix) leadership development mentoring. The challenges of mentoring are presented alongside suggested actions to take. I advocate for mentoring evaluation and provide a worked example of measuring the outcomes of one-to-one mentoring using The Career Support and Psychosocial Support Scales (online survey; n = 103 mentees; from 22 countries). Finally, I reflect upon the diversity of mentoring experiences, with activities and benefits categorised into six key areas: interpersonal relationships; networking opportunities; enhancing knowledge and skills; employment, reward and recognition; support for under-served groups; and convening communities of practice. Full article

Micro-credentials (MCs) emerged as a powerful tool to advance employability and lifelong learning while opening opportunities for diverse career directions for individuals. They are generally short programmes and have a specific focus on developing complementary skills in a particular area of interest for the learner. This paper presents a critical narrative review exploring the transformative potential of micro-credentials, which provide targeted, flexible, and accessible pathways for skill development and career advancement. It examines how micro-credentials bridge the gap between traditional education and modern industry demands and recognises the importance of collaborative efforts between higher education and industry in identifying and sometimes even co-designing relevant micro-credential programmes. Additionally, the paper analyses the impact of micro-credential programmes on non-traditional learners and discusses the mechanisms to ensure the quality and credibility of such programmes. The findings highlight four key thematic areas, revealing that micro-credentials serve as flexible, inclusive tools that enhance employability, support institutional innovation, and promote lifelong learning. Full article

Educational achievement plays a significant role in the labour market, benefiting individuals and society. Graduating from high school is a key step towards better employment opportunities and a prerequisite for higher education attainment. In 2023, only 22.5% of the Romanian population graduated tertiary education, while 16.6% left education or training early. The Romanian public high school network comprises 1558 units, mostly located in urban areas. The high school enrolment rate is 83.5% in urban areas, and it drops to less than 60% in rural areas, with the country registering the highest out-of-school rate in the EU for the 15-year-old population. Spatial accessibility may influence enrolment in high schools, particularly for students living in rural or remote areas, who often face financial challenges fuelled by long distances and limited transportation options. Hence, travel distance may represent a potential barrier to completing the educational process or may determine inequalities in educational opportunities and outcomes. This paper aims to assess the spatial accessibility of the public high school network in Romania by using distance data provided by the Open Street Map API (Application Programming Interface). We examine variations in spatial accessibility based on the distribution of high school units and road network characteristics considering three variables: travel distance to the nearest high school, the average distance to three different categories of high schools, and the number of high schools located within a 20 km buffer zone. The results highlight a significant urban–rural divide in the availability of public high school facilities, with 84.1% (n = 1311) located in urban areas while 49.1% of the high school-aged population lives in rural areas. Many rural communities lack adequate educational facilities, often having limited options for high school education. The findings also show that 32% of the high school-aged population has to travel more than 10 km to the nearest high school, and 7% has no high school options within a 20 km buffer zone. This study provides insights into the educational landscape in Romania, pointing out areas with limited access to high schools, which contributes to further inequalities in educational attainment. The findings may serve as a basis for developing policies and practices to bridge the urban–rural divide in educational opportunities and foster a more equitable and inclusive education system. Full article

The Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has highlighted the chronic shortages of labour to provide care for those aged 65 and over in rural and remote areas of Australia. This descriptive cross-sectional study compares the availability of care provision in metropolitan regions with that in rural and remote regions. We analysed the 2021 Australian Census, grouped according to Aged-Care-Planning Region (ACPR), and investigated the numbers of people aged 65 years and over with different levels of care need, both in residential care and in-home. The available workforce in each ACPR was also examined in detail, using occupational classifications reported in the Census, and shortages of doctors, nurses, allied health and other care workers were identified. Overall, an additional 492,416 care hours were needed per week (or 12,958 full-time equivalent (FTE) care workers) in order to bring remote community ACPRs to parity with provision in metropolitan ACPRs. A further 95,342 FTE workers were needed in rural ACPRs to bring these areas to parity with metropolitan ACPRs. Our findings underscore the ongoing disparities in aged care workforce availability between metropolitan, rural, and remote regions of Australia. Addressing these workforce shortages is crucial to ensuring equitable access to care for older Australians, regardless of their geographical location. The implementation of targeted strategies to enhance workforce recruitment, retention, and training in these underserved areas is essential to bridge the gap and improve the quality of care provided to older adults in rural and remote communities. Such strategies could include targeted recruitment campaigns and incentives for professionals to relocate; further capacity for clinical placements and supervision in rural areas; tailoring funding and employment models for rural needs; and strengthening vocational education in regional areas. Full article

Localized diaphragm (transversal plate) deformation and buckling were identified at the arc notch region during structural inspections of an operational steel bridge. To evaluate the potential structural consequences, alterations in the fatigue performance and stress characteristics induced by this deformation were systematically investigated through in situ monitoring combined with numerical simulation. It was demonstrated that the global load-transfer mechanism of the orthotropic steel deck (OSD) system remained minimally compromised. While within the localized deformation zone, the stress magnitudes at the diaphragm-to-U-rib (DU) welds were observed to be significantly amplified, and the stress concentration zones were found to be relocated to geometrically depressed regions. Based on the deformation-stage mechanical responses, the strategic employment of residual compressive stress generated through controlled hammer peening was proposed for counteracting stress escalation at DU welds recently caused by diaphragm buckling, whereas steel plate reinforcement strategies were recommended for mitigating progressive deformation development. Full article

One potential strategy to promote physical activity (PA) involves changing the neighborhood environment. The PA-friendliness of neighborhood environments is often calculated using geospatial data. However, the association with perceived PA-friendliness seems to be low. Therefore, we examined the relationship between two Dutch geospatial measures and residents’ perceptions regarding the PA-friendliness of their neighborhoods. Data from 3438 respondents aged 40–80 years from the Doetinchem Cohort Study were linked to individual geospatial data. In addition to respondents’ self-reports, we used the following two geospatial measures: the Dutch walkability index and the Dutch indicator for PA-friendly environments (KBO-indicator). We performed logistic regression analyses to assess associations between perceived PA-friendliness and two objective geospatial measures, including interactions for age, sex, education, work status, and physical functioning. The majority of respondents (83%) evaluated their neighborhood as PA-friendly. The logistic analyses revealed no associations between the geospatial measures of walkability and PA-friendliness and the individuals’ perception measures. Similarly, a comparison of residents from high versus low walkable or PA-friendly neighborhoods demonstrated no significant differences in their perception of PA-friendliness. Additionally, no significant interaction effects were observed with sex, age, education, employment status, or physical functioning, indicating that even among subgroups there was no correspondence between objective and subjective measures. The lack of correspondence between both objective and subjective measures for PA-friendliness in the neighborhood suggests that these are distinct constructs. Future research should focus on qualitative methods to bridge the gap between objective and subjective measures and test whether the perceived PA-friendliness is similar to the objective measures. Full article

Accidents and injuries at work are unavoidable. Promoting corporate sustainability requires strategies concerning employees’ health and a safe work environment in light of social, environmental, and economic development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the significant association between Occupational Safety and Health Management (OSHM) and Corporate Sustainability (CS) in the context of West Bank industries in Palestine, bolstering the mediating role of Affective Commitment (AC) and Emotional Intelligence (EI). We sampled 126 executive and knowledgeable Palestinian employees in the region using a questionnaire for data collection. We used Smart PLS 4 to evaluate the study model and hypotheses. This study bridges the gap by investigating the relationship of the study constructs in Palestinian industries in the West Bank. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how OSH practices can improve CS by encouraging social engagement, economic performance, and environmental conservation. The study’s findings are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 3, which establishes policies to enhance public health and improve well-being for people at any age, and SDG 8, which advocates for sustainable progress in the economy, prolific employment, and decent job for everyone. The findings highlight how important it is for West Bank businesses to implement training in emotional intelligence and encourage affective commitment to improving safety and health strategies, ultimately resulting in increased corporate sustainability by considering social and environmental policies. Full article

This study examined the transition of twice-exceptional (2E) individuals from education to employment. Despite a growing focus on inclusive practices, the area of (special) education-to-work transition is still far under-researched, especially on 2E individuals. To identify challenges and success factors in this transition, a scoping review method was used. Our review revealed a paucity of targeted studies on the transition of 2E individuals to work. Four relevant studies, focusing primarily on higher education, emphasized strengths-based approaches and multi-stakeholder support to facilitate transitions. The findings underscore the need for tailored interventions and supportive environments, addressing both individual strengths and (environmental) barriers. Further research is essential in view of effective interventions to bridge the gap between education and employment for 2E individuals. Full article

The demands of the labor market are a constant challenge for universities, emphasizing the crucial importance of competency-based education to make our students more academically and professionally competitive. The benefits of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Subjective Well-Being (happiness/life satisfaction) (SWB) have been evidenced as necessary competencies in personal, academic, and professional contexts. Our research assessed these variables in a sample of 300 university students from Madrid (Spain), comprising 68 (22.7%) men and 232 (77.3%) women, aged between 18 and 47 years (M = 21.72; SD = 0.42). Our objective was to determine their baseline levels, study their relationship with Academic Achievement (AA), analyze their changes after a positive emotional intervention, and determine if they are predictors of AA. For this, we used a quasi-experimental pre/post-test design with experimental/control groups. Our results show medium–high baseline levels of EI, SWB, and AA in our students; positive correlations, which improved in intensity in the post-test, between EI (clarity and repair) and SWB, between AA and EI (attention), and between AA and happiness (OHI); and better scores in EI and happiness in the post-test compared to the pre-test, and in the experimental group compared to the control group, as a result of our intervention. Finally, the findings indicate that EI (attention) and SWB (life satisfaction) jointly predict a small part of AA. The data are discussed for their implications for change in higher education, towards competency-based education interventions that improve the outcomes and employability of our students and bridge the university/industry gap. Full article

The Industrial Revolution (IR) involves a centuries-long process of economic and societal transformation driven by industrial and technological innovation. From agrarian, craft-based societies to modern systems powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), each IR has brought significant societal advancements yet raised concerns about future implications. As we transition from the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) to the emergent Fifth Industrial Revolution (IR5.0), similar questions arise regarding human employment, technological control, and adaptation. During all these shifts, a recurring theme emerges as we fear the unknown and bring a concern that machines may replace humans’ hard and soft skills. Therefore, comprehensive preparation, critical discussion, and future-thinking policies are necessary to successfully navigate any industrial revolution. While IR4.0 emphasized cyber-physical systems, IoT (Internet of Things), and AI-driven automation, IR5.0 aims to integrate these technologies, keeping human, emotion, intelligence, and ethics at the center. This paper critically examines this transition by highlighting the technological foundations, socioeconomic implications, challenges, and opportunities involved. We explore the role of AI, blockchain, edge computing, and immersive technologies in shaping IR5.0, along with workforce reskilling strategies to bridge the potential skills gap. Learning from historic patterns will enable us to navigate this era of change and mitigate any uncertainties in the future. Full article

The research aims at studying land use changes, the environmental impact and socio-economic effects from the construction of major road transport infrastructure projects. The methodology adopted herein includes a review of the relevant literature to examine the relationship between infrastructure provision and associated positive or negative impacts on land, environment, society and economy. Statistical data mainly from the Hellenic Statistical Authority and useful informational data from relevant research and recent studies were collected and processed in order to evaluate the overall effect of the two major road projects Gefyra “Charilaos Trikoupis” (Rio–Antirio Bridge) and Ionia Odos (Ionian Road) in the Regions of Dytiki Ellada (Western Greece), Ipeiros (Epirus) and Ionioi Nisoi (Ionian Islands). The descriptive statistical analysis indicates that positive impacts include the following: transport time savings and road safety improvement; increased commercial imports/exports activity; increased private building activity and tourist traffic/employment; and intensified truck traffic at the port of Igoumenitsa. Conversely, negative impacts involve: less arable agricultural land; increased whilst tolerable environmental pollution; and a general reduction in all types of traffic activity at the port of Patras. From the quantitative analysis using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), it emerged that the most overall benefitted region is the Ionian Islands, followed by Epirus and Western Greece. The general conclusion from the research seems to support the theoretical approaches and related studies: transport infrastructure is an important condition but not a guarantee of regional development. Full article