Contents contributed and discussions participated by Omar Yaqub - Edmonton Economic Development Corporation

shared by Omar Yaqub on 07 Feb 11 - No Cached

For decades now, at least one-third of the city's 12,000 employees, mainly office workers and professionals, have had a deal where they can work a bit of extra time each day, then take off every second Friday as a holiday.
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The argument is that you have to do something like this to make the job attractive or else you won't be able to keep staff. But I can't think of anybody I know outside of government that gets every second Friday off. Can you?
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've always thought it's not necessary to retain staff by giving them every second Friday off. ... I'm not buying the logic of the policy."
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Gibbons also says that with a labour shortage coming to Alberta in roughly 18 months, it's not a good time to tick off city staff. "They're happy right now."
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shared by Omar Yaqub on 07 Feb 11 -

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Growing War for Talents Looms as U.S. Economy Continues to Recover
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the world has entered a new age, where employers will be awakened to the power of humans as the future drivers of economic growth as access to talent replaces access to capital as the key economic differentiator.
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Aging workforces, the collaborative power of rapidly-evolving technologies, the need for companies to do more with less, and the problem of the skills young people are being equipped with not matching the skills businesses need are converging, making talent attraction and retention critical in order for organizations to gain a competitive edge
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As the economy begins to click into second gear, employers are hiring but they are doing so with extreme caution. They will only hire individuals who have the exact specificity of skills they are looking for,"
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shared by Omar Yaqub on 04 Feb 11 -

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Finding ways to deal with an impending labour shortage will top the list for Edmonton's Chamber of Commerce this year, says incoming chair Bernie Kollman
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The chamber board will also visit Saskatoon in April to talk with business leaders there about what they are doing to engage their aboriginal community. "They have done some creative things with their aboriginal population and workforce development, and we'd like to see that," Kollman said.
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shared by Omar Yaqub on 04 Feb 11 - No Cached

shared by Omar Yaqub on 03 Feb 11 - No Cached

Is President Obama's laser-like focus on students going to and graduating from college all wrong?
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According to a team researchers out of Harvard, yes. The just-released "Pathways to Prosperity" (PDF) report claims that instead of making college the ultimate goal, students actually need vocational education for so-called blue collar professions.
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Forty-seven million new jobs will be created by 2018, and although almost two-thirds will require some education beyond high school, they won't all require a college degree. Some of the fastest growing jobs—like construction worker, electrician, dental hygienist, police officer, or home health care aide—only require vocational certificates or specialized training.
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27 percent of current blue collar work actually pays more than many jobs that require bachelor's degree
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narrow-minded focus on college might make more kids drop out of high school.
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solution is for American schools to move to a more European model where students get career counseling and skill-building job opportunities in middle school
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something does need to shift in the way we educate youth and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.
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shared by Omar Yaqub on 03 Feb 11 - No Cached

Bradford, the education authority found that in some neighbourhoods schools were increasingly polarising into becoming all white or all-non white. This was allowing little opportunity for children to learn more about each other. A process of linking between over 70 local schools has now led to much closer co-operation and joint working between staff and pupils. Pupils have on average made 2.6 new cross-cultural friendships since the project began
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twinning
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TDSB provides for low-achieving students individual support in the classroom and access to language learning in the students’ native language. TDSB supports also efforts to involve parents, neighbourhoods and ethnic communities.
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Toronto
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shared by Omar Yaqub on 03 Feb 11 - No Cached

shared by Omar Yaqub on 03 Feb 11 - No Cached

shared by Omar Yaqub on 03 Feb 11 - No Cached

Chinese city planners proposed merging the nine cities around the Pearl River Delta into a single metropolitan area, containing some 42 million people: more than Argentina, and covering an area 26 times bigger than Greater London. (Source: Reuters, January 2011.)
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while 'traditional' global powerhouses such as New York, London and Paris are already sharing the stage with Beijing, Mumbai and Istanbul, increasingly cities such as Belem, Chongqing and Guadalajara are ready to make their mark.
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Just 100 cities account for 30% of the world's economy, and almost all its innovation. 
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Tokyo and New York have an estimated GDP similar to those of Canada or Spain
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In thriving mega-cities, whose economic and cultural power already often surpass that of entire nations, CITYSUMERS' identities will often be closely tied to a city's culture
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Cities are increasingly seen as a solution to the quest for environmental sustainability, with high density living promoting a more efficient distribution of resources
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