Economic Growth Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Economic Growth Models - Essay Example Y = AKL1-, 0where A measures the level of technology. Output per worker, y = Y/L, is thus given by y = Ak where k denotes the capital-labor ratio. Capital accumulation is given by k = sy - (n + )k, 0 where s denotes the propensity to save, n > 0 the exogenous rate of population growth, and the rate of depreciation of physical capital(Agnor and Montiel 1999, p.671). The Solow-Swan growth model predicts that growth should be uncorrelated with the ratio of national investment to total output (gross domestic product or GDP). If capital markets are open, the model predicts instantaneous convergence of output per capita across countries. Convergence is achieved by capital flows from rich to poor countries and a consequence of these flows is that the ratio of national savings to GDP in each country should differ substantially from the ratio of investment to GDP since there is no reason to expect that countries with high savings rates should be those with large investment opportunities. In the presence of capital market imperfections, such as the inability to borrow to finance human capital accumulation, convergence is predicted to occur more slowly (Farmer and Lahiri, 2003). Figure 1. Equilibrium in the Solow-Swan Model Source: Kalyvitis (n.d., p.6) Assuming that all regions possess similar technology and similar preferences, and that there are no institutional barriers to the flow of both capital and labor across state borders, the Solow-Swan neoclassical growth model predicts that states would have similar levels of real per capita income in the long run (convergence). Across regions of a given... Assuming that all regions possess similar technology and similar preferences, and that there are no institutional barriers to the flow of both capital and labor across state borders, the Solow-Swan neoclassical growth model predicts that states would have similar levels of real per capita income in the long run (convergence). Across regions of a given country that share such a common long-run level of real per capita income, convergence of per capita incomes is driven by diminishing returns to capital. That is, each addition to the capital stock generates large increases in output when the regional stock of capital is small. If the only difference between regional economies lies in the level of their initial stock of capital, the neoclassical growth model predicts that poor regions will grow faster than rich ones—regions with lower starting values of the capital-labor ratio will have higher per capita income growth rates. Other channels through which convergence can occur are interregional capital mobility; the diffusion of technology from leader to follower economies; the redistribution of incomes from relatively rich regions to relatively poor regions of a federal country by its central government; and flows of labor from poor to rich regions (Cashin and Sahay 1996, p.49).Agà ©nor and Montiel (1999, p.677) note that the neoclassical growth model only predicts â€Å"conditional† convergence, that is a tendency for per capita income to converge across countries only after controlling.

Hawley Harvey Crippen Case Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hawley Harvey Crippen Case - Research Paper Example This is also considered as the first case Bernard Spilsbury, the renowned pathologist investigated. Radio was used for the tracking of the criminals; this was strange in that period. Advocates who cry for the abolition of death penalty gives the case of Crippen as an example for the wrongfully convicted cases. However, Dr Crippen’s conviction is not considered false by many people. The wife of Doctor Hawley Crippen was found missing when Crippen maintained affair with another woman. As in most wife death cases, when adultery is traced, spouse and his mistress were suspected. Hawley Harvey Crippen, an American citizen, who had worked as a homeopathic doctor in a pharmaceutical company lived with his second wife Cora. She became an Opera singer, with the name Belle Elmore. Belle was a pleasant and vivacious woman who was interested in dressing and make up. She liked displaying herself. She had dark hair and a New York accent of speech. She was a Roman Catholic. She changed her h usband to her faith. Unlike his wife Crippen was a small man. He did not have an appealing appearance. He had a bald forehead and a thick, sandy moustache. He was an insignificant figure with sharp eyes, behind the gold-rimmed spectacles. During the trial he was seen as a gentle, kind, well-mannered man. Rumor says that Elmore controlled everything in their house while she had several affairs with other men. Though this information was not verified, Crippen and Cora, for sure, remained not committed to each other. In the year 1900, the couple moved to England from the United States. Crippen’s medical qualifications did not permit him to practice him in England as he had to work in homeopathic medicine preparation. They changed places several times and finally settled in Holloway London. They had paying boarders in their house which supplemented their income. Certain people considered this as the beginning of the problem between wife and husband. Things went terribly wrong as wife loved flirting with other men and husband started relationship with another woman. The relationship between Crippen and his wife worsened as the days go. Belle was tired of her husband. She was aware of his relationship with Ethel le Neve. She threatened that she would leave Crippen. This news must have been happy for him. But she wanted their joint savings to be taken with her. As per the records, on in December 1909, she submitted notice for the withdrawal of the money in the bank. Crippen must have been furious over this. Dr Crippen, deciding to kill his wife, ordered the poison hyoscine, from a New Oxford Street chemist. According to the records the collected the poison from the chemist and signed the chemist’s register. The couple invited few close friends of Belle and had dinner and drinks on January 31 1910. Paul Martinetti and his wife Clara who attended the dinner stayed until late night. They were the last people to see Belle. According to their neighbors, the couple had a long argument in the morning hours. Some cries for help were also reported to hear. A few days Dr. Crippen ordered some of his wife’s theatrical weakly subscriptions to be cancelled. He reasoned that his wife had returned to America and it will take few months for her return. To those who enquired Crippen said that his wife had visited California on a family emergency, and she died later being infected with pneumonia. Dr Crippen’s lover Ethel le Neve moved to the house after few days.

How Do We Forgive Our Fathers (Poem) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How Do We Forgive Our Fathers (Poem) - Essay Example The speaker of the poem is most probably a son, a son who faces the double dilemmas of knowing himself and knowing his father, without losing touch with his own identity. The poem suggests that a father’s masculinity defines his personality, which in turn, shapes his attitudes and behaviors as a husband and a father to his family; in other words, masculinity develops and delimits his destiny, a destiny that is intertwined with his children’s identities. In the first stanza, the poem looks at his father through the haze of the past and the future. The first line states: â€Å"How do we forgive our Fathers?† (Lourie 1). These words ask all children about forgiving their fathers. â€Å"Fathers† is capitalized, which makes it more personal because a son would say â€Å"Father† not â€Å"father.† It is in plural form too, which connotes the universality of having fathers as a shared experience. The first line also evokes the image of a father who must be forgiven. The speaker no longer asks if people need to forgive their fathers, but focuses on the process, the â€Å"how.† Apparently, the speaker does not know the process of forgiving someone as important in his life as a father. The poet continues the thought to the second line, which states: â€Å"Maybe in a dream† (Lourie 2). ... The future may be bleak when children have a hard time forgiving their fathers. The question of forgiveness is perceived with both hesitation and opportunity. The next few lines of the first stanza introduce the greatest faults of fathers in general. The third line continues to the idea of fathers’ deficiencies. It states: â€Å"Do we forgive our Fathers for leaving us too often or forever† (Lourie 3). Instead of answering the question â€Å"how,† the poet refers to the reasons why people have to forgive their fathers. The shift of the content from the â€Å"how† to the â€Å"why† provides a clearer explanation of the context of forgiveness. What have fathers done to be forgiven? The poet answers that fathers sometimes leave their families too much or forever, wherein â€Å"too often† means they always have to go to work, and for their spare time, they drink or spend it with their colleagues and friends. This aspect of fatherhood highlights c lass, race, and gender issues. The working class, especially low-income minority groups, spends their lifetime working to make ends meet. As fathers, the patriarchal society expects them to be the breadwinners, which is a gender issue. As men of the house, they must make money, or else, society questions their masculinity. To leave â€Å"forever,† on the contrary, means that the father has abandoned his family. He has sired a child and left him/her to his/her mother. This kind of fatherhood is criticized, but not as blatantly as mothers who abandon their children. Somehow, a masculine world condones abandoning fathers as an acceptable norm. These reasons for forgiving fathers are important because they undermine the essence of a father. A father who is gone or almost always gone can hardly be a father in

Agriculture Cooperatives in India Research Proposal

Agriculture Cooperatives in India - Research Proposal Example These farmers face several constraints and do not receive timely information. Inefficient water management, land holdings, credit facility, marketing of their produce and lack of value addition at the farm level are some of the constraints that the farmers face. Thus managing these farmers and providing support services is what led to forming agricultural cooperatives in India. Since the 1950s, cooperatives in various segments in the Indian economy have made a steady progress. Today India has the largest number of cooperatives in the world with a membership of over 200 million. Around 28 percent of the total cooperatives are the agricultural cooperatives with 137 million memberships dealing directly or indirectly with the agricultural sector (Ramesha, 2003). Agriculture contributes around 25% of the GDP and employs 65% of the workforce in the country. Agriculture and agriculture marketing is covered both by the states as well as the central government (AMR, n.d.). The cooperatives cover all the villages in the country and supply about 46 percent of the total rural credit. They are also responsible for distribution of fertilizers. The agricultural cooperatives credit structure has seen quantitative expansion but have structural defects and operational deficiencies. The main deficiencies are due to weak recycling of credit, poor resource mobilization, ineffe ctive lending and poor recovery. It was in 1958 that department of agriculture formed a Department of Cooperation under the Ministry of Community Development. In 1966, the Ministry of Community Development and Cooperation was merged with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which then came to be known as Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation (Agricoop, 2007). In 1971, this was again renamed as Ministry of Agriculture with four departments – department of agriculture, department of

In general Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In general - Essay Example In the original work, an author tends to own the writing by mentioning his name in it. The writer is responsible for the authenticity of information and is liable for consequences in case, the information is invalid. On the other hand, a plagiarized work lacks ownership. A reader can not believe that the writer had faith in the information he/she has included while plagiarizing in the paper. Originality in writing shows the author’s individualistic contribution in widening and deepening the sea of knowledge, whereas an individual who plagiarizes creates whirlpools in this sea. The most fundamental difference between originality and plagiarism is that the former gives birth to knowledge whereas the latter is a literary theft. Moreover, originality is clear whereas plagiarism often gets too blurred a concept to be put into black and white (â€Å"Types of Plagiarism†). For example, many times, the same old ideas have to be repeated in a new paper. If the language is suffic iently changed so as to remove the originality but the meaning is kept unchanged, would it not be a theft of idea? Different people have different answers to this question. Difference between description and analysis: Description is a straight mention of facts about a thing, matter, incident or anything.

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay Example for Free

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay Question: a) Discuss the opportunities and challenges of having access to a broader workforce. Answer: The Workforce is the total number of a countrys population employed in the armed forces and civilian jobs, plus those unemployed people who are actually seeking paying work. In other words, workforce also refers to Total number of employee (usually excluding the management) on an employers payroll. It may also mean all those that are available for work. Workers may be unionized, whereby the union conducts negotiations regarding pay and conditions of employment. In the event of industrial unrest, unions provide a coordinating role in organizing ballots of the workforce, and strike action. As the world becomes globalize, the workforce in industries/companies become diversifies. The broader workforce make up from employees that come from different age groups, race, beliefs, gender etc. Opportunities Provide training on core competencies Devise training is needed to address the needs of different levels of workers, including training directed at entry-level and less skilled staff, workers with degrees not directly relevant to afterschool, and workers pursuing credentials. We cannot afford to ignore the workers who stay only a short time or work part-time, because they make up too large a portion of our workforce. They need some minimum level of knowledge in the core competencies required to work in afterschool programs. Moreover, providing training and supporting pursuit of a credential is an excellent way to foster an attachment to the field. Expand Quality training and professional development opportunities Quality training and professional development opportunities are needed to be expanded for all workers, including encouraging programs to give workers paid time off to attend training. Another need is for approaches such as distance learning to increase access to training in rural areas. We also should establish a core group of high quality, recognized, and approved trainers and promote ways to share the knowledge of experienced afterschool staff, for example, through mentoring younger staff. Provide afterschool/youth work content in higher education curricula We need to work with institutions of higher education to provide more course work relevant to youth work and afterschool that could be accessed by workers and students pursuing credentials or a degree. We also need to work with these institutions to address the needs of the adult learners in our workforce who would be candidates for these courses. Advocate for funding for training and professional development Policymakers at all levels need to provide more funding specifically for training and professional development for afterschool staff through supports such as scholarships and loan forgiveness. In advocating for such funding, the afterschool field needs to highlight the connection between positive outcomes for children and youth in afterschool—a goal endorsed by policymakers—and the qualifications of the staff that provide afterschool services. Provide human resources staff with the training and resources they need to recruit and hire Although the focus of this project and resulting report is on the current afterschool workforce, it’s difficult not to consider the need for effective recruiting and hiring techniques in afterschool programs. A program’s workforce begins with, and its success reflects, the recruiting and hiring of employees who are adequately matched to a program’s core competencies and needs. Challenges Developing specific strategies for reaching the target populations There are people 18- 59 years old in the population who are all needed in the workplace and who need the education/training to take advantage of the opportunity it provides. The challenge is to develop marketing campaigns and services that focus on each of these groups, their specific education/training needs, and their need for user friendly access, delivery, and support systems. Further, there are significant shifts in the gender, ethnicity, and work experience within these populations. Studying these shifts identifies targeted opportunities for increased participation and support. The lack of clear, systemic, and complete information continues to be one of the major barriers to these populations. Several recent studies suggest the lack of useful labor market information contribute to the lack of participation. Developing a series of strategic alliances with business/industrial associations, professional associations, and assessment organizations Education curriculum and competency standards are no longer within the sole domain of the academy. Such areas as education content, achievement, and application are all reflections of constant evolutions in the world external to higher education. It is no longer possible for free standing independent education and training organizations to unilaterally maintain currency with the rapidly changing demands of the new economy. Curriculum is no longer fixed, singular, or limited in scope. Competency standards are evolving at increasing rates as are the related assessments. Further, the expansion of multiple employer related delivery options as well as the growth in industry recognized credentials suggest the need for formal alliances with external partners. Employer Associations Three fundamental shifts have shaken the employer world: 1) the rapid changes in technology and productivity and the resulting impact on workforce skills, 2)the dramatic shift in demographics with the loss of skilled workers and the lack of skilled entrants, and 3) the difficulty identifying effective educational ‘pipelines’ for skilled applicants. Both employers and educators are looking to industrial associations as partners in developing the definition of new skills and competencies, the related curriculum, the required assessments and, the resulting credentials. The move towards alignment (tuning) is increasingly dependent on association partnerships. Effective associations will have systems of continuous improvement that will ensure alignment between their education and training partners as well as their employer membership. This communication system opens up the pipeline for skilled workers and provides a communication system for internships, work based learning, and ultimate support for placement of graduates within the industry. The primary purpose of these alliances is to ensure both the continuous alignment and portability of academic content and outcomes with the constantly changing expectations of both the employer and academic world. Industry Recognized Certifications (IRC) Opportunities for more formal alliances occur with associations that sponsor formal industry certifications. These offer industry recognition of credentials and their accompanying competencies. They offer the individual portability of their recognized credentials and the institution a means of aligning curriculum, competencies, and assessments. An exceptional opportunity exists in providing academic credit to students enrolled in programs resulting in industry recognized certifications. Students engaged in technical training would be more inclined to stay in a program if they receive industry recognized credentials as well as specific credits toward academic or technical Associate degrees. This creates a unique prospect to engage students in seamless system of lifelong continuous learning. The prospects for long term strategic alliances with industry associations are enormous and offer great marketing benefits. Alliances with Professional and International Organizations Forming strategic alliances with professional organizations and accreditors ensures both alignment of curricula and outcome standards as well as ensuring the portability of the credits and credentials. These alliances are becoming increasingly recognized as significant pipelines for qualified professional applicants and they offer exceptional marketing opportunities to both student applicants and industry. Development of a ‘One Stop’ access to the new economy A ‘one stop centers’ is needed for individuals to: 1) get labor market information about high wage/high growth industries, 2) obtain available skill standards and/or IRC’s, 3) accredit their past training, education, and experience, 4) gain advice and counseling on entering post secondary education, 5) receive assistance with entrance to recognized academic and training programs, and, 6) get assistance with placement within the industry. The major problem with the labor market adjustment system in the United States is a completely bifurcated and user unfriendly information, counseling, advising, crediting, accessing, financing, and education/training system. Both the unemployed, re-entering adults and first time students are highly mobile learners who are looking for the access portal to the new economy. Stagnate outdated agencies, policies and systems are simply incapable of delivering such services. It is time to develop a new on-line system that would ensure all citizens ongoing and easy access to understandable and timely job matches, labor market information, and credentials needed for the new economy. All post secondary institutions have a unique opportunity to participate in the building of this broader set of services into a publically transparent system. Ability to offer, give a perception of and have the reputation of providing a ‘Guarantee’ This is the outgrowth of the need to close the loop between employers, students, and educators. The primary question is: does the institutions system of identified learning outcomes meet the academic and technical standards of the new economy and, then, does it ‘ensure’ that every graduate meets those standards? This means establishing standards, curriculum, and assessments that achieve these levels and ensuring that every graduate meets them. When substandard performance is recognized there is a system of remediation and ultimately the failure to graduate if the student simply cannot meet the institutional standards. Some would add that for any student hired which the employer believes does not meet the standard, the school would take them back and remediate them at no cost. While this would come with a cost, it is far more important to develop a reputation with employers for producing graduates that meet the industry standards for tomorrow’s economy. While this important for employers, it is imperative for students who want to be certain that the education/training they are engaged in will in fact prepare them for the new economy. Action on this challenge represents a fundamental shift away from the old system of ‘education opportunity’. For the future, it is about highly mobile students accessing a system that ‘ensures’ their achievement of the competencies required for the new economy. America’s exceptionally diverse post secondary education system has the capacity and commitment to implement this new relationship. (b) What extend Malaysia has benefited and also able to develop own Knowledge worker. The Malaysian labor force is generally educated. This is because youths who enter the labor market would have undergone at least 11 years of schooling. Furthermore, the proportion of labor force with secondary and tertiary education has risen over the years, making them easier to be trained and to learn new skills. Nonetheless, it has been argued that there is a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia. This shortfall in skilled labor was believed to be one of the causes for the tightness in the Malaysian labor market during the 1980s and 1990s, alongside a mismatch between demand for and supply of labor. Malaysia’s response to this matter is one of the reasons for the nation’s focus on human capital development in recent years. Since the mid-1990s, Malaysia has entered into a phase where new emphasis and demand for high technology and knowledge-based industries were in place. A change in the Malaysian economic policies was, therefore, needed in order to maintain the nation’s competitiveness. Knowledge-based economy is defined as one that is â€Å"directly based on the production, distribution and use of knowledge and information†¦ towards growth in high technology investments, high-technology industries, more highly skilled labor and associated productivity gains†. Malaysia adopted this definition into its Knowledge-based Economy Master Plan, which defines a knowledge-based economy as â€Å"an economy where knowledge, creativity and innovation play an ever-increasing and important role in generating and sustaining growth†. The Master Plan was developed to provide a strategic framework outlining the required changes to the fundamentals of the Malaysian economy. Since the concept of a knowledge-based economy revolves around knowledge and information as the key contributors to economic growth and development, the move towards a knowledge-based economy is expected to provide Malaysia with the necessary competitiveness in order to achieve a developed nation status and meet the objectives of Vision 2020. Several reasons were given as to why Malaysia should move into the knowledge-based economy. First, the nation has lost its global competitiveness in attracting FDI when it fell from the 18th place in 1994 to the 29th spot in 2001, as reported the World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD, various years). Related to this is the increasing competition for the country’s products from other developing countries, such as China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia that enjoy cheaper labor and more abundant resources. This is especially true in the case of China, where it has been reported that cheaper and equal quality goods from this new economic power, mainly in labor intensive textiles, would bring about stiff competition to Malaysia’s export goods in its domestic and international markets. Third, Malaysia’s economic policies have been affected by globalization and liberalization as barriers and protective walls that help sustain local industries are slowly removed and brought down. As a result, Malaysia, like all other developing economies will have to search for new products and services that are feasible in the emerging global market where the distinction between local and world markets is gradually disappearing. Such goods and services like aircraft, pharmaceuticals, ecommerce, tourism and educational services and ICT industries are common in the knowledge-based industries. Fourth, as Malaysia strives to become a developed nation by the year 2020, this would result in its current edge in producing goods and services for the global market, which hinges on low wages, to be eroded. This is because its cost levels would approach those of developed countries. To face this anticipated escalating labor cost, Malaysia needs to ensure higher value is added to its products in order for its industries to remain viable. Thus, for Malaysia to be competitive, it must produce goods and services to compete at comparable levels as those in developed countries. Again, such high value-added is generally provided by knowledge-based industries. Fifth, Malaysia needs to move into more profitable and wealth-generating stages of production. In other words, it has to make its manufacturing sector more profitable. To do so, Malaysian firms have little choice but to move into the pre- production stage (which includes product conceptualization, research and design, prototyping etc) and/or post-production stage (packaging, branding, marketing, retailing etc) of manufacturing, because there is less profit to be made from the core production process. These pre- and post-production stages also happen to be more knowledge-intensive compared to the existing core production process stage. Sixth, Malaysia needs to find new sources of growth in its economy as the old sources of growth have become less productive. A knowledge-based economy will provide some of these new sources of growth to enable Malaysia to sustain growth and dynamism. Finally, Malaysia needs to improve the contribution of the â€Å"total factor productivity† (TFP) in terms of improving the quality of workers, methods of doing things and other delivery activities (EPU, 2002: 5). To what extend do Malaysia able to develop own knowledge worker? Education: At the primary and secondary levels, some of the indicators for quality that tend to raise concerns have to do with the teaching profession, the curriculum, and the grading of schools. The most serious concern is that of teacher recruitment, salary, career path, work load and training. These concerns have discouraged many potentially good teachers from joining the profession. As regards the school curriculum, there are two sets of issues. The first has to do with content. The second set of issues deals with implementation of the curriculum, classroom size, expertise of teachers and courseware development. Overcrowding in urban schools can impede teaching and learning, including the effective delivery of the curriculum. At the tertiary level, concerns centre mainly on the issues of research, resources, faculty qualifications, and the quality of output. Some public institutions are not keen on being assessed and ranked by an external body. Consequently these institutions become less aw are of their weaknesses. This lack of awareness about their performance does not contribute to accountability. The public requires detailed information on the performance of various institutions in order to have confidence in them. In terms of the use of ICT, the largest provider for programmes in schools is the government, mainly the Ministry of Education (MOE). MIMOS, MDC and the private sector, including parent-teacher associations, are also involved. Some observations are made on the current trends and development of the ICT programmes in schools: ââ€" ª At this stage, ICT programmes at the school level are still heavily centered on infrastructure or procurement of hardware. Software (content development for courseware) and people ware (training) in the ICT programmes are more urgent. The hardware focus alone is inadequate to create the environment for e-education which can enhance teaching and learning and accommodate life-long learning. The software and people ware aspects that are necessary for e-education have to be considered and expanded. ââ€" ª There is a lack of co-ordination among the various agencies, namely MOE, MIMOS and MDC, in their supporting activities for the ICT programmes. Redundancy and wastage of resources can be avoided if there is better co-ordination. ââ€" ª In many schools, computers are often locked up in a special room or a lab, impeding their use for teaching and learning. The class time-table often does not include time for working or playing with computers. The costly equipment forces teachers in charge of the room to be cautious in allowing access, and this adds to the difficulty in utilizing the computers. ââ€" ª Most teachers have not had sufficient training to maximize the use of computers to enhance teaching and learning, and often merely impose traditional methods of drilling and rote learning using computers. This is mainly due to the emphasis on ICT literacy in teacher training programmes. ââ€" ª Due to the lack of a standard approach in the utilization of computers, student contact hours with computers cannot be established. ââ€" ª Teachers take charge of ICT centers in schools on a voluntary basis. Most of them do not have any formal training in ICT. There is often no technician who can assist the teachers with maintenance. Public higher education institutions, especially the universities, have been expanding their ICT programmes, especially over the past five years. Computer labs at the faculty level and computer centers for the university have been initiated and are in progress. ICT’s capacity to contribute to greater efficiency of work and resource management has not been fully exploited. E-mail facilities are not being maximized, and downloading lecture notes from the web or interacting with lecturers via e-mail or the web is still uncommon. The Internet is not being adequately accessed for lecture content. Another issue requiring attention is the need to develop quality private education. Private education in Malaysia is a relatively developed sector, particularly at the higher education level. As regards technical education, the system at the upper secondary level needs to address a number of issues: ââ€" ª Greater efforts should be made to improve hands-on skills among technical school students. The Technical Education Department has already introduced the contextual learning delivery system, which essentially recognizes that learning is a complex and multi-faceted process. Such learning goes far beyond theory, drill-oriented, stimulus and response teaching methodologies. It was introduced in Secondary Technical Schools in 1998 to help all students master higher-level academic and work skills. Instruction based on this strategy is being structured to help students apply their knowledge more effectively. ââ€" ª Greater efforts are required to improve the links between schools and industry. Currently the School Advisory Committees, established in all schools, comprise representatives from industries, higher education, Parent-Teacher Associations and Head Teachers who advise schools on curriculum and equipment. The Career Guidance, Industrial Liaison and Placement Unit in every school also provide career guidance and placement of students in industries. These should be further improved. B. Skills Training and Retraining Malaysia currently has several drawbacks with regards to the education and skills profile required for a K-based economy. It lacks an adequate pool of knowledge workers, sufficiently high enrolment in the sciences at tertiary levels, and a broad base of workers with minimum literacy, learning ability and skills. Educational reform takes time while the recruitment of foreign talent is merely a temporary measure. An effective response would be to train managers and workers to cope with the new demands of the K-based economy. Private and public sector managers need to be trained to reengineer their organizations into ‘learning organizations’ which can attract, retain and develop K-workers to make their organizations more competitive, service-oriented and efficient. To increase the quality and relevance of skills, greater autonomy and flexibility should be given to public sector training institutions to make them more responsive to the rapidly changing labor market requirements of a K-based economy. To minimize job dislocation resulting from the transition to the K-based economy, ‘bridging’ courses need to be organized for displaced workers, especially those who are old, uneducated, and un-trainable. The power of the Internet should also be harnessed to establish ‘net communities’ for citizens with special needs and interests to interact among them and with the government. For the economy as a whole, there is also a need for an efficient and speedy labor market information system to help ensure effective planning to meet the manpower demands of the K-based economy. This may require the establishment of a specialist study group, improved career counseling, and a directory of training institutions. In addition to providing basic education for all, in a K-based economy it is essential to stress Lifelong Learning and Education to help citizens cope with expanding knowledge and rapid change. The challenges of Lifelong Learning and Education in the context of the K-based economy include the following: 1. Producing a highly skilled, knowledge-rich workforce. 2. Reducing unemployment and re-skilling the workforce. 3. Addressing and adjusting to the needs of an aging society. C. Global Talent A world shortage of high level manpower is likely to increase the brain drain from Malaysia. While the high growth East Asian economies compete for Malaysian talent, particularly in ICT the more serious long-term competitors are the advanced K-based economies of the US and Europe which suffer serious shortages of ICT personnel. It is estimated that Europe and the US alone need two million more ICT workers by 2002. Recent changes to immigration laws enacted to attract foreign talent to the US have serious implications for Asia and for Malaysia’s efforts to retain domestic talent and attract foreign, particularly ICT talent. A Bill passed by US Congress in late 2000 allows US firms to recruit 600,000 foreigners, a third of them from India. The three-year programme takes effect from 2001. The US recruitment drive occurs in the context of a world-wide shortage of ICT talent, with Asian countries too unable to meet their domestic demand. Despite this the best and brightest Asians ( including Malaysians), are likely to be lured by better wages, work conditions, occupational mobility and the quality of life in the US and Europe. This ‘brain drain’ has already begun, with European and US recruiters scouring Asian universities for talent. This situation signals several dangers for Malaysia. Firstly, like the Asian countries, Malaysia too is likely to lose young graduates from local and foreign universities to firms in the US and Europe. Secondly, experienced Malaysians may also be recruited, with the Malaysian labor market serving as a ‘training ground’ for developed K-based economies. Thirdly, since the Asian shortage and US demand will deplete the international talent pool, Malaysia’s option of utilizing foreign talent will be limited. Foreigners who are recruited to work in Malaysia are also likely to treat Malaysia as a ‘training ground’ for eventual entry and settlement in the US and Europe. There are several ways Malaysia can cope with this situation: ââ€" ª One current advantage Malaysia has is that except for Singapore, other countries in the region including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and China, all of which also have ambitious ICT plans, have not moved fast enough to recruit foreign talent. Moving quickly to simplify immigration rules and ease recruitment of foreign talent will give Malaysia a competitive edge in recruitment. ââ€" ª Secondly, of all countries in the region, Malaysia probably has the most balanced set of attractions in terms of wages, low costs, quality of life, stability and safety. This advantage should be exploited to the fullest. ââ€" ª Thirdly, Malaysia’s rich and tolerant multi-ethnic heritage makes it attractive to a wide spectrum of expatriates, whether Caucasians, Middle-Easterners, East Asians or South Asians. Unlike its competitors in the region, Malaysia can therefore alleviate the problem of the world-wide shortage by recr uiting from a wide variety of countries and labor markets. The government itself has made several clear efforts to recruit foreign talent. In 1995-98 the Returning Scientists Programme managed by the Ministry of Science attracted 93 overseas-based foreign and Malaysian scientists on short-term contracts to local institutions. But their high wages posed a financial strain and contributed to wage inequities vis-a-vis local scientists. Recognizing the need for talent, the Returning Scientists Programme was revived in early 2001, and the recent national Budget provided incentives to encourage Malaysian experts abroad ‘who have the required expertise’ to return and serve the nation. Income remitted within two years from the date of arrival will be exempted from income tax. Two cars registered in the country of origin for at least six months will also be exempted from import duty and sales tax, while the husbands/wives and children of Malaysian citizens will now be given PR status within six months of the date of arrival. Previously, husbands who were non-citizens were not entitled to PR status, while non-citizen wives could only apply for PR after five years residence in Malaysia. The programme took effect from 1 January 2001. Under this programme, six fields of expertise and skills have been identified, i.e. IT, Science and Technology, Industry, Finance and Accounting, Arts, and Medicine and Health.

Abuelitas Beans Essay Example for Free

Abuelitas Beans Essay Nothing can be more enticing to a nose than waking up to the delicious aroma of simmering beans. The scent compels one to peal away the comforter and stagger into the kitchen for a bowl of creamy delicious beans. Pinto beans have been a staple in Mexican cuisine for hundreds of years, and every family has his/her own recipe. I recall, as a young girl growing up in a large, Mexican family, that there was always a large pot of legumes ready to nourish twelve mouths for less than five-dollars. Dad always ended his meal rubbing his barrel stomach while saying his favorite aphorism, â€Å"Pansa llena, corazon contento† (â€Å"Full belly, happy heart†), which always meant that the beans were delicious. Here is Abuelita’s recipe to fill the tummy of those that are endearing to one’s heart. Cooking beans really is not that hard. First, gather the supplies needed: one, five-quart slow-cooker with a ceramic liner with a glass lid cover, a sturdy plastic cooking spoon ( Abuelita always said that one should never stir the beans with a metal spoon or they will stick and burn.I obey her. ), one-pound dried pinto beans, one-half aromatic white onion, two fresh garlic cloves, water, and two tablespoons kosher salt. Several people have asked me, â€Å"Why a slow-cooker? † Well, all the women in the family cook the legumes in a cazuela (an earthenware pot made of clay). The cookware is either given to the bride at her wedding with hopes that her culinary endeavors will produce a happy marriage, or it is an inheritance from her mother or grandmother. The beans have a better taste if cooked in the cazuela, at least that is what the women in my family declare. I on the other hand, embrace the beauty of the slow cooker; it frees me to leave the house to run errands, and I have never endured stinky-burned beans. Once all the supplies and ingredients have been gathered and prepped, proceed by placing beans in a colander. Rinse the beans and run them through one’s hands to make sure debris is washed away, and small stones are picked out. Put the beans into the slow-cooker and cover them with water. Furthermore, add all the ingredients in the cooker. Except for the salt. Set the temperature at high for six to eight hours. After one hour, the earthy aroma starts to penetrate the whole house, reminding one of what will be for consumption. Please, if you want plump beans do not stir the beans during the first two hours. After approximately three hours, check to see if water is needed, due to water evaporation, and the legumes absorb a lot of water. Always add hot water never cold because the cold temperature lowers the heat and toughens the beans. Once another three hours has past, test the legumes for doneness. I was told when one bites into a bean, it should be soft and creamy. As a result from respecting the process, and not disturbing them, the pot liquid will have thickened leaving a delicious dark chocolate color broth for a healthy soup. Lastly, but not least, it is time to salt the beans. Add two tablespoons of kosher salt and stir with a wooden or plastic spoon. Go ahead and taste the broth and decide if more salt is needed. Always remember to gradually add salt to the beans since adding is easier than extracting. In the end, set the temperature to warm and ladle beans into the bowl of one’s choice. In conclusion, if an individual follows these simple steps of gathering supplies, for example, a slow-cooker, it will make the process of cooking worry free. Basically, pinto beans are easy to make, but easier to consume any time of day, resulting in everyone rubbing his/her tummy’s with contentment. â€Å"Buen Provecho! †(Enjoy your meal).