Universities not Graduating Enough People to Ensure National Competitiveness

 Higher Education institutions may not be graduating enough people to ensure that the country stays competitive. I read an opinion piece in the Harvard Magazine called America's Higher-Education Agenda. The premises of the paper is that we are not graduating enough qualified people to maintain national competitiveness. We are not developing enough intellectual capital.

Two points were brought forward that are thought provoking:

1.  Only 34% of 25-29 year-olds had a bachelor's degree and this is two low to ensure the success of the country in a global economy.

2. Lower socioeconomic status high school students had a 14% chance of earning a bachelor degree while higher socioeconomic status high school students had a 60% chance of earning a bachelor degree.

What this paper reveals is that we don't have enough intellectual power in-house to maintain our competitive positions. Those institutions that serve lower economic status students are needed to achieve long-term national goals. Our national policies may not be in alignment with our needs.

The concern is the way that government officials view higher education institutions. While the traditional system appears to work in some ways it doesn't capture the full market need and alternative type schools are looked down upon. Instead of trying to maintain a status quo we should be seeking to find innovative ways of reaching and educating students; especially those from lower socioeconomic status.

 

 

Using Photos to Enhance your Site

Photos are worth a thousand words. People read, most often skim content, but when a photo is added it can put all of the information together in a way that makes instant sense. Many businesses stick any old photo up there that his little benefit for their business or the amount of visitors they will receive. Creating a website with aligned and thoughtful pictures can increase your visitors.

People take the quick route to understanding a website before deciding to invest their time and energy in reading its contents. They look at the overall display, pictures, titles, headings, and the first few sentences of the leading paragraph.

If the "first impression" is not done well the site will not be able to maximize its stickiness and retain customers in a way that will covert them to sales. Customers might take a quick look and then just click back if they don't think they will find what they are looking for. There are millions of sites...why yours?

Consider the picture to the right dubbed "Zen". This picture represents solitude, health, reflection and meaning. It could be used on a yoga site, massage, or health site to enhance the overall impression. As soon as someone glances at this picture they instantly get the message.

Pictures have feelings associated with them. If you can get a customer to feel something they will be be motivated to invest their time scouring your site.

Before you select the photos you want on your site make sure you know what the site stands for and what you hope to accomplish from it. Break down your site into a few descriptive keywords. Use those words to select your picture to ensure maximum emotional and mental engagement that encourages them to stay longer and read your content. With any luck, you can convert them to a customer.

The Sailor Personality and Lifestyle

Sailing is a sport that can easily turn into a lifestyle. People are drawn to sailing for many reasons and certain types of personalities flourish. The is part of the extreme sports family allowing true personalty types to come out and show their resilience.

If you are an leisure sailor, traverse the world in solitude, or compete in races you are attracted by the ocean and the ability to glide along water in the way our ancestors did. As a communal or solidarity sport it provides opportunities to look out at new horizons and engage in charted activities.

According to Sport England there are certain types of personalities that are attracted to sailing.

The Explorer-attracted by the natural world and driven by emotions and learning.

The Challenger- battles nature and pushes for goal achievement and mastery.

Outdoor Fitness- likes to workout outdoors and uses sports as fitness and recreation.

The Tribal Member- seeks to compete in groups and develop a sense of community.

The Learning- uses sailing as a method of learning.

The Freestyler- lifestyle enthusiasts who enjoy the prestige of sailing.

The Thrill- seek to get the adrenaline pumping and take risks.

Evaluating Training Through Kirkpatrick's Four Level Training Model

How do you know if your training program is on track? In his book Evaluating Training Programs, Professor Donald Kirkpatrick proposed that Reaction, Learning, Behavior and Results constitute a solid corporate training program. The model helps training professions understand how their programs are functioning and whether or not they need to make adjustments.

Reaction: How does your audience react to the training? Do they understand and seem to connect with the material. If they are not engaged in the training then you might need to make some adjustments in content and style.

Learning: Has your participants learned? Having definable objectives and then assessing their learning helps in ensuring that people are taking away valuable knowledge that can be used in other places.

Behavior: Has the learning impacted your trainees? If their behavior hasn't changed and they have not learned to apply their ideas then they are unlikely to have gained much from the course. The best route is to develop higher levels of behavior changes that produces results in the workplace.

Results: What has been the total impact of the training? If it hasn't led to increased sales, lower mistakes, or some other viable objective then the training didn't have as much impact. Results justify the program and future programs.

2017 International Conference Social Sciences Humanities and Education Milan

November 9-11, 2016

Milan, Italy
Conference Venue at The BW Antares Hotel Concord Milano

Submission Deadline: Contact us via email:ictttconfo@gmail.com

OVERVIEW
The ICBTS Conference Center, four years ago for organized conference, hosts the International Conference Social Sciences Humanities and Education to promote all academic research in the field.

Please join us for the 2016 International Conference Social Sciences Humanities and Education in Milan. The purpose of the conference is to provide an opportunity for researchers to present their ideas, proposals, or completed research in all areas of education. Since 15 to 30 different countries are typically represented, presenting at this conference is a great way to get feedback from researchers with a different perspective. An extensive list of acceptable topics is available on our website. 

In addition to the International Conference Social Sciences Humanities and Education, we are also hosting an International Conference Business Tourism and Sciences which will be held concurrently; one registration covering both. 

INQUIRIES
Inquiries: conferenceteam@icbtsconference.com; ictttconfo@gmail.com
Web address:
http://www.ictttconference.com/15199807/milan-social-sciences-education-conference

Wine Review of Menghini Merlot

Ruby red, fruity aroma with a hint of cherry and a semi-dry taste are some of the words that describes Menghini's Merlot. The first thing you will notice about the wine is that it is smooth. It has almost no aftertaste and doesn't seem to be either too dry or wet. I would characterize it as a little more wet than dry.

Smooth typically means the wine doesn't have high tannins or acidity. The first thing we noticed was its mildness making it a solid table wine that will appeal to most palates.

This can occur for many reasons. Age will often make a wine taste more smooth while using smaller barrels in the curing process can also help. 

Menghini Winery is relatively small and produces around 4,000 cases a year just outside of Julian California. They have a tasting room and events like crush the grapes dances and more. You might want to check out their site below.

https://www.facebook.com/Menghini-Winery-334699435773/
https://www.yelp.com/biz/menghini-winery-julian-3

1150 Julian Orchards Dr
Julian, CA 92036

Make Sure Your Business Doesn't Go Underwater by Watching 20 Somethings!

Businesses must continually renew themselves or face the risk of decline. Every business has their ups and downs but when the down is no longer part of a natural cycle it is necessary to adjust your business propositions and approach. Making sure your business doesn't go underwater means watching market trends. In this case, watching the 20 somethings is a good place to point your efforts!

Evaluating your business from a market standpoint can help in creating stronger approaches to understand what precisely must change in order to gain market share. For example, if house phones are going out of style it is necessary to think of new tools that houses can use to find alternatives to a shrinking market.

Sometimes it is best to look at the purchasing habits of the younger generation to determine what will and will not have market relevance. The early 20's are in the process of formulating their purchasing strategies that will last them throughout their lives. If they like bright clothes when they are young they are likely to continue to buy bright clothes throughout their lives.

Branding, style, and loyalty are often associated with our memories of the products. Therefore, we must continually look at what is coming down the line when these 20 somethings start to maximize their earning and buying power. That will give you a 5 to 10 year leeway to adjust. The process should then start all over......