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This article examines how front line Chinese social workers navigate between several professional ideals and mobilise different values through their everyday practices. Often starting the work without formal qualifications, their professional identity evolves through a combination of on-the-job training and supervision, studying national textbooks for qualifying exams, and exposure to international ideas about social work. Discussions about social work in China have typically centred on the applicability of Western models and the political dynamics between different stakeholders. The current study extends these discussions by taking a view ‘from below’ on how different—and at times conflicting—sets of professional standards are experienced by social workers and how they make decisions within this context. The analysis is based on ethnographic fieldwork at a social service centre in Guangzhou that caters to both foreign and local populations. China has trained more than a million individuals in social work, and 312,000 people are employed as social workers (Ministry of Civil Affairs, 2018). This article seeks to illuminate the qualitative implications of this globally unprecedented quantitative expansion.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread school closures, disrupting adolescents’ education at a critical phase. These disruptions raised concerns about diploma attainment and the transition to further education or employment. This study examines the impact of COVID-related school closures in the Netherlands on basic qualification attainment and post-school activities. Methods We analysed the Dutch School Leavers Survey, adjusting for socio-demographic, economic, and educational factors. Secondary education (VO) and vocational (MBO) students who left school were included (N = 30,833), comparing pre-COVID (2016-2019) and COVID (2020-2022) cohorts. Logistic regression analyses examined minimum educational qualification and having paid work, while multinomial regression analyses examined post-school activities. Results During the pandemic, school leavers were more likely to complete their minimum qualification and engage in paid work. Secondary education students who left school during COVID were more likely to drop out of or complete only brief follow-up education than pre-COVID leavers. Both secondary education and vocational students in the COVID cohort were less likely to focus solely on studies compared to pre-COVID students and more likely to combine education with work or work exclusively. Conclusions The results show a shift in the education-to-work transition, with adolescents more likely to enter work earlier or combine it with study. COVID school leavers were also more likely to complete the minimum qualification and exit further education sooner. These shifts may reflect changes in education delivery, the labour market, or personal factors. Relaxed exam policies during COVID may have led to early qualifications, increasing the risk of dropout due to enrolment before students were ready. These changes highlight the need to assess how disruptions like school closures affect adolescents and to support them towards their intended post-school pathways. Key messages • COVID school leavers were more likely to gain basic qualifications, leave further studies and work sooner. • Findings stress the need to track disruptions and assist students’ post-school transitions.

The OBE concept is result oriented education, focusing on whether students have obtained phased research results and enhancing their sense of learning acquisition. Once proposed, it has been deeply recognized by engineering researchers and widely studied. This teaching model is consistent with the ancient teaching philosophy of \"unity of knowledge and action, and application of learning\" in China. Exploring the design practice of professional courses based on the Chinese style OBE teaching mode, and exploring the helicopter power supply system course from the teaching mode, practical links, and evaluation assessment, in order to improve students’ learning effectiveness and lay a solid foundation for future job qualifications.

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare and vital to patient outcomes. Newly qualified nurses face significant challenges, with many leaving the profession within 2 years, worsening the nursing shortage. This study aimed to examine how work-to-family conflict, job demands, job control, and social support influence the career intentions of nursing students in the Czech Republic. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and December 2023 using a self-administered online questionnaire. The instrument was adapted from the Nurses Early Exit Study and included validated measures related to psychosocial working conditions and work-to-family balance. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics to explore associations between these factors, health-related characteristics, and students' intentions to remain in or leave the nursing profession. Among 559 respondents, WAI scores were significantly associated with gender, self-perceived health (  = 0.531), and exhaustion (  = -0.542). Social support improved training expectations alignment (AOR = 1.021, < 0.001) and increased likelihood of pursuing nursing qualifications (AOR = 1.308, =0.004). Conversely, exhaustion negatively influenced endurance (AOR = -0.247, =0.030) and increased the likelihood of switching careers (AOR = 1.145, =0.019). Work ability positively predicted endurance (AOR = 0.309, < 0.001) and reduced career-shift intentions (AOR = 0.891, =0.003). Despite strong training endurance, 55.6% considered leaving nursing, citing exhaustion and work-family conflict as key factors. Social support emerged as a protective factor, aligning training expectations with clinical experiences and encouraging further nursing qualifications. Work ability promoted endurance in training and reduced career shift. In contrast, exhaustion, work-family conflict, poor health, and negative clinical experiences-including bullying-undermined retention. Nursing education administrators and healthcare managers should prioritize supportive environments, strengthen mentorship and peer support, and implement interventions to reduce stress and improve clinical placements to enhance retention and workforce sustainability.

International medical graduates (IMGs) are an essential workforce for many high-income countries worldwide and are often recruited to fill workforce shortages. Studies identify workplace discrimination as a major challenge for IMGs. However, little detailed exploration has been undertaken on this issue. We designed a sequential explanatory mixed methods study to explore details of inequitable treatment perceived by IMGs in Australia. An online survey was distributed to IMGs across Australia. We analysed data descriptively and tested for significant demographic differences against the primary discrimination variable using tests of association (t-test and chi-squared tests). Following analysis, individual interviews were undertaken by telephone, teleconference or face-to-face. Thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative study components. All data was triangulated to assess areas of congruence and difference and to gain fuller understanding of the data. We surveyed and interviewed 286 and 36 IMGs respectively. Most survey respondents reported that IMGs were disadvantaged when compared to Australian graduates, primarily due to registration and bureaucratic processes. Institutions/organisations and senior staff were implicated as major perpetrators of discrimination. Subtle experiences of interpersonal discrimination were reported by > 75% of those reporting discrimination in the last five years. Statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) were identified between the primary discrimination variable and ethnicity, native language, country of primary medical qualification and employment status. Negative sequelae of discrimination on IMG health and career progress were reported. Four themes were identified: i) Disadvantage as an independent construct to discrimination; ii) Structural and institutional discrimination facilitates exploitation; iii) Workplace bullying is a manifestation of inequitable treatment; iv) Inequitable treatment has physical and mental health implications for IMGs. High congruence was detected on triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative results. IMGs describe various aspects of discrimination and disadvantage in Australia, warranting further investigation and action. Institutions are responsible for supporting a more equitable and inclusive environment for IMGs.

This paper considers gendered patterns of participation in post-compulsory STEM education. It examines the trajectory of learning that takes students from A-level qualifications, through undergraduate work and into employment or further study. It also uses a long-term view to look at the best available evidence to monitor participation and attainment over an extended period of time. The findings suggest that almost three decades of initiatives to increase participation in STEM subjects have had little noticeable impact on the recruitment data and gendered patterns of participation persist in several subject areas. This is despite more women entering HE and little gender difference in the entry qualifications for STEM subjects. While more women are studying science, as broadly conceived, than ever before, recruitment to key areas, namely physics and engineering remains stagnant. However, for those women who do remain in the 'science stream' patterns of employment in graduate careers and further study appear relatively equitable.

Background Peer health navigators (PHNs) work with their own communities to provide health navigation support and connect with patients through shared experience and identity. The aim of this study was to explore the role of PHNs in the Australian health system from the perspective of managers and experts, with a focus on understanding how to build and sustain this workforce in Australia. Methods Individuals who employ and manage PHNs, as well as subject matter experts in the navigation field from a range of health and academic organisations across Australia, participated in semi‐structured interviews. A descriptive qualitative approach based on naturalistic inquiry was used to analyse the interview data. Themes were framed around an adapted socio‐ecological model using four levels: individual, interpersonal, organisational and societal (combined community and policy). Results Seventeen themes were identified within the four levels of the adapted socio‐ecological model: individual (personal attributes, knowledge and skills, lived experience), interpersonal (boundary setting: professional, boundary setting: professional meets personal, boundary setting: self‐care, supervision and debriefing), organisational (recruitment, qualifications and prerequisites, clear job description and expectations, training, role duties and tasks) and societal (value of peer navigators in Australia, government support, funding, strategic approach to workforce planning, workforce governance). Conclusion PHNs are a valuable part of the Australian health system. A cohesive, strategic, national approach is required to ensure the development of the workforce and the sustainability of programs and allow for navigators to be embedded within the Australian health system. Patient or Public Contribution This study is part of a larger project that developed formal education and training courseware materials for health navigators in Australia. The materials were co‐designed with patients, managers and subject matter experts. In this paper, we sought the perspective from managers and experts across Australia who work with diverse groups of patients.

Using a unique sample of 5,022 workers in 94 large German workplaces, the authors explore whether and how women’s access to higher level positions, firms’ human resources practices, and workers’ qualification levels are associated with gender differences in earnings. First, they find that having more women in management reduces the gender earnings gap for jobs with low qualifications, but not those with high qualifications. Second, they find that while men’s compensation is positively affected by having a male supervisor, women with a female supervisor do not receive such an advantage. Finally, they find that human resources practices and job-level qualifications moderate the association between gendered power and gender earnings inequalities. Integrating women into managerial and supervisory roles does not automatically reduce gender inequalities; its impacts are contingent on organizational context.

Using a correspondence field experiment, the study reported in this article has investigated if immigrant job applicants with equivalent qualifications are treated differently in the Finnish labour market. The study consists of 5000 job applications that were sent out to 1000 advertised positions by five applicants of Finnish, English, Iraqi, Russian and Somali backgrounds, who differed only in their names. The findings show that applicants of immigrant origin receive significantly fewer invitations for a job interview than the native candidate, even if they possess identical language proficiency, education and vocational diplomas. However, the extent of discrimination is not equally distributed among the immigrant groups. Rather, job applicants from non-European backgrounds seem to suffer a significantly greater labour-market penalty. The findings clearly suggest that, despite anti-discrimination legislation and measures aimed at promoting equal employment opportunities, discrimination continues to remain a serious barrier to immigrants’ labour-market integration in a Nordic welfare society.

This study investigates how board size and occupational background of directors differentially influence social performance in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Using data from California hospitals, we develop a quantitative measure of social performance and provide the following empirical evidence. First, board size is negatively (positively) associated with social performance in for-profit (non-profit) hospitals. Second, the presence of government officials on the board is negatively (positively) related to social performance in for-profit (non-profit) hospitals. Third, representation of physicians on the board is positively associated with social performance in for-profit hospitals, whereas their presence is not significantly related to social performance in non-profit hospitals. Our findings highlight the different effects of governance mechanisms on social performance in for-profit and non-profit organizations.