Workforce

About: Workforce is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 32140 publications have been published within this topic receiving 449850 citations. The topic is also known as: labour force & labor force.

Who Wants to Work in a Rural Health Post? the Role of Intrinsic Motivation, Rural Background and Faith-Based Institutions in Ethiopia and Rwanda/Qui Est Dispose a Travailler Dans Un Poste De Sante En Milieu Rural? le Role De la Motivation Propre, Des Origines Rurales et Des Institutions Confessionnelles En Ethiopie et Au Rwanda/?Quien Quiere Trabajar En Un Puesto De Salud Rural? Papel De la Motivacion Intrinseca

Abstract: Introduction Health workers form the foundation of health service delivery: their numbers, skill and commitment are critical for the delivery of good quality health care Geographical imbalances in the health workforce, a problem common to most health systems, raise concerns about equity (ie differential access to health care) and efficiency (ie the allocation of resources to those areas where they have the greatest impact on health outcomes) Fortunately, renewed attention is being given to this problem, which is particularly relevant for developing countries, where resources are limited and health outcomes are often poor Ultimately, success or failure in attracting health staff to rural facilities or retaining them in rural posts depends on health workers' preferences and choices A growing body of evidence shows that non-wage job attributes, such as training opportunities, career development prospects, and living and working conditions, play a role in what health workers choose (1-4) However, factors on the supply side, such as health workers' preferences, have received little attention, despite the fact that policy-makers seeking to address geographic imbalances need to also take these factors into account Policies have shifted from compulsory rural service, which is difficult to manage and enforce, to providing economic incentives for such service in the form of rural allowances and bonuses (5,6) But in the absence of rigorous evaluation, just how effective these incentives are in attracting health workers to rural areas or retaining them in rural posts is uncertain The available evidence suggests that such measures can improve short-term recruitment, but their effect on long-term retention is less clear, (7-8) To address these difficulties, countries as diverse as Australia, the United States of America (USA), Indonesia and Thailand have developed recruitment programmes that target health workers who have particular reasons for being committed to rural service (5,6,9-12) Emerging survey evidence suggests that health workers with a rural background are more willing to work in rural posts and are more responsive to incentives to work in rural areas (12-16) Recent theoretical work also suggests that intrinsic motivation, ie the desire to do something for its own sake, can have a strong effect on job choice New evidence confirms this for health workers in developing countries (16-21) However, most human resource policies do not take into account heterogeneity in health worker preferences This paper examines the extent to which health workers differ in their willingness to work in rural areas and the reasons for these differences, based on the data collected in Rwanda analysed individually and in combination with data from Ethiopia Methods Study setting and data Over the last decade, Rwanda has allocated considerable financial resources to the health sector Nevertheless, key indicators of health service utilization and health outcomes remain well below the average for sub-Saharan Africa (22,23) Policy-makers in Rwanda agree that an overall shortage of human resources and geographic imbalances in health worker allocation are the main constraints to improving health care Specifically, almost 88% of physicians and 58% of nurses in the country work in urban areas, despite the fact that 82% of the population resides in rural areas (24,25) In 2008 we conducted a cohort survey of 288 nursing students and 124 medical students in Rwanda This was equivalent to 53% and 76% of all nursing and medical students in the country, respectively, during the selected period The sample used for the regression analysis in this study only contained second- and third -year nursing students and medical students in their final year, so that the total number of observations was reduced to 222 A similar cohort survey was conducted in Ethiopia in 2005 and the results of a combined analysis for Ethiopia and Rwanda are presented later in the paper …

From the NIH: A Systems Approach to Increasing the Diversity of the Biomedical Research Workforce

Abstract: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is committed to attracting, developing, and supporting the best scientists from all groups as an integral part of excellence in training. Biomedical research workforce diversity, capitalizing on the full spectrum of skills, talents, and viewpoints, is essential for solving complex human health challenges. Over the past few decades, the biomedical research workforce has benefited from NIH programs aimed at enhancing diversity. However, there is considerable room for improvement, particularly at the level of independent scientists and within scientific leadership. We provide a rationale and specific opportunities to develop and sustain a diverse biomedical research workforce through interventions that promote the successful transitions to different stages on the path toward completion of training and entry into the biomedical workforce.

Towards a New Understanding of the Relationships between Higher Education and Employment.

Abstract: Do we have to reconsider the prevailing ways of perceiving and interpreting the relationships between higher education and employment? If so, what are the appropriate approaches at the end of the 20th century? Obviously, concern about unemployed graduates is more pronounced than in the past. The changing professional role of graduates in the wake of educational expansion is again on the agenda. The public debate about the relationships between higher education and employment indicates an increased trend towards utilitarian views combined with growing uncertainty about how utilitarian intentions can be translated into strategic action. Finally, political developments, such as the growing economic and social integration of the European Union as well as the socio-political transformation in Central and Eastern Europe, have substantial implications for the relationships between higher education and employment. Recently, various efforts have been made to summarise facts and interpretations. For example, in the late 1980s the OECD commissioned national case studies about the transition from higher education to employment (OECD, 1993). The Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (Brennan, Kogan & Teichler, 1995) and the Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education recently focused their annual conferences on these issues. The OECD and the Commission of the European Union (OECD, 1995) chose this topic as one of the four major themes of a series of conferences and workshops on future developments of higher education in Central and Eastern Europe. Last but not least, the selection of articles in this and the previous issue of the European Journal of Education reflects the re-emerging interest in this theme. Is higher education expected more strongly than in the past to consider its contribution to technological innovation and economic growth? Does the growing sense of a competitive environment for higher education create a need to find one niche or competitive edge in the labour market for graduates? Does higher education redefine its role for society when graduates become part of a highly qualified workforce? Which educational approaches are most suitable in the wake of growing uncertainty as regards both future demands in general and, more specifically, the future careers and tasks of the individuals currently enrolled at institutions of higher education? Why do we note a growing emphasis on the autonomy of higher education concurrent with more complaints about tensions