Pearson Announces New English Language Test

Pearson Announces New English Language TestPearson Announces New English Language TestWorking with GMAC, Pearson has just announced the release of a new English language test to rival ETS TOEFL. The new testPTE Academicwill be available for students on October 26th and 780 business schools have already expressed interest in accepting it in addition to the TOEFL. PTE Academic includes new features, such as increased security and a spoken word portion, to give admissions officers a sense of how the student speaksa service that the TOEFL lacks. The new test will also be less expensive than the TOEFL in some countries, and since it is a computer-based, student scores will be sent to their schools almost immediately once they finish the test.Although PTE Academic has received positive attention from BusinessWeek and Clear Admit, it still has a long way to go before it successfully rivals the TOEFL, as one of the TOEFLs main attractions is its ubiquity. Having one standard test makes it ea sy for admissions officers to compare applicants. Seven thousand schools accept the TOEFL, and in 2008, almost one mio students took the test. Pearson hopes that with GMACs help and PTE Academics new features and computer format will quickly make it a strong competitor.

Minimum Legal Working Age in California

Minimum Legal Working Age in CaliforniaMinimum Legal Working Age in CaliforniaFederal child labor laws state that the minimum age to work is 14 (with some exceptions). However, child labor laws in each state can vary slightly. Whenever there is a conflict between federal and state laws, the more restrictive law will apply. Californias minimum age to work is also 14 in most cases. According to the states Department of Industrial Relations, the specific rule in California requires children under the age of 18, who are considered minors, to have a permit to work for any job. Usually the minor will get a Department of Education work permit from his school once hes been offered a job. This is known by the cumbersome title Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit. The minors parents or legal guardian must sign the form, which is to be filled out by the minor and the potential employer. Once the signed form is returned to the school, the permit to employ and work is i ssued by school officials. Employers have to have a permit to employ from the Division of Labor Standards. Any minor work permit issued during a school year expires five days after the start of the next school year and have to be renewed even if hes working for the same employer. So for example, if a ninth grader gets a job in April and starts tenth grade on September 5, the work permit he received in April expires on September 15 unless he renews it. Rules for Entertainment Industry Theres an another requirement in California for some child workers, however, since the entertainment industry is a large employer in the state. California has specific rules regarding minors working in that sector, which apply not only to children appearing on television shows or in the movies but also to minors making recordings, and anyone under 18 working as a model for advertising or other media. The rules state that kids from age 15 days (as in two weeks old) to 18 years working in the entertai nment industry must have anEntertainment Work Permit. These are good for six months, and are issued by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Theres also a temporary Entertainment Work Permit available for minors in California, good for ten days. Even if the work the child actor or model is performing is non-commercial in nature, a work permit is required. How to Get an Entertainment Work Permit When applying for an entertainment work permit in California for the first time, if the child is of kindergarten age or younger than school age, documentation is required, which can include a passport, birth certificate or baptismal certificate. If the child is younger than one month old, a letter from a pediatrician certifying that the child is healthy enough for the employment activity is required along with the other documentation. And for school-age children between grades 1 and 12, a letter from school officials certifying attendance, health and school records is also required . Besides the Entertainment Work Permit, most of Californias regulations for working minors are fairly typical with what other states require.

New Trends in Transportation and Logistics Recruitment

New Trends in Transportation and Logistics RecruitmentNew Trends in Transportation and Logistics RecruitmentNew Trends in Transportation and Logistics Recruitment CleaverWith baby boomers rushing toward the retirement finish line including many in the trucking industry transportation and logistics employers are searching for new ways to fill their soon-to-be-vacant seats.Whether its hiring OTR truck drivers or filling the demand for forklift operators, transportation employers are looking for candidates who are collaborative with peers and adept with technology.A Demand for New SkillsOne industry hotspot is in infrastructure planning, design, and construction, according to the American Public Transportation Association.The public transit segment, fueled by $18.2 billion in Federal, state and local appropriations, is hiring for growth as well as to replace retiring baby boomers.This funding has impacted the demand for civil engineers, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expec ts to rise 20% in the next several years, compared to a 5% rate for mechanical engineers.Likewise, demand for positions such as logistics managers and supply chain project managers is growing by 24.5%, says the BLS, due to international shipping. These positions manage often complex distribution chains that assure that goods get from one mode of transportation such as ships to another, such as trains.Traditional modes of travel, such as air, are growing only at a moderate pace. Air travel is just beginning to recover from the recession, so demand for flight attendants and mechanics is growing only moderately.Sourcing and Retaining Transportation WorkersWhere is the industry sourcing workers? Veterans and midlife job-shifters are two prime areas.Workers with two decades or more of experience at office jobs often are eager to trade a cubicle for the open road, only to discover that transportation employers increasingly count customer service skills as core competencies, says Lynn Will ey, a placement specialist with Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Nebraska. Many students are re-careering, adds Lynn Willey.Additionally, experienced hires often have working knowledge of computer systems, although they also must be trained early and often on emerging tech tools.Jon Beauregard, regional warehouse manager for the Salt River Project, an Arizona utility based in Tempe, says he looks for candidates who can landsee beyond their own jobs.Being able to relate their industry is what the job is here, he says. You have to see what their attitude is for training, and being able to apply their experience to new situations. Increasingly, transportation managers are focusing on retaining their hard-won recruits. Competitive employers pitch candidates with a scope of internal opportunities, from soft-skills training for those who are interested in management to offering rewards for process improvement for entrepreneurial-minded workers.How Technology is Transforming Transpo rtationMobile technology is transforming the transportation industry, from tracking the location of vehicles, containers and parcels to predicting the location of goods. This has increased demand for skills and experience in the development and management of mobile apps, bar code systems, and remote tracking technologies.Mobile technologies are a saving grace for transportation employers who have grown weary of trying to recruit younger workers who seek workplace flexibility and who frown upon the industrys requirements for long stints on the road for OTR truckers.Gen X and Gen Y, dont like the work-life balance of the industry, but they do like the high tech tools, says Stephen Prelipp, a trucking and transportation consultant based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.Mobile telecommunications that let transportation workers stay in close contact with their families has dissolved some resistance to the scheduling demands and made it a bit easier to win them to the industry, says Prelipp . Technology has also impacted the role of the dispatchers.A Growing Need for Customer Service SkillsMore than ever, every potential new hire in transportation must understand that their attitude and actions ripple through the workplace to affect customers, adds Beauregard.From flagging a safety problem to taking kampagne with a process improvement, Beauregard looks for employees throughout the operation who can think a few steps ahead of their immediate responsibilities.We want customer service as the focus of all operators. They may not be interfacing with the end utility customer but we want them to treat the internal customers with the same courtesy as they might with someone whos on the outside. Thats basic for us, he says.More ResourcesDispatchers The Crucial Lifeline for OTR TruckersHow to Hire Local Truck Drivers Job SkillsHow to Hire Over the Road Truck Drivers Job SkillsHow to Hire Forklift Operators Job Skills