Described are a number of national and local initiatives that are taken to motivate young people to choose for technical education. From the local initiatives we focus on the area where Fontys and Actemium are located; the southeast of the Netherlands. Not only governmental organizations and foundations are active in this field but also (industrial) companies become more aware of the fact that creating interest for professions in technology should start at the earliest possible age. History shows that initiatives become more effective when not only directed to promotion, but accompanied by appropriate projects. We conclude with an example of a technology event and a discussion of the effectiveness of the initiatives.
This paper extends the use of a framework identifying four types of barriers to lifelong learning (LLL): institutional, situational, dispositional, and informational. Initially applied to Nordic universities, the framework is now used to interview global stakeholders about LLL provisioning. The study explores commonalities and differences across regions, and the frameworkandapos;s potential to highlight key barriers and enablers, informing strategic and policy changes. The countries involved are Denmark, Norway, Finland, Holland, and Singapore. Following the description from each country, it identifies institutional, situational, dispositional, and informational barriers, which are interrelated and influence LLL in a more global context. Challenges include funding, balancing job and family commitments, and the need for a learnercentric approach. The study reveals that LLL plays a minor role in universities, with insufficient encouragement despite being included in strategies. Major obstacles include restrictive legislation, bureaucratic boundaries, and unstable funding models. Overcoming these could enable nationwide or transnational platforms for LLL.
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The research presented in this thesis has highlighted (bio)geochemical, hydrological, and wetland ecological processes that interact and enhance ecosystem development on wetlands built on fine sediment. A combination of greenhouse and laboratory experiments were conducted. Some measured data from these experiments formed important input for subsequent analysis in a modeling environment. The findings presented in Chapters 2-6 can be divided into four topics: 1) Plant–soil interactions in the terrestrial zone, 2) wetland–terrestrial processes influencing nutrient availability in the land–water zone, 3) effects of plants on sediment consolidation in the terrestrial zone, and 4) effects of bioturbation on nutrient availability in the aquatic zone. The next sections give a summary of the results for these four topics. The last section summarizes the recommendations formulated for the Marker Wadden project.
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