Palynology The Scientific Study of Pollen and Spores

Palynology is the scientific study of pollen and spores, those virtually indestructible, microscopic, but easily identifiable plant parts found in archaeological sites and adjacent soils and water bodies. These tiny organic materials are most commonly used to identify past environmental climates (called paleoenvironmental reconstruction), and track changes in climate over a period of time ranging from seasons to millennia. Modern palynological studies often include all micro-fossils composed of highly resistant organic material called sporopollenin, which is produced by flowering plants and other biogenic organisms. Some palynologists also combine the study with those of organisms that fall into the same size range, like diatoms and micro-foraminifera; but for the most part, palynology focuses on the powdery pollen that floats on the air during the blooming seasons of our world. Science History The word palynology comes from the Greek word palunein meaning to sprinkle or scatter, and the Latin pollen meaning flour or dust. Pollen grains are produced by seed plants (Spermatophytes); spores are produced by seedless plants, mosses, club mosses, and ferns. Spore sizes range from 5-150 microns; pollens range from under 10 to more than 200 microns. Palynology as a science is a little over 100 years old, pioneered by the work of the Swedish geologist Lennart von Post, who in a conference in 1916 produced the first pollen diagrams from peat deposits to reconstruct the climate of western Europe after the glaciers had receded. Pollen grains were first recognized only after Robert Hooke invented the compound microscope in the 17th century. Why Is Pollen a Measure of Climate? Palynology allows scientists to reconstruct the history of vegetation through time and past climate conditions  because, during the blooming seasons, pollen and spores from local and regional vegetation are blown through an environment and deposited over the landscape. Pollen grains  are created by plants in most ecological settings, in all latitudes from the poles to the equator. Different plants have different blooming seasons, so in many places, they are deposited during much of the year. Pollens and spores are well preserved in watery environments and are readily identifiable at the family, genus, and in some cases species level, based on their size and shape. Pollen grains are smooth, shiny, reticulate, and striated; they are spherical, oblate, and prolate; they come in single grains but also in clumps of two, three, four, and more. They have an astonishing level of variety, and a number of keys to pollen shapes have been published in the past century that make fascinating reading. The first occurrence of spores on our planet comes from sedimentary rock dated to the mid-Ordovician, between 460-470 million years ago; and seeded plants with pollen developed about 320-300 mya during the Carboniferous period. How It Works Pollen and spores are deposited everywhere across the environment during the year, but palynologists are most interested in when they end up in bodies of water--lakes, estuaries, bogs--because sedimentary sequences in marine environments are more continuous than those in the terrestrial setting. In terrestrial environments, pollen and spore deposits are likely to be disturbed by animal and human life, but in lakes, they are trapped in thin stratified layers on the bottom, mostly undisturbed by plant and animal life. Palynologists put sediment core tools into lake deposits, and then they observe, identify and count the pollen in the soil brought up in those cores using an optical microscope at between 400-1000x magnification. Researchers must identify at least 200-300 pollen grains per taxa to accurately determine the concentration and percentages of particular taxa of plant. After they have identified all the taxa of pollen that reach that limit, they plot the percentages of the different taxa on a pollen diagram, a visual representation of the percentages of plants in each layer of a given sediment core that was first used by von Post. That diagram provides a picture of pollen input changes through time. Issues At Von Posts very first presentation of pollen diagrams, one of his colleagues asked how he knew for sure that some of the pollen wasnt created by distant forests, an issue that is being resolved today by a set of sophisticated models. Pollen grains produced at higher elevations are more prone to be carried by the wind longer distances than those of plants closer to the ground. As a result, scholars have come to recognize the potential of an overrepresentation of species such as pine trees, based on how efficient the plant is at getting its pollen distributed. Since von Posts day, scholars have modeled how pollen disperses from the top of the forest canopy, deposits on a lake surface, and mixes there before final accumulation as sediment in the lake bottom. The assumptions are that pollen accumulating in a lake comes from trees on all sides, and that the wind blows from various directions during the long season of pollen production. However, nearby trees are much more strongly represented by pollen than trees farther away, to a known magnitude. In addition, it turns out that different sized bodies of water result in different diagrams. Very large lakes are dominated by regional pollen, and larger lakes are useful for recording regional vegetation and climate. Smaller lakes, however, are dominated by local pollens--so if you have two or three small lakes in a region, they might have different pollen diagrams, because their micro-ecosystem is different from one another. Scholars can use studies from a large number of small lakes to give them insight into local variations. In addition, smaller lakes can be used to monitor local changes, such as an increase in ragweed pollen associated with Euro-American settlement, and the effects of runoff, erosion, weathering and soil development. Archaeology and Palynology Pollen is one of several types of plant residues which have been retrieved from archaeological sites, either clinging to the inside of pots, on the edges of stone tools or within archaeological features such as storage pits or living floors. Pollen from an archaeological site is assumed to reflect what people ate or grew, or used to build their homes or feed their animals, in addition to local climate change. The combination of pollen from an archaeological site and a nearby lake provides depth and richness of the paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Researchers in both fields stand to gain by working together. Sources Two highly recommended sources on pollen research are Owen Daviss Palynology page at the University of Arizona, and that of the University College of London. Davis MP. 2000. Palynology after Y2K—Understanding the Source Area of Pollen in Sediments. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Science 28:1-18.de Vernal A. 2013. Palynology (Pollen, Spores, etc.). In: Harff J, Meschede M, Petersen S, and Thiede J, editors. Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. p 1-10.Fries M. 1967. Lennart von Posts pollen diagram series of 1916. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 4(1):9-13.Holt KA, and Bennett KD. 2014. Principles and methods for automated palynology. New Phytologist 203(3):735-742.Linstà ¤dter J, Kehl M, Broich M, and Là ³pez-Sà ¡ez JA. 2016. Chronostratigraphy, site formation processes and pollen record of Ifri nEtsedda, NE Morocco. Quaternary International 410, Part A:6-29.Manten AA. 1967. Lennart Von Post and the foundation of modern palynology. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 1(1–4):11-22.Sadori L, Mazzini I, Pepe C, Goiran J-P, Pleuger E, Ruscito V, Salomon F, and Vittori C. 2016. Palyn ology and ostracodology at the Roman port of ancient Ostia (Rome, Italy). The Holocene 26(9):1502-1512.Walker JW, and Doyle JA. 1975. The Bases of Angiosperm Phylogeny: Palynology. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 62(3):664-723.Willard DA, Bernhardt CE, Hupp CR, and Newell WN. 2015. Coastal and wetland ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay watershed: Applying palynology to understand impacts of changing climate, sea level, and land use. Field Guides 40:281-308.Wiltshire PEJ. 2016. Protocols for forensic palynology. Palynology 40(1):4-24.

The Definition of Success Essay - 1897 Words

Most people commonly describe success, as being wealthy in life. This is not the meaning entirely, the definition of success is simple. A person is successful, if he or she has very good payment at his or her work and if he or she is happy with the job, they are doing. Education really leads to success. If a person has good education, he or she can choose their careers and be successful at it. Education is a form of learning in which the knowledge and skills is being transferred from a group of people to another or from a generation to the next, through teaching and training. Any experience that has a formative effect on the way someone thinks feels and acts can be said to be educational. Apart from education, other different traits lead†¦show more content†¦There are actually two different meanings of character. The first meaning of character could be a person in a novel, play, or movie while the second meaning of character is, according to the Webster’s dictionary, the moral nature or strength of a person. It is the compound of mental and moral traits that marks a person. In this case, I am referring to the second definition, which is the compound of mental and moral traits that mark a person. The word ‘character’ comes from the Greek word kharakter, which means engraved mark, imprint on the soul and instrument for marking. The dictionary describes this character as â€Å"the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual’s life which determines his or her response regardless of circumstances†. This means that character is the steady qualities built into a person that determines how he or she will act despite the situation. Someone who has the character trait of being trustworthy, will be more likely to be a better accountant than a person who you cannot trust, who lies all the time and who is unreliable. Character, according to Abraham Lincoln, is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of the character and the tree is the character itself. Things like how you dress, your favorite music or whether you are shy does not have anything to do with character, but rather, it is how your actions and thought relateShow MoreRelatedDefinition of Success1195 Words   |  5 PagesKristen Campbell ENGL 1302 Kimberly Dill 3/7/2012 Standards of Success Success, as described by Winston Churchill, is â€Å"†¦going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.† This has taken on greater meaning in our modern day, as the path to success has seemingly become more complex. Is the American dream still valid? I would say yes, considering that we are currently in a recession. The term â€Å"American Dream† is used in a number of ways, but really the American Dream is an idea thatRead More The Definition of Success Essay801 Words   |  4 PagesThe Definition of Success   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is success? Is it the process of doing a task and receiving a positive result acceptable amongst the community, or is it simply achieving ones own personal goals? Success to me can mean many things. Although I am successful in school, that does not necessarily mean I will lead a successful life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to The American Heritage Dictionary success is, the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted. Even over the course of history, theRead More The Definition of Success Essay523 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is success? How does one succeed in life? A few moments thought will convince us that the question is by no means an easy one to answer. We say this, that, or the other man is successful, but what do we mean by it? One man has houses and lands, has a large bank account, drives fast horses and has many apparent friends, such a man is accounted successful. Yet all of these things that minister to his pleasure have been acquired by unremitting labor, by hard, avaricious dealings with his fellow-menRead MoreMy Definition of Success Essay933 Words   |  4 Pagespersonality and duplicate it. – Bruce Lee – What is success? Society is always striving for a definition to define it and how others can and have achieved it. This paper will illustrate the definition of success, what makes society success or not success, and what my personal definition of success is. This will show how twisted and materialistic people can really be in today’s world. In the dictionary.com definition success is the achievement of something desired, planned, or attemptedRead MoreMy Definition of Success Essay1399 Words   |  6 Pagesthat person confident, popular, and joyful all of the time—the epitome of mainstream success? 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For a student, maybe the success means to pass all courses of the semester; for a business man, signing a importance contract and get a lot of money are successes; and for a president, leading the country to develop and make theRead MorePersonal Expectations And Definitions Of Success3135 Words   |  13 PagesProfessor Waren 11/01/14 Success: Gendered Expectations and Definitions Oscar Wilde once said, Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result. I propose to study the science of success in that I further study the definitions of success by gender. It is an in-depth study of success itself and what drives men and women to their successes and how they have succeeded. The value of this research is that it will show how people think of success without researcher biasRead MoreMy Definition of Success Essays499 Words   |  2 Pages When I think of success, I think of a bumper sticker I saw once which read, â€Å"He who dies the most toys wins†. 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Mr.Aditya Kasana Free Essays

string(97) " in which to interpret the theories and notions that surround ‘School Travel Plans’\." The key focus has been on the sustainability and travel modes of the children and adults during the investigation. Table of Contents Introduction Destination travel plans were the start of the evolution of travel planning which mainly focused on the reduction of car Journeys to the workplace , tourist spots and schools were also considered to be particular destinations . An example can be taken from the structure of residential travel plans where Journey starts from house to the various destinations. We will write a custom essay sample on Mr.Aditya Kasana or any similar topic only for you Order Now Since travel plans has played a major role in delivering benefits to the regional and local authorities by enchanting accessibility and deducting the level of traffic has brought role of travel plans into a limelight of developing importance which can be achieved through a planning process under a national policy where travel plans can be monitored and improved (controversialists. Co. UK). ‘ School run’ is one the key issues which gave rise to School Travel Plans in the wake of rising peak traffic congestion , security concerns and air pollution damaging the environment. If school run is eliminated through various travel policies , it can then provide opportunities to children benefit from a healthy habits achieved by cycling and walking to the school. (ghastliest. Gob. UK). In the UK , there are 1. 2 million cars are eyeing driven extra miles to cover the Journey to schools and a million extra on roads during the peak time congestion resulting in increase of carbon emissions and tones of carbon dioxide being produced. It is assumed that the school Journeys only account to a small percentage of total travel Journeys around the I-J and but has a major affect on the large scale (Birmingham. Gob. UK). Norfolk was the first one to achieve an award of being the only county with every school running a travel plan. Programmed were installed both in rural and urban parts of the region resulting in the decrease shift of 17% of car use throughout the area. Norfolk managed to achieve its goals by getting involved with around 6000 children into a habit of cycling , walking , bus use and car sharing (schools. Norfolk. Gob. UK). Literature Review Consolidating literature within the field of travel plans it was discovered that travel plans were first introduced in Government Green Paper in 1996 as part of national policy (Potter et al, 1999). Factors such as location, company cars and organizational policy are all considered when devising travel plans (Names and Sandburg, 1996; Banister and Gallant, 1999). In the sass the travel plans have been recognized significantly and this led to a increase in interest and reforms within departments such as Transport and the regions DETER , Department of the Environment (DETER , 1998 ). Regarding employer travel plans, Potter et al (1999) outlines negative traits in views and attitudes towards the travel plans and were more inclined to implement cycle facilities. However it has been noted that the cycle facility initiative will not bring about any major change to the impacts suffered to the environment, although acknowledging the benefits in health and increase in safety levels Monoclinic and Shackle (1996). The encouragement of physical activities has been identified as essential to tackle the rise in obesity amongst children (Salmon et al 2004). Salmon et al suggest that schemes such as Walking School Bus’ would assist in cultivating and changing behavioral habits and be beneficiary to health of pupils. They also indicate that active travel in no way raises any health risks and with the increase of various education programs, aimed at educating pupils on minimizing risks when taking public transport, walking and cycling. Often with regards to travel plans the focal point is placed upon the role of the employers to tackle the issue of minimizing car travel routines to work, to combat problem of peak hour congestion (Methamphetamine County Council, 1995). This is further exemplified through the actions of Brighton and Hove City Council assist companies by devising various travel plans to take an initiative on this influential problem. To put into perspective, travel plans are considered a priority in various countries, for example in Australia various studies have commenced measuring the correlation in the mode of travel to their schools, with a considerable rise from 25% o 89% within a 30 year period of pupils being driven to school (Consultation Planning Survey Services, 1974 and DOI 2005). Australia also takes a similar stance in educating their pupils about transport awareness by a national plan named ‘The School Travel Planning. Research conducted by Pied and Somerville Road Transport Research (2006) suggested that within the periods in which this plan was implemented, 2007-2008, there was a decrease from 60% to 10% in Journeys to private travel to schools. This was a direct consequence as to the impetus and focus the Australian government placed on public transport, walking and cycling, which the search indicated substantially increased from 2007 to 2008. The United Kingdom soon followed suit, initially though the first conceptual travel plans devised by the UK government was regulated within 1997/1998. In 2010 the decision was made to further regulate travel plans with the aim to improve congestion flow around the public and private schools in the I-J. The travel plan has been proved successful. This lies in the fact that within the I-J there are more than 2000 schools which have implemented the ‘School Travel Program’, making the UK a fore frontal focus on the creation and division of effective travel plans, attracting the attention of surrounding European countries. Yet with all this success has lead to large investments with a total of El 55 million spent on school travel plans between 2004 and 2009. However it is important to note that EYE million were spent on salaries of school travel advisor and about IEEE million went to the capital investments. A particular scheme that was successful was the Walking School Bus scheme’ which was installed in various schools in September 2000. By consolidating the literature within this field has provided the foundations in which to interpret the theories and notions that surround ‘School Travel Plans’. You read "Mr.Aditya Kasana" in category "Papers" External factors that may influence school travel plans have been identified from the literature such as the demographical information, congestion, traffic flow, road works through the means of public transport, cycling and walking. Methodology Research aims – Desk research has been conducted in the project. It covers subject matter from all type of sources ranging from published articles to websites of county councils across The United Kingdom. The document of how to a write a successful plan published by Havening London Borough been taken as a base structure for the school travel plan analysis. The reason behind of this approach is to target specific areas of the research questions which are literary in nature. ProJect sets out with a broad introduction to the travel planning and its origin to understand the base of the investigation. Research questions have been arranged in an order to connect with the information as follows – Why school travel plans are important and what are the benefits ? Mainly focuses on the advantages of the school travel plans and benefits to the environment and the society. How to structure and what should be included in a School Travel Plan ? To recognize the structure and the requirement of school travel plans supported by examples from 5 different schools to understand every phase of the plan. Which travel policies under The School Travel Plan been successful in reducing congestion outside schools and promoting greater use of sustainable transport ? Two of the main travel policies has been brought into the light to examine issues related to traffic congestion. Which other countries took initiative in promoting school travel programmed ? Three western countries have been taken into account to acknowledge wider aspects of the school travel plans on an international level. What are relationships between school travel plans and other travel plans ? Residential and employer travel plans has been taken into consideration to examine and compare the characteristics of the School Travel Plan. Why school travel plans are important and what are the benefits? School run is the Journey parents make to and from school in order to provide transportation to their children by car. These school Journeys are significantly less compared to the total demand of transport but major effects the peak traffic flows leading in congestion and impact on the environment. In order to reduce congestion , t is required to promote walking and cycling to school within the youth which will going to enhance their social skills , independence and self confidence. This will not only going to benefit them in terms of bodily movement but also going to help children getting accustomed to their local environment (Birmingham. Gob. UK). According to Durham county council , it was necessary to create a travel plan by 2010 and following to that , target was achieved by 97% of schools in Durham , obtaining one million pounds to be disburse on the refinement of school Journey projects and promotion of sustainable mode of transport. Enhancement of current parking facilities and better pedestrian access points are one of the few examples of these schemes. Let is important to install school travel plans and encourage active travel through campaigns, initiatives and promotions to teach students about travel sustainability from their childhood (Durham. Ova. UK). The key victims to the school run are usually people living next to schools as they are affected by difficulties created by the drivers by parking in inappropriate places , generating pollution and risking safety of cyclists and pedestrians around the area of the school. During the peak ours , 1 out of 5 Journeys are made by drivers on the school run and usually thes e journeys are short with a cold engine which produces an excess amount of pollution inside a car which is calculated to be thrice the level of pollution on the pavement which can be quite harmful for children walking to the school(schools. Reform. Gob. UK). As stated by Brighton and Hove city council † A School Travel Plan ( STEP) is a document which sets out how a school will promote safer , active and sustainable travel to school , with the main emphasis being on reducing the number of children being driven to and from school† . Discussion with parents , local people, governors, teachers and students is vital in developing a good STEP and to overcome the problem changing situations , the plan should be assessed and reformed on a regular basis. A school travel plan stimulates active travel which results in reduced congestion and traffic which can be advantageous to people living around the area of a school , school community and the entire city . School Travel Plan can be benefited by different sections of society (Brighton-hove. Gob. UK). Today’s period , obesity is a major issue and it is crucial to promote physical exercise within the youth and make them ware of benefits of sustainable transport and exercise which will help them to make healthy decisions in the future and ameliorate their fitness levels. As suggested in studies , children suffering from anxiety and stress are the ones who are driven and the children likely to be more alert during the class are the ones to choose walking and cycling to the school. It is important for a school to Implement sustainable travel habits such as road safety skills and hazard awareness within the children. Advantages of not being driven to school will provide children with an opportunity to enhance their social skills by interacting with their parents and guardians along the journey and get to know more about the community. By shifting to sharing a car , cycling and walking from short car Journeys will help families to be more economical and save cash over a year or a term (schools. Norfolk. Gob. UK). Students will benefit in better fitness levels by indulging in physical activities such as cycling, scooting and walking. It will refine their knowledge about road user skills and travel awareness and enhance their perception of their surrounding. Schools will see a boost in better feet and less congestion around the campus with the implementation of schemes which will initiate safer cycling routes and walking areas and be part of policies such as Healthy and CEO-schools in of various other schools in the region(Brighton- hove. Gob. UK). For parents , it will help them develop greater connection with schools and better relationship their children with the increase in interaction time and relieve the tension of facing congestion while driving to and from the school. Local Communities will take advantage of reduction in noise and air pollution and enchanted road safety and walking routes(Brighton-hove. Ova. UK). Worldwide , it has clearly been recognized by transport planners around in Japan , Europe and Australia , the need of changing travel habits of an individual from private to public mode of transport . It is realizes because of negative impacts being held on social life and health due to increase in congestion in traffic , land use patterns , reduction in use of public services such as rail and buses and increase in the air ; Attaining,A. 2006). How to structure and what should be included in a School Travel Plan? According to Transport of London , the concept of School Travel Plan commonly now as Steps is to benefit the community by implementing travel plan in schools across the country. Steps contain various information and ideas to strengthen areas of transportation across the school with an aim of bringing a change to the environment a nd the society. The key endeavourer to achieve by Steps is reduction in car Journeys to and from schools , motivating adults and young people to adapt the idea of active travel over the private transportation and to develop appreciation between school communities towards options of travel available to them . The reason Enid the existence of STEP is not only to achieve these aims of improving the flow of travel around school but also to provide benefits to the environment by reducing congestion and pollution by promoting sustainable transport . T has already been proven the advantages of including School Travel Plan in schools (Transport For London). According to Leister council , travel plans has no definite national format and each plan is considers type of developments and sites as it reveals characteristics such as unique location , accessibility and operation which are required to be carried out on that site. Aim of a travel plan is not only to cover traveler’s Journey but also address pe ople commuting between residences and business premises (laics. Gob. K). Stages in development of a School Travel Plan – Characteristics of a school Step – 1 It is first required to identify in which area school specializes which means whether it is primary , secondary independent/voluntary or school for special needs . Then moving on to considering the size of the school by finding out how many students are enrolled and what are the age groups and number of staffs employed(havening. Gob. UK). Step- 2 This step would include the description about the location where the school is established . Some key information required are description of the area including a map , school entrances , local public transport links for an example bus routes and stations(havening. Gob. UK). Step- 3 It is required in this section to focus on existing policies of the school which can be for instance school trip and healthy and safety policies and how they can be link to the school travel plan. If school is involved in promoting environmental activities and considered to be healthy can also be highlighted (havening. Gob. K). Step- 4 In this step , details of any activities in which school take part regularly and relates to the School Travel can be included for an example : Walk to School Week activities, cycle storage , student’s cycle training , sustainable transport policies , walking bus and other related activities (havening. Gob. UK). An example of phase 1 can be seen in the school travel plan prepared by the Devon county for The Manor Primary school in Jan 2005 where it mentions a bout the characteristics of the school. First part of the step can relate to the school introduction where it mentions that it is a primary level situated in the middle of a sousing development in Bridge. It holds a capacity of 35 staff members and 300 students. As shown in their school travel plan , there are 12 car parking space and a single entrance but there is no initiative taken to promote walking school bus, no CATV , cycle storage or cycle training plans which can relate to step 2 and 4 of the phase 1 (Devon. Gob. K) Phase-2 Issues at the School Step-I This part of step would identify issues by carrying out survey results of the entire school which should answer the following main questions : What date survey was undertaken? How many students were surveyed? How do students travel to school? Besides this , extensive surveys with pupils and parents can be included and any relevant data from the previous surveys conducted which could present progress report would be beneficial in the creating a plan. Surveys should be not be older than 12 month period (havening. Gob. UK). For instance , to get clear view of step-I , an example of Randal Cramer Primary School’s survey analysis can provide a basic understanding of survey results. In their STEP, findings are shown of two different surveys being carried out with a gap of two years to monitor progress. The survey conducted in the year 2008 proves that the liking is a dominant method over car use and 31% of students are willing to adapt cycle travel. Survey was conducted again in 2010 where it shown a difference in the figures rising Upton 13. 3% for the walking method and a drop of 14. 91 in the use of car . These surveys included in STEP helps school to address their issues efficiently (hackney. Gob. UK). This Step addresses the problems and issues of a school in a written description which explains the need of developing a plan . This section should be separated from the survey results. Issues mainly to acknowledge can be ones identified by arenas , staff , students and from surveys. Some of the issues are such as ones related to school gate parking , barriers to sustainable transport or road Junctions which are considered to be not safe for pupils (havening. Gob. UK). Phase-3 Involvement Step- 1 This step covers evidence of everyone’s involvement from individuals to groups within and outside the school in bringing plan into action. Section must include the people who were interviewed and how their ideas and opinion were directed towards the plan . Details can be sought by mentioning about the meeting of governors/PTA here plan was discussed and about any procedure or involvement of School Council which has been conducted. Other key information to be involved are about any discussions in the classroom or assemblies and curriculum projects. This can be not very easy with students with various learning difficulties and effort should be put in getting as much opinion as possible (havening. Gob. UK). This section carries out any relevant information about letters being sent to local residents or parents or newsletters shared and displays being projected to actively persuade people to share their opinions regarding the travel plan . It should be clearly understood and noted that evidence would not consider hands up surveys on favored means of Journey (havening. Gob. UK). An example of this Phase-I can be vividly understood by the School Travel Plan of Hill Top First Community School for the age group of 3 to 9 years. This school majority focuses on the well being of its pupils and has involved itself with their opinions and suggestions. Here are the few examples of children and parents sharing their thoughts about the school travel :- Comments by children- â€Å"The best thing about going to school ( by car ) is listening to the radio. The worst thing is the traffic lights because I like going to school . I’d like to come to school on a bike† â€Å"The best about my Journey(walking) is I get to see lot of different things. My journey is safe but not always when I cross the road† Comments by parents- â€Å"Too many cars pull up by the school gates† † We’ve nearly been run over by cars reversing out of the school drive at drop off time† These are one of the few comments of the pupils studying in Hilltop school . This proves that the school is involving children and parents in initiating their travel plan and tackle any issues (rubs. Gob. UK). Phase-4 What are Plan’s objective? This step identifies various objectives, project is intend to achieve such as reduction in number of car trips and during peak hours and promote use of public transport walking/cycling to and from school . These initiatives will result in improvement of health of people within school communities (havening. Gob. UK). To explain the criteria of this phase of a plan , Bishop’s Hull Community Primary School’s school travel plan can be considered as an example. By evaluating their objectives set up after carrying out survey results. They concluded that cycling needs to be safer for children and remote greater use of walking instead of use of car. Parents should be motivated to share private vehicles to avoid congestion during peak times. These ideas are held together in a their school travel plan to overcome travel issues and promote sustainable mode of transport for the well-fare of the community and children (environmentalism’s. Co. UK). Phase-5 Action Plan This part of the step sets out actions required in the plan to achieve these objectives. Actions required can be described in an action plan at the stage of approval (havening. Gob. UK). This section covers about the key ingredients required to establish an action plan. How to cite Mr.Aditya Kasana, Papers

Managing Human Resources HRMT for Automobile Firms- myassignmenthelp

Question Discuss about theManaging Human Resources HRMT for Automobile Firms. Answer: Introduction Holden Car Manufacturing Company is regarded as one of the oldest automobile firms in Australia with its existence in the country being traced back to the early 1850s. The company was officially started in the year 1856 as a leather and saddlery producer, and later it shifted operations into automobile manufacturer in the year 1908 (Heritage Center, 2017). The company became the subsidiary of the US-based General Motors (GM) in the year 1931 after which it was renamed General Motors Holden Ltd in the year 2005. The cars operations expanded significantly outside the Australian market and it became one of the major automobile firms in the country. General Motors Holden Ltd has gained its position in Australia as the largest employer giving numerous employment opportunities to the population and is the largest car exporter in Australia (Heritage Center, 2017). To maintain its competitive edge in the automobile industry, Holden has employed the use of appropriate human resources practice s which contribute to the low attrition rates in the company. Despite its success in the industry driving from its innovativeness and viable human resource practices, the company still faces some challenges in its recruitment. The present paper, therefore, delves in identifying the primary key challenges that the firm faces in recruiting its workforce. The paper then provides recommendations on the appropriate strategies that can be employed to address the challenges. Key Challenges for Recruiting the Workforce The recruitment process in any organization is always regarded as an essential function for human resource department. The process involves bringing new and fresh talents into the organization workforce and therefore, it requires good business perspective, diplomacy, good marketing skills as well as the ability to find and accurately match the best potential candidates with the need of the organization. Owing to many internal factors such as an aging workforce, the increasing gap between supply and demand and organizational image, human resource professionals are always in constant need of new personnel to be recruited in the organization personnel (Reiche et al., 2016). However, most human resource professionals in large business enterprises such as Holden car manufacturing industry in Melbourne are always faced with new emerging challenges in their effort to get the best workforce for the company. Competition for Talent Like in any industry, Holden car manufacturing is facing the challenge of sourcing and recruiting only the best and suitable potential candidates for various positions in the firm. The contemporary job market is characterized by stiff competition for the available talents, and this makes it considerably hard for companies to get credible individuals in their work teams (O'Brien Linehan, 2014). The problem is further aggravated by the constantly emerging technologies and a shortage of particular talents in specialized areas of the industry (Peppard Ward, 2016). Given the stiff competition for a skilled workforce, the companies are also at constant risk of losing their workforce through practices such as talent poaching and raiding. Skills Shortage The success of the automobile industry is highly dependent on its ability to utilize a considerable wide range of skills from advanced engineers to professional marketers. The rising growth in the production volume of vehicles by the company has contributed to an increase in demand for the skilled workforce at all the levels of production. With the modern technological advancement, the automobile industry has embraced the use of more sophisticated engineering and production practices resulting in the demand for highly skilled personnel (Aswathappa, 2013). At Holden, there is sufficient availability of young graduate engineers who contribute significantly to the production process. However, the company experience acute shortage of experienced engineers who have the desire to remain in mainstream responsibilities for a long time as most of its experienced workforce tends to quite to other less demanding duties (Ewing et al., 2013). It is thus noted that the human resource department fa ces the challenge of identifying experienced engineers who are vital in its production. Additionally, the company faces the risk of having a skilled workforce in the near future due to the public perception of the manufacturing and automobile industry. The rise in egalitarian society has led to the loss of respect for trade and the misconception that individuals have on automobile industries which they regard as old, noisy, lacks fair remuneration and does not provide opportunities for career development (Jones George, 2015). Based on this perception, Holden most individuals shy away from securing job opportunities in the manufacturing industry especially the fresh graduates who have the desire for quick career development. This situation has contributed the loss of skilled labor at the firm despite the rising demand for the highly-skilled labor force. The company has thus faced a great challenge in securing skilled labor in the highly democratic modern society (Miller Gordon, 2014). Talent Mismatch The company is also faced with the challenge of getting the perfect match for individuals with the required skill sets. While Holden as an international company has a vast array of potential recruits from all over the world, getting the required people who have just the right skill combination is not always easy. According to Purce (2014), although organizational recruiters may get application from passive job seekers, they are always meet with the problem of finding the right people for the specified job in the company. Strategies to Address the Challenges Conventionally, the recruitment process is often characterized by filling vacant positions with individuals who have matching requirements, and this leads to the inability of getting the perfect individuals for specific positions. According to Timming, (2015) to remedy the situation organizations must make a strike a balance between sourcing for position-need and recruiting people based on their skill and expertise regardless of position. It is of great importance for hum resource professionals to stop the popular mindset where they hire expertise simply for positions rather they need to adopt hiring great talents in the respective fields. After selection and recruitment, while the recruiters may be obligated to fill the vacant positions, the newly hired individuals must be open to training and learning the needed skills (Stone Deadrick, 2015). Given the changing technological landscape and continuing talent poaching and raiding, a business organization can shelter their limited talent pool by providing their staff with adequate training and technical exposure. Kultalahti and Viitala, (2015) observe that proper talent management within an organization is an important strategy for shielding the firms specialized workforce from talent vices such as poaching. While it is true that the challenge of stiff competition that companies face is real, firms must diversify their hiring practices to ensure that they get the required skilled personnel. Companies that demand special training must start recruiting their staffs from mentorship stage where they recruit individuals while still in colleges and then provide them with necessary training. In this way, Hurn, (2014) observe that firms will have escaped the problem of every company rushing for the limited pool of talents after their graduation. With the rising alarm due to the loss of skilled labor, Holden strives to employ some appropriate strategies to prevent the continuous fall in both new and experienced workforce. These strategies are also aimed at attracting an adequate number of professional into the company to enhance the quality of its operations (Rul Bondarouk, 2014). One of the adopted strategies is the creation of Youth Opportunities Program in South Australia which is designed to maintain students in school for a longer period giving them sufficient opportunity to learn the different dynamics of manufacturing industry. It is observed that Holdens vehicle assembly plant is situated in a location which has high unemployment rates and thus the company has ventured into initiating both medium and long-term training programs aimed at equipping the local communities with necessary skills to secure jobs at the firm (Burns, 2014). With such initiatives, the company is creating appropriate mechanisms among the local community which make individuals work ready thereby nurturing and securing their labor skills. Other than creating avenues for securing job opportunities, Holden also provides opportunities training for already qualified individuals who have the desire to re-enter the automobile industry and this is geared towards enhancing the firms workforce diversity (Clibborn et al., 2016). Conclusion General Motors Holden has grown to be the largest automobile company in Australia due to its expansive operations and economies of scale which provides a competitive advantage. With its broad scope of operations and market share, the company uses a modern method of production and advanced labor practices to make it remain at the top of the industry. Despite its success, the company faces numerous recruiting challenges which to a great extent interfere with its efficiency. Labor force plays a vital role in the production and management of the firm and therefore, adopting appropriate strategies aimed at enhancing the skills of the workers, lowering the attrition rates, improving the competency and efficiency of the workers and also those which expand the employment opportunities. Human resources majorly focus on two primary issues which are the recruitment of new workers having the required skills in an organization and the limiting of the excess workforce through various forms of down sizing initiatives. On this basis, therefore, every strategy adopted by Holden should be aimed at ensuring high retention rates of the qualified and experienced staff to meet future customer demands and also to cut down on companys operating costs. References Aswathappa, K. (2013).Human resource management: Text and cases. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Burns, J. (2014). 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