Blogs

A recent article was sent to me regarding the work done by Lilia Abron, PhD, an environmental engineer and founder of PEER Consultants and PEER Africa.  While this in and of itself was not unusual, I receive articles all the time; it was the title Engineering Better Lives for Others that caught my notice.  Abron was raised with the ethic that individuals are their brothers’ keeper: a

Dear Colleagues.

I just thought some of you might have an interest in a little information about the newly launched and EU Commission granted LABlearning project. The project will start on the 1st of January 2012.

The LABlearning project will address formal primary, secondary and youth education settings in many European countries aiming to experiment with new media based or media laboratory based learning activities as an alternative to the traditional classrooms.

The Digital Education Research Network demonstrates the importance of highlighting and disseminating quality research into the use of digital technologies and media in schools, training, higher education and life-long learning.

It is only a year since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) plunged most wealthy nations into recession. Australia escaped a ‘technical recession’ but unemployment rose by one third. Young people were among the worst affected because employers put new hires on hold, waiting for the economy to improve. This meant that many education leavers could not find work and many young people lost their casual jobs. Many young people who were unable to find a secure job last year are still out of work, because employers are reluctant to hire people who lack recent work experience.

This note from the Director of the University of Queensland Boilerhouse Community Engagement Centre in Ipswich comments on some responses to disadvantage in Ipswich a city west of Brisbane that has suffered a number of forms of disadvantage and adversity, including floods in 2010: