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Training, particularly in the form of comprehensive professional development, continues to be a need for paraeducators (also known as teacher assistants). Training needs begin with an initial set of knowledge and skills and is built based upon the paraeducator’s role with individual students and the educational settings. Standards or guidance documents are available from a few individual states within the United States, higher education systems, and professional organizations that serve individuals with exceptional needs and agencies. An international professional organization, Council for Exceptional Children [CEC] (2011), identified a common skill set that reinforces standards for defining curricula when providing training to paraeducators. Key to their ongoing professional development is the on-the-job coaching by the education professional (teacher), to support the application of skills into the inclusive setting. Various forms of professional development are available including online trainings in addition to face-to-face.

This study aims to explore and identify potential challenges and prospects for conducting the professional shariah audit training programme via an e-learning approach during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Questionnaires were administered to 296 participants who were enrolled in the professional shariah audit training programme via e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020. These participants were final-year students from selected Malaysian public universities.

Findings show that several main challenges are faced in adopting an e-learning approach for conducting the professional shariah audit training programme such as the inability to do more hands-on, group and physical activities, different understandings based on academic backgrounds, difficulty in learning practical and technical topics, technical issues and problems during e-learning sessions. These lead to the unsuitability of conducting professional training via the e-learning approach. In terms of prospects of knowledge learnt via the e-learning approach, participants showed that they are able to master all six modules covered in the professional shariah audit training programme via the e-learning approach. These include (1) shariah principles; (2) shariah governance; (3) Islamic financial transactions; (4) shariah risk management; (5) shariah audit planning and programme; and (6) shariah audit fieldwork and communication.

Based on the findings, it is suggested to have more time spent and earlier preparation on the learning contents and sessions, more discussion on actual contents and practical exercises and competency of the trainers in delivering e-learning sessions.

This study is believed to be one among the pioneering studies on the potential challenges and prospects in adopting e-learning for conducting the professional shariah audit training programme due to COVID-19.

Library assistants were originally considered to be professional librarians in the making, and were trained accordingly. With the expansion of libraries and librarianship, Britain's “apprenticeship” system of qualification gave way to formal library school education, and a new category of “non‐professional staff” was created, of people who were unwilling or unable to proceed to graduate‐level qualification. The development of non‐professional certificates of competence in the UK is described against parallel developments in the US, Canada and Australia; the COMLA training modules are also examined. The theoretical and practical issues surrounding training are discussed, training schemes and qualifications in the four countries analysed, and the relative merits of in‐house training and external certificate programmes argued.

The problems of One‐Man‐Bands (OMBs) began to be taken seriously in the early 1980s when the Aslib OMB group was formed. The group received considerable attention in the professional press, and became the object of a study by Judith Collins and Janet Shuter who identified them as “information professionals working in isolation”. Many of the problems identified in the Collins/Shuter study remain — not least of these being the further education and training needs of OMBs. These needs are studied in this report. The author has firstly done an extensive survey of the literature to find what has been written about this branch of the profession. Then by means of a questionnaire sent to the Aslib OMB group and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (INVOG), training and education needs have been pinpointed. Some of these needs have then been explored in greater detail by means of case studies. The author found that the most common deterrents to continuing education and training were time, cost, location, finding suitable courses to cover the large variety of skills needed and lastly, lack of encouragement from employers. The author has concluded by recommending areas where further research is needed, and suggesting some solutions to the problems discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of professional training and development for librarians/library staff in the southwest, Nigeria; especially the Federal University of OyeEkiti, Nigeria. Thus, this study intends to assess the impact of staff professional development and training on the job performance of library staff in the Federal University Oye Ekiti, Nigeria.

The descriptive survey research design was used in carrying out this study. The population of study cuts across all library staff/attendants in the Federal University Oye Ekiti departmental, faculty and the university libraries. The purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the sample for the study (77 library staff). Research instruments, developed by the researchers, Staff Development Programme Questionnaire (r = 0.79), Staff performance Questionnaire (r = 0.81), Challenges of Staff Professional Development and Training Questionnaire (r = 0.82), were used for data collection. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentages, mean and standard deviation) and inference statistics (correlation and one-way ANOVA) at a 5% level of significance.

Results revealed that the level of the job performance of library staff in Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) is high; there is a positive and statistically significant relationship between the professional development of library staff and their performance in the job; professional development and training of library staff significantly impact their job performance; orientation, in-house training, seminars, on-the-job training and instructor-led training.

The study was limited to the university libraries in the Federal University Oye Ekiti, Nigeria. The variables used in this study were restricted to training and development of library staff and job performance of librarians in FUOYE, and professional development programmes available for FUOYE librarians.

Other forms of professional development programmes such as Distance Educational Programmes, Conferences/Workshops, Study visits, Formal professional library education and TETFUND Programmes should be made available for university library staff. Universities should always organise staff professional development programmes; since it enhances the job performance of library staff.

This article is original and has not been published elsewhere.

This paper aims to explore the definitions of and the differences between education and training and the role of each in nurturing and supporting lifelong learning for records professionals: records managers and archivists.

General definitions of “education”, “training”, “competence” and “competencies” have been deliberately selected as an accessible starting‐point for reflection. Different models for competencies and the lack of consensus on what constitutes an appropriate competency model for the profession are considered.

Education provides new professionals with knowledge of theory of the discipline and helps them to explore current practice. It provides the information‐seeking skills and encourages a reflective habit that underpins independent lifelong learning. Training focuses on acquisition of specific skills and competencies necessary in the workplace. More is needed for a viable professional future; education for research is essential to the development of professional knowledge and for the survival of education programmes in universities.

Professional associations as leaders of opinion and practice have an important role in finding the way forward. Although competency standards are more appropriate for evaluating training programmes, professional associations which have embraced competency standards have attempted to use them to evaluate education programmes, but prefer not to consider evaluating training programmes and training providers.

This paper aims to raise awareness of the need to give appropriate weight to education, training and research to ensure that records professionals are known for high levels of competence as well as productive reflection and creative forward thinking.

Training implies certain dealings in which one has to make a choice among various options. Choosing to solve a certain problem implies formulating a value judgement about the available alternatives. Such choices are generally based on ethical decisions. Hardly any ethical professional code for industrial trainers has been explicitly formulated until now. Investigates the issue of professional code and standards in this profession compared to other professions. At the same time describes a working method that benefits the process of realization necessary in dealing with the ethical issue in training.

The purpose of this study is to identify the professional skills and competencies of accountants that support a successful implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The authors further investigate the extent to which professional accountants have developed these skills through professional training.

In the survey, Indonesian accountants were provided with a list of 47 skill items under nine categories of professional skills and were asked to rate the importance of each skill item and to indicate the level of priority given to the development of the skill items in the professional training they have undertaken. Their responses provide insights into the skills needed for applying IFRS and the adequacy of professional training in providing these skills.

The authors find that accounting judgement is considered to be the most necessary skill for applying IFRS. Likewise, the findings show that ethical skills and certain generic skills are also perceived to be necessary for adequate application of IFRS, while skills relating to cultural sensitivity are viewed as least important. The findings further demonstrate that professional training programmes need to emphasise the development of judgement and other relevant skills that are important skill categories for applying IFRS.

This study extends the literature on IFRS implementation through a specific focus on the professional skills required by accountants.

These findings have important policy implications for the standard-setters, regulators, auditors and to professional training providers across the world, such as professional accounting associations, accounting firms and educational institutions, for evaluating the content of the training and education programmes being delivered to accountants to prepare them with the relevant skills for applying IFRS.

This study is one of the first to examine the importance of various types of skills necessary for accountants in applying IFRS and the extent to which these skills have been developed through the professional accounting training provided.

The purpose of this paper is to understand how the Institute of Public and Social Policies could be useful for Portuguese society in terms of post-graduate training in the area of aging.

The authors have conducted two focus groups (n=11), one with professionals of one large and three medium size social organizations, and the other with managers of three large, two medium and two small size social, health and civil rights organizations which support the elderly population. While the specific aim of the first focus group was to identify the aging training needs of professionals, who work with assistance/support to the elderly population, the aim of the second group was to identify the training interests of the retired or pre-retired elderly population.

The results show on the one hand professional’s main challenges in working with elderly population in Portugal, their training needs and what exactly could be an adequate training for them in the area of aging as compared to the existing ones, and on the other hand who are the strongly committed elderly people, what are their training needs and what could exactly be for them an adequate training in the area of aging as compared to the existing ones.

The authors can conclude that both social professionals and senior population in Portugal have a need for a post-graduate training in the area of aging.

Only by humanization at multilevel and a specific training for professionals and for families will we be able to deliver the opportunities and support that the citizens will need to enable them to age well across the life course.

Given the rapidly changing and complex demography of Portugal it is essential to give attention to training in rethinking the support of the elderly population in Portugal.

The authors need to develop empowerment and social inclusion of the elderly population in the society.

The opportunities that the building information modeling (BIM) mode of project delivery presents warrant the need for the construction professionals to be adequately trained on BIM technology and processes. The purpose of this paper is to assess the training gaps that exist between the perceived and expected knowledge of BIM practice among construction professionals in Nigeria.

The study was carried out through a structured questionnaire survey administered on identifying training gaps among registered Nigerian construction professionals toward BIM adoption. Relevant information on the perceived and expected BIM mode of practices was systematically collected from 212 participants who are familiar with BIM concepts. The data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics and gap analysis.

Gap analysis was employed in determining the significance of BIM training gap for various practices among the construction professionals. The most significant gaps in BIM practice with gap analysis value>1 are the project review technique and clash detection for architectural practice. Among quantity surveyors, cost estimating, preparation of bills of quantities and project budgeting are the practice areas where there are significant training gaps in adopting BIM. For engineering practices, the gap analysis reveals a significant training gap in design creation and coordination, as-built-modeling, clash detection and space management.

The research is limited to the perception of the respondents on actual and ideal BIM practices, not considering the process workflow, facility requirements and other issues that revolve round BIM adoption and implementation. It is also limited to professionals in the industry, and further studies will be appropriate to address these limitations.

The study reveals that there is a great need to meet the training gaps for BIM adoption in ensuring efficiency of construction project delivery.

The gaps that exist between the actual and expected BIM training were statistically established.