Browsing by Subject "Coaching"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Assessing the competency needs in the Green Technology Industry
    (2011-04-29) McMahon, Rosemarie
    This study reviews the technical and interpersonal competencies of professionals in the Green Technology industry. This industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in Europe. This growth trend is expected to continue and is largely due to global environmental issues and energy requirements. Ambitious European targets to reduce dependency on fossil fuels provide the ideal political framework for the expansion of this industry. In light of this development, an important consideration is the availability of skilled professionals in the workforce. This research examines the competencies of professionals based in Scandinavia (regions of Denmark, Norway and Sweden). Information for this study has been gathered from a number of Green Technology companies. This was managed through a series of interviews, focus group discussions and an online survey. Professionals involved in this study concur that education is invaluable to the development of this sector. Many of these professionals have already acquired university level education in disciplines such as engineering. According to the feedback, engineering skills in the Green Technology sector will continue to be important for the next 5 to 10 years. However, supplementary technical (e.g. project management, accounting) and interpersonal (e.g. leadership) skills are also relevant for the development of Green Technology. As this industry grows such competencies will inevitably increase in importance. Professional development thus needs to be designed effectively and in accordance with industrial requirements and the training preferences of professionals.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    The Glass Ceiling of African American Assistant Football Coaches
    (2020-03) Keimach, Eli
    African American assistant football coaches in college and the National Football League (NFL) alike face a gauntlet of challenges in their quests to become head coaches. Much of the systematic exclusion of qualified African American head coaching candidates stems from archaic and baseless biases. In 2018, 49.2 percent of college football players at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level – the highest classification of college football – were African American. During that same season, only 37.63% of the assistant coaches, 14.72% of the coordinators, and 8.53% of the head coaches were African American. NFL officials have begrudgingly recognized this issue and enacted policies to mandate minority interviews and consideration for open roles. However, these policies have been weakened by teams that “game” the system with sham interviews with no serious consideration given to African American candidates. My original research on 62 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS College football teams showed an undeniable connection between playing quarterback and becoming a head coach. 30.6% of the head coaches in the study played quarterback – an overwhelming majority. It remains to be seen if the unprecedented success of African American quarterbacks in recent NFL seasons will spark a change in the coaching racial landscape for years to come.