Quit job without another

Nearly 100 students will be laid off from their part-time jobs at the Toronto Catholic school board because the programs they work for are being axed by the Ford government as part of the province’s $25 million funding cut to school boards. Those job losses are just the “tip of the iceberg” because all of Ontario’s 72 school boards are being impacted by funding cuts or reductions to specialized grants. “It’s deplorable and despicable,” said Toronto Catholic District School Board chair Maria Rizzo. “Kids will suffer in the long run (by the cuts).” A report by the board’s staff to its trustees outlines which of its programs have been impacted by the cuts and reductions because of the 2018-2019 funding changes to EPO (Education Program-Other). Cancelled programs include the Focus on Youth’s after-school program, which operates in high-needs urban neighbourhoods and employs about 60 part-time students, mostly from high school. Also on the chopping block is the Tutors in the … [Read more...] about Students to lose jobs after Ford government axes school programs

N o wonder Drastic Dave isn’t fond of his nickname. Who wants to sound like a slightly less-scary cousin of Fred “the Shred” Goodwin? After Tesco’s latest results, perhaps chief executive Dave Lewis is in need of an image makeover. How about Doctor Dave, after figures suggesting that the patient has been successfully nursed back to health? Or Daring Dave for restoring the dividend after a three-year hiatus? Dependable too – many bosses might have been too easily tempted to undertake a frenzied overhaul, scaling the business back to the bone. Instead, faced with a colossal clean-up on taking charge, Lewis has embarked on a steady, measured transformation. It’s been slow and painful but the turnaround at Tesco has dealt with many of its biggest problems. Coming against the backdrop of an explosive fraud enquiry, Lewis will no doubt feel relieved, vindicated even. The hardest and most immediate task of conserving cash has been tackled. Under-performing stores have been closed, head … [Read more...] about A case of job done for Drastic Dave at Tesco? Not quite

Some 221 practitioners and staffers of Hanoi’s Bach Mai Hospital, one of the largest public health facilities in Vietnam, have turned in their resignation over the past year. Discussing this issue with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Nguyen Quang Tuan, director of Bach Mai Hospital, confirmed the mass departure. Some are highly qualified medical workers who switched to better paying jobs, while a majority are less skilled staffers who became dissatisfied with the hospital’s decision to go fully self-funded instead of relying on state subsidies, or displeased at their job rotation at the facility, Tuan said. Pressure from the COVID-19 workload is also a possible reason for the mass departure, added Do Van Thanh, head of human resources at Bach Mai Hospital. While 221 had departed, the facility has also recruited 506 new practitioners and officers, many of whom hold senior medical titles. “Our hospital is striving for a change in service quality,” Thanh stated. “Pressures of … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s leading hospital reports mass departure of staffers, doctors

Next A cab, they say, is the best reflection of its city. A recent Hotels.com survey has some fascinating results. E very so often we take a cab ride that becomes memorable. Hotels.com asked travellers from 23 countries across the world the cabs they loved the most. Here are the results. Image: The best taxis in the world Next Prev Next A t number 10 are the Madrid cabs. The capital of Spain fell four places from number six last year. According to Wikipedia's travel guide, Madrid cabs 'can be hard to find during late hours on weekends' and its drivers are known to 'drive you around or through crowded avenues to increase the fare'. Most Madrid cab drivers don't speak English so it helps to have your directions written in Spanish and always, always carry your hotel's address in case you're lost. Image: Madrid Photographs: Mike Schmid/Creative Commons Prev Next Prev Next … [Read more...] about Top 10: The BEST taxis in the world!

Next Gouri Patwardhan Rediff reader Gouri Patwardhan visited Budapest and was mighty amused by the Children's Railway, which as it turns out is not a train for kids but rather one that is run by them! E ver been given a ticket in a train by a lovable, chubby, freckled faced kid? Ever travelled in a train, which arrives at the station with a 12-13 year-old-boy waving the green signal? Well, if not, then you need to board the Children's Railway located in the hilly outskirts of Budapest. The Buda side of Budapest is full of lovely winding uphill roads in the midst of wooded forests. Just on the perimeter of the trees, are charming villas and houses which though not exactly architected on the bygone eras, are still extremely quaint. And what adds to this picture perfect scenario is a small but efficient train chugging along the narrow gauge railway line. Now, I am not saying that this is quite one of a kind, nor am I going to bore you with the … [Read more...] about Travel: In Budapest these kids drive a train!