What are Career Ladders?

Career ladders are structures that relate occupations in an organization or industry based upon skill progressions and increased earnings.

Specific Organization Career Ladders

Traditionally, career ladders have been occupational structures that encourage, recognize, and reward capable employee performance in a specific organization. Successful performance and acquisition of additional skills through education or training prepare individuals for the next job level, or rung, on the career ladder. Formal career ladder programs have existed primarily in organizations large enough to have a hierarchy of related occupations plus enough growth and turnover to allow for movement up the ladders. Moving up a career ladder requires more than simply accumulating time in an organization; employees must demonstrate competence and the readiness to take on new responsibilities. In smaller organizations, career ladders may be informal and depend upon the ability of employees to identify potential opportunities, and position or prepare themselves for advancement. Mentoring from experienced employees directs employees toward possible career paths within the organization or field.

Industry-wide Career Ladders

Industry-wide career ladders are emerging as employers face increased difficulty in finding skilled workers and identify strategies to move workers up, while new employees move into entry level. The workforce investment system supports this movement as it examines how to provide additional employment opportunities that pay a living wage for those moving from welfare to work. Shared Prosperity and the California Economy, Implications for California’s Workforce Investment System advocates industry sector career ladder skill- building programs as the first step “to help existing workers move up to better jobs and higher pay.”¹ Highly visible industry-based career ladders open up entry-level jobs and provide an incentive for individuals to enter a field and develop their skills for upward mobility.

Holidays in Ukraine

The word “holiday” comes from the words “holy day”. Holidays were first religion festivals. Now many holidays have nothing to do with religion. Almost every country has holidays honouring important events in its history.

Some holidays come on the same date of the same month, for instance, New Year`s Day or Christmas. But some do not. Some, such as Easter, are mov­able holidays.

New Year’s Day is very popular all over the world. People usually get together, have a big dinner and make big plans for the fu­ture.

We celebrate the first day of Christmas on the 7th of January. On the 6th of January people tidy the whole house, cook much food because the day after we must not work, we must celebrate a Great Holiday. On this evening we have a sacred supper or Kolyada. It begins when the first star lights up. As the legend says, this star announced the birth of the God’s Son. We celebrate Christmas for three days. Every evening a group of children comes. They sing songs. By these songs they congratulate on holiday, wish good harvest, long life, no illness and so on. It is interesting to know that only boys must congratulate, because girls bring unhappiness.

Another religious holiday is Easter. It is movable. It is usually the first Sunday after the first fullmoon after the beginning of spring. In Ukraine we have spe­cial attributes of Easter: Easter eggs, we call them “krashanka” and Easter cakes “paska” that are baked according to the special recipe. It is a very nice spring holiday.

Victory Day is on the 9th of May. It is a sacred holiday for every Ukrainian citizen. Almost every Ukrainian family sent its member to fight against fascist invaders. We are thankful to our grand­fathers for the victory.