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In this paper, we study the differences between forecasts obtained with the classical seasonal ARIMA model and forecasts obtained with the neural network model called iTransformers. The analysis is done on Polish data concerning preterm birth from 2015 to 2020. We compare the results and calculate the effect size to conclude the impact of the obtained differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the successful transition of graduates from university into the world of work is one of the most important priorities of all involved stakeholders: governments, institutions of higher education, and individuals, as well as researchers. The present study analyzes the employability characteristics of higher technological education graduates, focusing on the determination of the factors which significantly affect the quality of their transition in the labour market. Original empirical data was collected through a national survey from 5183 graduates of 11 technological educational institutes (TEIs) of Greek higher education, corresponding to nine broader specialties and 51 professions. The findings of our study indicate that gender (that is, male) and postgraduate studies positively affect graduates' employment. The interval between graduation and first employment is inversely affected by the duration of bachelor studies, as well as by having children, and appears to depend significantly on the graduate's specialty. Male graduates, parents, postgraduate degree holders, and IT graduates appear to enjoy, on average, higher wages. The match between studies and work is higher for graduates who have children, who have a high or very high bachelor degree mark, for graduates of specialties related to health, as well as for postgraduate degree holders. Relevant suggestions for further research, and the practical implications of this study, are also discussed.

The vocational orientation of the youngsters who are about to enter, study, or have recently graduated at higher education (HE) institutions, and linking HE with labor market are two research areas which have not been investigated extensively in Balkan countries. Job (or occupational) profiles, among other tools used in vocational orientation, provide standardized and digitized descriptions of different professions. This article focuses on the analysis and the design of a web-based decision support system (DSS) to assist its users in getting thoroughly informed about HE studies in Greece, and eventually in choosing their vocational prospects. Apart from reviewing the related previous research work and relevant web-based systems, we present the main elements of the system’s analysis and its design, the extensions that could lead to even more powerful systems, and conclusions about the advantages, limitations and practical application of the DSS.

This paper aims to analyse the issues and challenges related to university graduates' entrepreneurship and self-employment. An extensive literature review analyses the relevant situation in European Union and Greece. Additionally, an institutional survey has been carried out concerning the career paths of a large number of graduates from Greek higher technological education. A detailed structured questionnaire was designed to collect rigorous data and to obtain deeper understanding of student choices. The randomly selected unbiased sample represented nearly 30% of the total population of recent graduates of five consecutive years. The method of telephone interviews was selected as the most efficient tool for collecting the required information. This paper reports on the analysis of the responses of 197 self-employed graduates regarding the motivation to start a business, the process through which they started their business, and financial issues concerning the start-up. The detection of significant effects towards graduates' entrepreneurship through multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the most important factors are gender, degree grade, acquisition of a postgraduate degree, as well as the faculty and the specialty of the bachelor studies. The original results of the survey provide important insight into graduates' self-employment. The paper also demonstrates the need for a systematic national strategy that will take advantage of innovative potentials, increase competitiveness and enhance the collaboration between government, educational and research institutions, as well as the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]