Monthly Archives: December 2010
Raytheon Receives $52 Million U.S. Navy Contract to Retrofit F/A-18 Radars
El SEGUNDO, CA /PRNewswire/ Naval Air Systems Command has awarded a $52 million contract to Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) to produce APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars for F/A-18 Super Hornet tactical aircraft.
These AESA radars provide the U.S. Navy with the most advanced technology available, including enhanced capabilities that allow aircrews to detect and identify targets beyond the reach of most missiles. This long-range capability allows more time to process, share, and assess information before critical decisions are made.
In addition to enhanced capabilities, AESA radars are exceptionally reliable and maintainable. “Raytheon’s high-performance AESA radar systems offer greater affordability over the life of the radar. The APG-79 has extremely low failure and maintenance rates,” said Eric Ditmars, F/A-18 program director, Tactical Airborne Systems.
This third retrofit contract brings orders for the update of block II F/A-18s up to 57. Work for this program will be completed at Raytheon facilities in El Segundo, Calif.; Andover, Mass.; Forest, Miss.; and Dallas, Texas, with deliveries expected to begin October 2012.
Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide.
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SOURCE Raytheon Company
CONTACT: Kevin Gabriel, +1-310-334-1096
Web Site: http://www.raytheon.com
Super Hornet, AESA radar system, El Segundo, California, Andover, Massachusetts, Forest, Mississippi, Dallas, Texas
Finances of State and Local Government Employee Retirement Systems, 3rd Quarter 2010
WASHINGTON, DC /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ Finances of Selected State and Local Government Employee Retirement Systems: 3rd Quarter 2010.
This quarterly survey provides national summary data on the revenues, expenditures and composition of assets of the 100 largest state and local public employee retirement systems in the United States. These 100 systems comprise 89.4 percent of financial activity among such entities, based on the 2007 Census of Governments.
This survey presents the most current data about investment decisions by state and local public employee retirement systems, which are among the largest types of institutional investors in the U.S. financial markets.
These data tables are published three months after each calendar quarter and show national financial transactions and trends for the past five years.
You can view the different finance summaries online at http://www.census.gov/govs/qpr/ .
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SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
CONTACT: Census Public Information Office, +1-301-763-3030, pio@census.gov
Web Site: http://www.census.gov
IT Management – Google, Apple, Intel Among 20 Best Tech Companies to Work for in 2011
What tech company holds the key to your dream IT job?
eWEEK ranks the 20 best technology companies to work for, according to Glassdoor.com’s “50 Best Places to Work” study.
The Glassdoor list is based on data collected from real employees.
In addition, while companies such as Google, Apple, Saleforce.com and Intel made the cut, many of the other firms are ones that fly under the radar. While the majority of companies on the list are tech, several others include design, traditional engineering, bio-technology, health care and consulting companies with major research and development, IT strategy and technical practices. For purposes of this presentation, the number associated with each company is where companies rank on the Glassdoor list and includes an overall company rating from 0 to 5, with 5 being the highest. Also included are CEOs and their overall approval rating as a percentage from employee reviews.
“Glassdoor’s Employees’ Choice Awards recognize stand-out companies that have retained the support and commitment of their employees despite the tough economic climate,” Glassdoor CEO Robert Hohman wrote in a statement. “For companies on the list, we typically get positive feedback on the company culture, benefits and open communication practices while we also tend to see high opinions of the chief executive.”
For a complete list of all 50 companies, please check out Glassdoor’s Website: http://www.eweek.com/%5Cwww.glassdoor.com%5CBest-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm
VIEW eWeek’s Top 20 Best list: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/Google-Apple-Intel-Among-20-Best-Tech-Companies-to-Work-for-in-2011-467735/
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SOURCE eWeek
Cautious Optimism for 2011 on Hiring, Salary Increases, and Bonus Awards
NEW YORK, NY /PRNewswire/ A survey conducted in November/ December by Empsight International, LLC, of 142 Fortune 500 and Large Multinational corporations regarding forecasts of 2011 salary Merit Increases, Bonus Payouts, and Hiring, suggests cautious optimism.
Hiring expectations showed a significant improvement over 2009, with 39% of companies expecting headcount increases of 1% to 5%, and 18% expecting reductions of the same amount. The corresponding figures in last year’s edition of the survey were 21% and 26%. Retail, Professional Services and Technology companies showed the strongest hiring forecasts. The greatest impediments to Hiring were seen as:
– The Broader Economic Outlook (49% of responses)
– Level of Demand for Company Products and Services (36% of responses)
– Government Regulations (8% of responses)
– Health Care Costs (7% of responses)
“While there is an active societal debate on Health Care, this survey shows economic fundamentals are a more significant driver of hiring decisions,” stated Vincent McHugh, Managing Director of Empsight International, LLC.
Survey numbers, which are detailed in the link below, show salary Merit Budgets forecasted at 3.0% at Median, compared to 2.6% in the same survey in 2009. The number of companies planning Merit increases was 98% of the total compared with 94% in last year’s edition of the survey. Of the 11 Industry group breakouts, the Oil/Gas/Services industry group recorded the highest Average Merit Increase, at 3.24%, while the Insurance industry the lowest at 2.37%.
78% of companies expect to pay Annual Cash Bonuses at the same or higher levels than last year, with 27%, at the executive level, expecting payouts Somewhat or Significantly Higher. 90% of companies expected their Long Term Incentive awards to be About the Same or Somewhat Higher.
Employee Retention, Employee Morale, Cost of Benefits, Compensation Competitiveness, and Managerial Skill Levels continue to register as Somewhat to Very Significant Concerns for companies. These factors will increase in importance if there is significant growth in the economy.
The survey was conducted between November 18 – December 8, 2010 by Empsight International, LLC a compensation survey and consulting firm focused on Fortune 500 and large multi-national companies.
Full survey results available for download at http://www.empsight.com/spotsurveyresults.
Note to media:
Vincent McHugh vincent.mchugh.pr@empsight.com (212-537-0187), and Jeremy Feinstein jeremy.feinstein.pr@empsight.com (212-683-7745), Managing Directors of Empsight International, are available for interviews.
About Empsight:
Empsight International, LLC is a human resource consulting firm which helps employers make better decisions about their investment in people. Our primary focus is on conducting compensation surveys in niche markets (Law, Government Relations, Corporate Communications, Compliance, Audit, Risk, Security, HR, and Executive Administrative Support), domestically and internationally. Our surveys are seen as definitive data reference sources in markets where such information is critical to maintaining competitiveness. Our clients are, predominantly, leading multinational corporations. Our Principals and staff have significant experience in consulting on compensation, organizational and human resource issues across multiple industry sectors.
For information about Empsight please visit http://www.empsight.com/.
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SOURCE Empsight International, LLC
CONTACT: Vincent McHugh, +1-212-537-0187, vincent.mchugh.pr@empsight.com, or Jeremy Feinstein, +1-212-683-7745, jeremy.feinstein.pr@empsight.com, Managing Directors of Empsight International
Web Site: http://www.empsight.com
‘My Reboot Camp’ Career Assistance Web Site Launches For Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans
‘My Reboot Camp’ Web Site Launches For Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans
BRADENTON, FL /PRNewswire/ Today, My Reboot Camp (MyRebootCamp.com), an online educational resource for veterans and those currently serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and their families, launches nationwide to address the real issues and challenges associated with transitioning from active duty to civilian life.
The change is a process, and the web site’s purpose is to help the more than 1.7 million service men and women who served in one of these two conflicts to successfully make that shift. The web site features webisodes with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans discussing their challenges and the resources they drew upon as they returned to civilian life. It also includes a series of learning modules with links to a wealth of resources for military and their families to access.
To view the full release and multimedia assets associated with this story, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/46533-braive-project/
Having technical issues with the interactive media player? Please send an e-mail to multivuonline@multivu.com.
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SOURCE State College of Florida Foundation, Inc.
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101228/MM22243 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ Video:http://www.multivu.com/players/English/46533-braive-project State College of Florida Foundation, Inc.
CONTACT: Alicia King, Clarke Advertising and Public Relations, W: +1-941-487-1921, C: +1-941-716-4434, aking@clarkeadvertising.com
Poll – Keep Baby Boomers on the Job Past Retirement Age
OMAHA, NE /PRNewswire/ As Baby Boomers begin to turn 65 on January 1, 71 percent of Americans believe they should be encouraged to work past normal retirement age, according to survey conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
At the same time, 69 percent of Americans – including 71 percent of Gen-Xers and 61 percent of Millennials – say they have a responsibility to provide for those who retire before them. The national survey, “The New Reality of 2011: Baby Boomers at 65,” was commissioned by Home Instead Senior Care and provides a multi-generational perspective as those born into America’s post-World War II population explosion reach retirement age.
Home Instead CEO Roger Baumgart said, “We are encouraged to see there is opportunity for intergenerational collaboration to ensure that seniors in America age successfully.”
The greatest concerns of Baby Boomers – 77 million Americans born between January 1, 1946, and December 31, 1964 – about life after 65 are finances (48 percent) and health (34 percent).
While most Americans believe they should provide for retirees, many fear our society and economy will pay a stiff price for the post-war population explosion. Some 61 percent worry that Baby Boomers will bankrupt Social Security, while 59 percent believe the needs of aging Boomers may overload the healthcare system.
Younger generations diverge from their elders in some key areas. Thirty-one percent of Millennials feel that Boomers should be encouraged to retire, versus just 8 percent of the Silent-Greatest generation and 16 percent of Boomers themselves. Likewise, 37 percent of Millennials believe they should bear no responsibility to provide for retirees.
The report details the findings from a telephone survey taken between December 2 and December 8, 2010, of 1,029 adults in the continental U.S., and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
For full results, visit HomeInstead.com. For technical questions, contact Lee Meringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, at (845) 575-5050.
ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994, the Home Instead Senior Care(®) network is the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 900 independent franchises in 14 countries. Home Instead local offices employ 65,000+ CAREGivers(SM) who each year provide more than 40 million hours of client service, including companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, errands and shopping. Founders Paul and Lori Hogan pioneered franchising in the non-medical senior care industry and are leading advocates for senior issues.
ABOUT MARIST COLLEGE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC OPINION
The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion has conducted research on public priorities, elections, and a wide variety of social issues, building a legacy of independence, reliability, and accuracy. Its results are distributed throughout the world.
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SOURCE Home Instead Senior Care
CONTACT: Dan Wieberg, +1-402-575-5970, dwieberg@homeinsteadinc.com
Web Site: http://www.HomeInstead.com
Top Programming Language Skills in Demand for 2011
eWEEK gives its outlook for the top programming languages for developers in 2011.
Despite their age, the workhorse languages such as C and C++ continue to remain at the top end of the software development landscape in terms of use and job potential.
According to Simply Hired, since April 2009, Java jobs increased 52 percent, Perl jobs increased 33 percent, C# jobs increased 52 percent, Objective C jobs increased 60 percent (however, a search for “Objective-C” showed a 207 percent increase in jobs), Visual Basic jobs increased 112 percent, JavaScript jobs increased 76 percent, Ruby jobs increased 78 percent, Python jobs increased 69 percent, C jobs increased 11 percent and PHP jobs increased 58 percent. Yet, Simply Hired shows a decrease of 13 percent in terms of jobs for the C++ language.
Here’s a look at those as well as some languages that are up-and-coming: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Java-C-C-Top-18-Programming-Languages-for-2011-480790
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SOURCE eWeek
2011.02.11 Harvard OCS Start-Up Career Fair, Cambridge MA
Harvard OCS Start-Up Career Fair Friday, February 11, 2011
Start-up Fair
The Office of Career Services at Harvard University invites you to join us at the Harvard OCS Start-Up Career Fair on Friday, February 11, 2011.
The interest in entrepreneurship and start-up careers among Harvard students is high. This educational and career-focused event, geared specifically for the start-up and entrepreneurship fields, is an excellent way for you to:
* Meet top Harvard undergraduate and graduate students * Market your job and internship opportunities * Brand your organization on campus * Offer information and advice to students
DATE: Friday, February 11, 2011
TIME: 2:00-5:00pm
PLACE: (OCS), 54 Dunster Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
DETAILS: Each organization may bring up to two people and will have a table to showcase information.
COST: This event is free to participating organizations.
REGISTER: http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/employers/2011startup-fair.htm
For more information, please contact: Sarah McNeeley Career Events & Employer Relations Manager Office of Career Services Harvard University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Telephone: 617-348-9361 Email: smcneeley@fas.harvard.edu
VA officials start mentoring for veteran-owned small businesses
WASHINGTON DC (AFNS) – To help small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans and other veteran-owned small businesses become more competitive in the marketplace, Department of Veterans Affairs officials have selected 20 mentor-protégé teams to participate in a new program.
“For VA, it’s a natural goal to award government contracts to qualified veteran-owned small businesses,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said. “Not only does it benefit the veteran entrepreneur, but VA gets the contractor support it needs more quickly and with less risk. All veterans win by getting better services from VA.”
The program commits participating firms to agreements of up to 36 months in which mentoring firms provide business assistance in various skill areas and foster long-term business relationships with their veteran-owned protégé firms. The mentor and protégé firms will prepare their own agreements.
VA officials selected the teams based on their assessment of small businesses owned by veterans and the ability of potential mentoring firms to offer help with development.
Small-business specialists in VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization reviewed the agreements formed by the participants. The mentoring firms are not necessarily veteran-owned. Their mentoring can benefit the protégé firms if VA officials evaluate them in bidding for future contracts or subcontracts.
VA officials said they plan to select five more pairs of mentor and protégé firms next month. They will select additional mentor-protégé teams next August and approximately every six months thereafter.
More information on the new program can be found at http://www.va.gov/osdbu
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SOURCE U.S. Air Force
ThanksUSA
ThanksUSA Awards Scholarships to Military Families in Partnership with Folds of Honor Foundation
WASHINGTON, DC /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ThanksUSA, a charitable effort to mobilize Americans to “thank” our active-duty troops through need-based scholarships, is partnering with the Folds of Honor Foundation to provide 65 scholarships worth $3,000 each to children and spouses of wounded or killed in action veterans.
Thanks to a $100,000 contribution from Folds of Honor, and a matching $100,000 contribution from ThanksUSA, the scholarships will be distributed this week. Folds of Honor provides post-secondary educational scholarships for children and spouses of military service men and women killed or disabled while serving in the armed forces.
“It’s important that we continue to do everything possible to remind ourselves and others about the sacrifice that American citizens make every day for our freedom,” said Major Dan Rooney, founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation. “Scholarships help continue the legacy of our American heroes by ensuring that their families have an opportunity for the best life possible.”
“ThanksUSA and Folds of Honor have very similar missions – to show our appreciation to men and women in uniform by providing the gift of education to their spouses and children – and we’re honored that they have chosen to contribute to our scholarship program,” said Michele Stork, executive director of ThanksUSA. “Thanks to the generosity of corporate donors such as Folds of Honor, we have awarded 150 scholarships so far in 2010, with 100 additional scholarships to be awarded before the year ends.”
ThanksUSA began in 2005 when two Virginia schoolgirls set out to mobilize Americans to thank active-duty troops for defending our freedoms. Since 2006, ThanksUSA has awarded more than $6 million in need-based, post-secondary scholarships to nearly 2,300 spouses and children of military members serving on active-duty status. Scholarships have been awarded in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to families representing all branches of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and the families of the wounded and fallen.
To support ThanksUSA’s scholarship program or submit an application, please visit www.ThanksUSA.org.
About Folds of Honor Foundation
The Folds of Honor Foundation provides post-secondary educational scholarships for children and spouses of military service men and women killed or disabled while serving our great nation. Patriot Golf Day is the flagship fundraiser for the Folds of Honor Foundation. Patriot Golf Day, jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association, is held each Labor Day Weekend at participating facilities nationwide. Individuals and companies interested in contributing to the Folds of Honor Foundation, and those applying for scholarships should visit FoldsofHonor.com.
About ThanksUSA
Founded in the fall of 2005, ThanksUSA, a non-partisan 501(c) (3) organization, is an effort to thank the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families for their service to the country with the gift of education. The organization provides need-based scholarships to the children and spouses of active-duty status military. For more information, visit www.ThanksUSA.org.
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SOURCE ThanksUSA
CONTACT: Amanda Belcher of Edelman, +1-202-372-6686, amanda.belcher@edelman.com
Web Site: http://www.foldsofhonor.org/
