Engineering Tasks for the New Century Japanese and U.S. Perspectives (1999) / Chapter Skim
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5 Lifelong Learning for Engineers
5 Lifelong Learning for Engineers
Pages 48-62
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From page 48... ...
For large Japanese companies, lifelong employment is still the expectation. Engineers are typically rotated through a number of functions during their careers, and large companies maintain extensive in-house capabilities for continuing education.
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From page 49... ...
companies. Some large companies have extensive in-house programs and provide educational benefits such as time off and support to pursue outside training, while others do not.4 Smaller companies and consulting firms are generally unable to provide in-house training, and are financially constrained from offering educational benefits.
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From page 50... ...
NTU delivers classes from major engineering schools by satellite to working professionals in industry. NTU and Motorola University, Motorola's extensive in-house program, have been cited as U.S.
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From page 51... ...
Japanese universities are seeking to play a greater role in continuing education for engineers, but task force discussions indicate that Japanese companies are skeptical about whether universities can be as effective as in-house programs. Although several national and private universities have launched night graduate schools in recent years, the focus has been on professional master's programs in areas such as public policy studies, management information systems and counseling.'3 Japanese task force members also raised concerns about engineers employed by smaller companies, whose continuing education needs appear to be underserved.
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From page 52... ...
and Japanese companies. To supplement the broad general discussion, the task force was fortunate to be able to examine the approaches of Xerox Corporation and Fuji Xerox.~7 Although the two companies `design, develop, and manufacture similar hardware and technology, engineering careers and continuing education experiences can differ significantly.
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From page 53... ...
The service assignment was followed by a nine month assignment in a manufacturing facility. EDP graduates participated in a job fair for the open entry level engineering positions, since job assignments under this recruitment structure were not identified at the time of hire.
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From page 54... ...
Engineering teams and supporting human resource development organizations were split to support the business division structure. As a result, orientation and early career training have become more varied between divisions.
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From page 55... ...
Fuji Xerox Early Career Training At Fuji Xerox the idea of orientation encompasses a much broader introduction to the company than does the typical U.S. company orientation.
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From page 56... ...
For the Fuji Xerox engineer, a solid knowledge of technology, cost management, and manufacturing technology is a must. After five years, about half the entering cohort of engineers at a typical large U.S.
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From page 57... ...
Promotion to bucho, or division chief, typically occurs in one's late forties. Japanese companies also use study {eaves as a professional development tool.~9 This involves selection of key personnel between the ages of about 25 to 35 for dispatch to a university, research institute, or another company as a visiting scholar or researcher for periods of up to several years.
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From page 58... ...
In 1994, Fuji Xerox engineers spent a total of ~ 1,000 days on engineering training. Across Fuji Xerox, all employees spent a total of 76,000 days receiving training.
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From page 59... ...
Approximately 30 percent of engineers at Fuji Xerox are officially recognized as experts in a specific area of technology, compared with less than 5 percent at Xerox. Over half of Fuji Xerox engineers move into some form of management such as technical manager, product manager or a staff position.
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From page 60... ...
For Xerox, Fuji Xerox and many other U.S. and Japanese companies, training aimed at allowing engineers to take maximum advantage of information technologies is a major focus of efforts to maintain technical vitality.
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From page 61... ...
There is a danger that the engineering culture of a company may become inbred, stagnant and resistant to change. In recent years, Japanese companies have expressed concern that the Japanese education system and social tradition do not sufficiently promote risk taking arid originality among engineers.22 U.S.
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From page 62... ...
, Minkan Kigyo ni okeru Kenkyusha/Gijutsusha no Ikusei oyobi Katsayo ni kan suru Jitsujo Chosa (Survey on Actual Experience of Private Companies in Training and Utilizing Researchers and EngineersJ, report commissioned by the Agency for Industrial Science and Technology, March 1994.
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