How the Japanese Learn to Work: 2nd Edition (Nissan Institute Routledge Japanese Studies Series)

Japan is regarded as a world leader in the field of education and training for improved economic performance. Yet success in Japan is often achieved by going against what is regarded as ideal practice elsewhere. This book offers the most comprehensive review available in English of the many facets of Japanese vocational education and training. Covering the system from primary education through to in job-training offered by companies, this book provides a detailed study of current practice giving equal emphasis to formal training in explicitly vocational courses, and informal training in factories, shops and offices. The authors analyse the difference between substantive 'person-changing' training and mere 'ability-labelling.' They raise important questions, such as: To what extent does the need to package skills to provide convenient qualifications distort the actual training given? How efficient is it to rely on professional trainers to certify the acquisition of skills, rather than run separate testing systems? The authors reveal how, in Japanese companies, employees are strongly motivated by pride in the successful execution of their jobs, and that much company training is carried out by colleagues. This book examines how the Japanese learn to work by exploring the following topics: common assumptions about vocational education and training (VET) that Japan brings into question; Japan's general education system and the moral quality and prestige status of the teaching and learning process; screening processes within Japan's education system and different attitudes toward vocational education in rural and urban areas; vocational streams in the mainline formal education system (the secondary level, specializations, technical high schools, teaching and assessment of practical subjects, commercial high schools, formal qualifications, colleges of technology, junior colleges, universities, university-industry liaison, overall standards); postsecondary, nonuniversity VET (Ministry of Labour system, Ministry of Health nursing schools, central and local government provision, private training schools, placement of graduates, public assistance); training in enterprises (lifetime employment and training, off-the-job lecture courses, nonformal in-firm training, correspondence courses, enterprise-operated qualification systems); standards and qualifications (skill testing, skill testing bodies, qualification examinations run by the central government, nonofficial qualifications); public expenditure on VET (budgets and priorities); and policies and prospects (policy coordination, consultation and research, recent trends). The book contains 91 references and 32 tables/figures. Appended is the 1994 Ministry of Education budget of vocational education. (MN) As many countries in the world seek to improve their economic performance by increasing their vocational education and training, Japan is being looked to as a leader in this field - the ideal model to imitate. This book provides a thorough examination of vocational education and training in all parts of the Japanese education system; from primary education to in-house training within companies and on the shop floor. This study highlights the role of the government, and shows how success in Japan is often achieved by going against what is regarded as ideal practice elsewhere: for example, much Japanese training is carried out informally by colleagues, the motivation being pride in doing the job well rather than a means to personal advancement. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of figures and tables......Page 7 General editor's preface......Page 9 Preface......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 21 The general school system......Page 22 Who goes where?......Page 36 Vocational streams in the mainline formal education system......Page 63 Post-secondary, non-university vocational education and training (VET)......Page 88 Training in the enterprise......Page 114 Standards and qualifications......Page 155 Public expenditure on VET......Page 182 Policies and prospects......Page 188 Ministry of Education budget for vocational education, 1994......Page 197 Bibliography......Page 199 Index......Page 205 Provides a thorough examination of vocational education and training in all parts of the education system; from primary education through to in-house training in companies and on the shop floor. Fully revised and updated, this book offers the most comprehensive review available in English of the many facets of Japanese vocational education and training.