and Employment for Engineers
1. Research Objective
(1) With the Japanese economy still in the midst of difficult times, sweeping structural adjustments typified by the reduction of middle management employees and declining corporate growth rates have become unavoidable as the Japanese economic landscape continues its transformation. Changes are evident in labor markets as well in the form of increasing rates of individuals seeking higher education, an aging work force, and a move towards a greater number of white collar jobs. However, in contrast to these changes, corporate personnel policy adjustment can simply be regarded as 'employment adjustment' with white collar workers as the focus of the change. This clearly demonstrates a lack of appropriate attention and response to structural shocks to labor supply and demand for not only clerical white collar workers, but for technical positions as well.
(2) The number of white collar workers who are aiming to acquire various certifications* has been increasing as of late. This can be thought of as an attempt by white collar workers to re-examine their relationship with the workplace and as an effort towards a re-shaping of the relationship between the company and the individual. At RIALS, through attempts at clarifying characteristics surrounding the modern phenomenon of white collar workers' interest in acquiring advanced qualifications, it is hoped that a relationship can be established as to its effects on occupational lifestyle. As such, a survey was conducted on white collar employees over the past two years and, using this survey as a base, focus was placed on advanced engineering qualifications, which is a standard and representative qualification sought by technical white collar workers. Upon completion of this it was then possible to clarify various points regarding the following: Effects of acquiring the advanced engineering qualification; treatment at the workplace of qualification holders; and workers' consciousness of their current position and of possibilities for changing jobs.
* This type of advanced certification, or qualification, is called 'shikaku' in Japanese and is acquired by passing a government regulated examination in a particular field. For this paper, 'qualification' and 'certification' are used as an equivalent of 'shikaku'.
2. Research Methodology
(1) This survey questioned 784 holders of the 'advanced engineering certification', 912 employees with the 'advanced engineering assistant certification', 265 workers who are currently studying for the 'advanced engineering certification' and 218 who will take the examination for the 'advanced engineering assistant certification'.
(2) The survey was sent first to those qualified as or studying for the 'advanced engineering certification' in January and February of 1994. Next, it was sent to those qualified as or studying for the 'advanced engineering assistant certification' in October and November of 1994. The number of valid surveys returned from those qualified as advanced engineers was 493 (56.0%). The number for those already qualified as 'advanced engineering assistants' was 350 (38.4%) while those studying for the 'advanced engineering' or 'advanced engineering assistant' certification returned the survey at a rate of 50.9% (135) and 23.9% (52), respectively.
3. An Outline of Survey Results
(1) Two out of three workers acquire 'certified' work in private sector business; 30% of those acquiring 'certification' were managers and 30% were assistant managers.
(a) The age of acquisition was distributed over a ten year range between a worker's late thirties and early forties, with the average age of acquisition at 41 years.
(b) At the time of acquisition, two out of three were white-collar workers for private sector businesses with the others working for consulting firms. One trend of note was the younger the worker, the greater the probability he belonged to a consulting firm, with other workers generally employed in the private sector.
(c) For those working in the private sector, one in four belong to large scale companies employing more than 10,000 individuals, and they were engaged in work related to production and technology with 48% concentrated in design and product development. Also, their position at work reflected their relative ages with 30% in the capacity of manager and another 30% as assistant manager.
(2) Background of Acquisition
The three major reasons cited as motivation for the acquisition of certification were:
*Usefulness in present job
*Societal prestige and esteem
*Relation to a particular field of specialization
A large number of respondents noted that their motivation was directly related to their present job (67%) or to their field of specialization (41%), while other motivating criteria included societal prestige (59%) and an increase in personal knowledge or ability (34%) . Figure 1 compares the motives of clerical vis a' vis technical white collar workers and notably prestige, followed by a request from the company and contribution to promotion prospects (which are strongly linked to career formation) were deemed more important by technical workers.
(3) Circumstances Surrounding 'Shikaku' Acquisition
(a) The average period of study to acquire the 'advanced engineering certificate' was two to three years with an 81% ratio of independent study, with those not falling within this parameter considered as exceptions.
(b) When examining an employer's attitude towards acquiring certification, over 70% of responses indicated a positive recommendation from their companies and 54% maintained that their bosses were cooperative in the endeavor. However, positive reinforcement from coworkers fell to just over 30% with 14% of those surveyed indicating coworker response as 'unknown'. When compared to positive responses from family (65%) and the company as well as from bosses, coworkers' responses are indeed rather negative.
(c) Responses to the survey showed treatment by the company of those pursuing the certification had a positive and direct relationship to the acquisition of new 'certification' (35%) or was reflected over the long-term (23%), the aggregate of these two responses containing roughly 60% of all respondents. This is in stark contrast to clerical white-collar workers, with over 60% in this sub-group claiming that treatment by their employer even in the long-term does not properly reflect their newly obtained 'qualification'.
(d) Responses showed concrete examples of company treatment reflecting the new qualifications. Such treatment was evident in pay raises in the short term (48%) while in the long term it was reflected in promotion (42%).
(e) Effects of 'certification' acquisition showed increased social prestige (88%) as well as other benefits to career formation, such as promotion.
The effect of certification acquisition showing increased social prestige (88%) was the highest factor followed by advantages in career formation such as promotion advantages, ease in becoming an independent contractor, and aid in finding or changing jobs, each at just less than 30%. Comparing the responses of both technical and clerical white-collar workers showed that technical workers gained social prestige and had an increase in promotions, whereas the largest benefit for clerical workers was ease in becoming an independent contractor. In both cases, the acquisition of 'certification' helped in career formation. However, technical workers placed importance on 'certification' for internal advancement while clerical workers valued the qualification for mainly external or independent career advancement
(4) Advanced Certification and Occupational Experience
Starting a new business or changing jobs did not occur frequently, bur those with such experiences felt that the acquisition of 'certification' was useful in that process.
(a) The percentage of those who actually started new businesses or began new careers after certification acquisition was rather small, at only approximately 5% of those surveyed. However, when looking at the 3.4% of technical white-collar workers who changed jobs, 73% responded that holding the 'engineering certification' was helpful in that process.
(b) The overall evaluation of a workers' circumstances surrounding job-change was high. The number of responses indicating income and working hours 'changed for the better' were approximately equal to those responding it 'changed for the worse'. However, over 70% responded that changing jobs was successful when considering the new position and content of their work.
(c) While the number of responses indicating the opening of independent business was only 1.6%, the majority of those responding as such indicated the new business was a success and that both job content and pay had improved.
(5)Certification and Job Settlement
Those who acquired certification 'settled' at their current company, as they could perform the job for which they held the highest interest (56%) and their ability was properly recognized and utilized (28%).
The number of respondents who remained at the same company after acquiring the 'advanced engineering certification' was over 90%. The most frequently cited reason for this (56%) was ability to do the job they most wanted to perform, followed by proper recognition of their ability by the company at 28%. Additionally, the number who regarded their choice to remain at the same company as a mistake was an extremely low 6% and although the number of respondents who wish to 'change jobs soon' is small, if the 'conditions were right', 34% in fact expressed an interest in changing companies.
<Appendix>
On the Advanced Engineering Certification in Japan
(1) The Objective of Advanced Engineering Certification
The title of 'Advanced Engineer' is given only to those who are registered as having passed the national engineering test which is based on Japanese engineering laws. By administering this title, the Japanese government acknowledges that the recipient possesses superior ability in applied science and technology and because of this, in a situation where the Japanese government, a corporation, or a local public body requires the assistance of a technical consultant, or if a consulting firm employs a worker with the 'engineering certification', that entity making the request can feel secure with their choice. This is due to the 'engineer' holding the qualifications which represent the highest authority to participate in applied science and technology endeavors. For example, in the case where the national government or a self-governing body orders construction or a civil works project, a ranking of appropriate consulting firms is made and the appropriate one is then chosen. The ranking is performed through evaluation of the lists of first-class architects, electricians, advanced engineers, and the like employed at the firm. As such, if a first-class architect is evaluated as a 5 or a 6, the holder of the advanced engineering certification would receive an 8 or a 9. It is thus clear how highly regarded the advanced engineering certification actually is.
(2) The Present Condition of Advanced Engineers
Thirty years have passed since the 'advanced engineering qualification' system was introduced (the 'advanced engineer assistant' certification was initiated in 1984) and over 240,000 workers have attempted the examination with 36,000 actually having passed. With the recent rate of passing grades at approximately 15-17%, it can be said that this is quite a difficult test indeed. Among those who have passed the exam, approximately 30,000 have registered and are actively engaged in work under the title of 'advanced engineer'. Of those 30,000, about 15% work privately as consultants, and another 42% as top-class engineers for construction or manufacturing companies, with the remaining 43% belonging to consulting companies and performing activities related to areas which are regulated by the Construction Ministry such as soil quality inspections or sewage and drainage law enforcement.
Moreover, advanced 'certification' testing in other areas is now being planned. These areas include hydraulic, construction, mining, and transport machinery, factory equipment, construction, sewage and drainage, agriculture and agriculture works, forestry works, soil quality, and the like. Finally, approximately 44,000 workers took the advanced engineering assistant examination with roughly 8,600 passing and 4,800 officially registered and active in such capacity.