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Skills Evaluation System in JapanSkills Evaluation System in Japan

Monday, October 20, 2006Overseas Cooperation Division,

HRD Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

1) Introduction a) Issues surrounding HRD policy b) Outline of HRD policy2) National Trade Skill Testing & Certification3) Succeeding and promoting high-proficiency skilled workers

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Issues surrounding HRD PolicyIssues surrounding HRD Policy

Accelerated technological innovation Structural changes in industries Diversification of working attitudes and style

Widening mismatch of vocational abilityWidening mismatch of vocational ability Decline in PopulationsDecline in Populations

Issues of young peopleIssues of young people High turnover rate and unemployment rate

“Freeters’ and ‘NEETs’ on the rise

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Human Recourses Development Human Recourses Development (HRD) Promotion Law(HRD) Promotion Law

• Objective• Vocational training standard• Assistance for employers • Foundation of public VT institutions• Training materials• Vocational training trainer• and others

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HRD Policy MapHRD Policy Map

1. Vocational Training

(upgrading of vocational ability) 3. 　 Worker’s Career

Development

① Career Consultation

② Career Development through work, VT, Evaluation, etc.

(1) Public Vocational Training

①Job seekers

②Employees

③Newly graduates

④Disabled people

(2) Support for Employers

(3) Support for Workers

2. Vocational Ability Evaluation

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National Trade Skill TestingNational Trade Skill Testing & Certification& Certification

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To appraise and to certifyTo appraise and to certify the vocational abilities the vocational abilities and knowledge that workers have achieved in and knowledge that workers have achieved in their vocational lives.their vocational lives.

To encourage skilled workers to seek a higher To encourage skilled workers to seek a higher degree of expertise, and to enhance the public’s degree of expertise, and to enhance the public’s appreciation of skilled achievement and appreciation of skilled achievement and vocational training, thereby vocational training, thereby raising both the raising both the skills and socio-economic status of workersskills and socio-economic status of workers and and contributing to the development of Japanese contributing to the development of Japanese industry.industry.

Objectives of Objectives of the Testing & the Testing &

Certification SystemCertification System

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National Trade Skill Test SystemNational Trade Skill Test System

① ① 137 kinds of trades (occupations)137 kinds of trades (occupations)

② ② Inaugurated in 1959Inaugurated in 1959

③ ③ Classified into 4 grades; Special, First, Classified into 4 grades; Special, First, Second, and Third gradeSecond, and Third grade

④ ④ 470,000 applicants, 170,000 people 470,000 applicants, 170,000 people passing tests in FY2005.passing tests in FY2005.

⑤ ⑤ 3.3 million people have been certified.3.3 million people have been certified.

⑥ ⑥ Certificates and “Certified Skilled Certificates and “Certified Skilled Worker” Title Worker” Title

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The skill testing system has become widespread to a certain extent covering 273 selective works

integrated into 137 trades

TradesTrades

Category: Construction, Ceramics/Soil/Stone, Metal Machining, Electric precision equipment, Food, Clothes/Textile product, Wood/Paper product, Plastics product, Jewelry and Accessory,Printing/Bookbinding, and others

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Grades/Levels Special grade Special grade for managers / supervisors

(Number of applicants, successful applicants, its ratio: 50,721 ; 15,207 ; 30% in the latest 5 FYs)

11stst Grade Grade for advanced skilled workers (2,422,234 ; 1,060,548 ; 43.8%)

22ndnd Grade Grade for intermediate skilled workers (4,283,029 ; 1,750,557 ; 40.9%)

33rdrd Grade Grade for novice workers (360,193; 174,830; 48.5%)

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Grades v.s Length of Experience

0 12 years6Length of Experience

1st

2nd

3rd

3 8

Gra

des

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Organisational Functions by HRD Promotion Law

• MHLW → JAVADA (JApan Vocational Ability Development Association)

　 Entrusts with developing methodologies of the Tests and producing the assignments of the Tests

• Pref. Government →Pref. VADA 　 Entrusts with running the Tests

National Trade Skill Testing & Certification SystemNational Trade Skill Testing & Certification System

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Skills Testing ExpertSkills Testing Expert

JAVADA and Pref. VADA appoint national / local JAVADA and Pref. VADA appoint national / local experts as part-time staff of each, from among experts as part-time staff of each, from among those who have professional skills and those who have professional skills and knowledge on the relevant trades or sub tradesknowledge on the relevant trades or sub trades

Duties of national experts are to prepare the Duties of national experts are to prepare the practical and theoretical test and undertake any practical and theoretical test and undertake any other technical matters other technical matters

Duties of pref. experts are to implement and Duties of pref. experts are to implement and supervise the practical skill test and do marking supervise the practical skill test and do marking the test projects.the test projects.

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Practical skill testPractical skill test

Practical skill test is carried out mainly by so Practical skill test is carried out mainly by so called achievement test where applicants perform called achievement test where applicants perform actual workactual work

Working time is defined by standard time and Working time is defined by standard time and maximum time. Any works over the standard time maximum time. Any works over the standard time incurs demerit points by degree of excessincurs demerit points by degree of excess

Test projects are in most cases to be sent to Test projects are in most cases to be sent to applicants three month prior to the testapplicants three month prior to the test

Instead of actual work, examination of specimen, Instead of actual work, examination of specimen, finding faults, and technical paper tests on finding faults, and technical paper tests on operations & simulations of actual work are operations & simulations of actual work are applied for some tradesapplied for some trades

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Theoretical testTheoretical test Theoretical test complements the practical Theoretical test complements the practical

test and evaluates the proper judgement test and evaluates the proper judgement ability and knowledge necessary for ordinary ability and knowledge necessary for ordinary work, not merely for checking academic work, not merely for checking academic knowledge.knowledge.

Maximum time of written test is two hours.Maximum time of written test is two hours. Questions are composed of 25 multiple Questions are composed of 25 multiple

choice tests and 25 true-false testschoice tests and 25 true-false tests A part of questions are to be selected from A part of questions are to be selected from

item bank, and 30% of questions are new item bank, and 30% of questions are new onesones

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Criteria for passing testCriteria for passing test

To pass both practical skills test and To pass both practical skills test and theoretical testtheoretical test

To get 60 points at least in 100 points, full To get 60 points at least in 100 points, full scores for practical tests and scores for practical tests and

65points for theoretical tests65points for theoretical tests

If in case either of the tests are not quite If in case either of the tests are not quite there, he can try again for one he failed until there, he can try again for one he failed until he succeeds or until he gives uphe succeeds or until he gives up

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Vocational Abilities of Workers

①Knowledge, skills

② Individual thought and action qualities(attitude, cooperativeness)

③ Motivation, personality, character, conviction, values, etc.

Overt

Latent

Results

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Utilisation of Trade Skill TestTreatment of Certified Skilled Workers (Multiple Answers) (%)

Monthly benefits for qualification 29.5

Congratulatory benefits 26.5

Differential in salary increase or rate of increase 13.3

Differential in bonus 4.8

Commendation or notification of achievement 45.8

Nothing in particular 11.4

Relationship Between Possession of Certified Skill Qualifications and Promotion, Advancement (Multiple Answers)

(％)

Prerequisite to promotion, advancement 10.2

Exemption from a written examination for promotion, advancement

2.4

Advantageous in selection process for promotion, advancement 50.0

No particular relation to promotion, advancement 37.3

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Keys to make the Skill Test Keys to make the Skill Test sustainable and valuablesustainable and valuable

1.Qualitiy of the Test being secured : 1.Qualitiy of the Test being secured : a) Demand based quality of the testsa) Demand based quality of the tests b) Quality, Equality and Fairness of carrying out b) Quality, Equality and Fairness of carrying out

the teststhe tests c) Quality of the assessorsc) Quality of the assessors

2.Industries cooperating in implementing the 2.Industries cooperating in implementing the Test in various aspects Test in various aspects

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Other Vocational Ability Evaluation SystemsAccredited System for In-house Trade Skills Test

① Certifying system of the trade skills which are specific to a company ② Such skill tests are accredited by the Government as “Accredited System for In-house Trade Skills Test,” for being made use of evaluating workers’ skill levels. ③ As of April 2006, 131 trade skills in 39 companies are designated as such.

Vocational ability evaluation standards ① Based on competencies needed in carrying out jobs, ② In collaboration with employers’ associations, ③ Covering from administrative work to technical and skill-related work ④ Covering from manufacturing to services sectors

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Succeeding and PromotingSucceeding and Promoting High-Proficiency Skilled WorkersHigh-Proficiency Skilled Workers

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Types of High-Proficiency SkillsTypes of High-Proficiency Skills

Type AType A The skilledThe skilled workers who can workers who can manufacture the hifh-precision and high-manufacture the hifh-precision and high-quality products with the high skill that cannot quality products with the high skill that cannot replace it by machine. replace it by machine. “Super Skilled Worker”“Super Skilled Worker”

Type BType B The skilled workers with the flexibility The skilled workers with the flexibility can meet wide production ordering and be can meet wide production ordering and be engaged in technical development “engaged in technical development “Frontier Frontier Skilled Worker”Skilled Worker”

Type CType C Those who can realize a practical Those who can realize a practical operation method in the production. operation method in the production. “High-“High-tech Skilled Worker”tech Skilled Worker”

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Development of new gilding for making reflex mirror of laser light collection

A big diameter spherical surface lens polishing

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60

50

40

30

20

10

020 30 40 50 60 70 80

Age

World Skills Competition (22 year old age limit)

Grade 2 Trade Skills Test average age is 29.3years old

Grade 1 Trade Skills Testaverage age is 35.3 years old

Special Grade average age is 38.8years old

Skills Grand Prix average age is 41.3years old

High-proficiency Skilled Workersaverage age is 51.6 years old (Averageyears of experience for them is 30.4) Superior Skilled

Workers average ageis 62.9 years old

Years of experience

National Skills Competition(21 year old age limit)

(Average years ofexperience forSuperior SkilledWorkers is 45.2)

Career Path for Industrial PeopleCareer Path for Industrial People

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Promotion of SkillsPromotion of Skills

Skill Grand PrixSkill Grand Prix

Certification of High-Proficiency Skilled Certification of High-Proficiency Skilled WorkersWorkers

Commendation of Prominent Skilled Commendation of Prominent Skilled WorkersWorkers

(in closing the presentation)

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Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

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