ERIC Number: ED345095
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1992
Pages: 20
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: ISBN-92-2-108385-3
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Technology of Technology Transfer. The Case of the Japan-Singapore Technical Institute. Discussion Paper No. 93.
Araujo e Oliveira, Joao Batista; Pillay, Gerald F.
The new economic and industrial policies of the 1980s called for a major restructuring of the industrial profile of Singapore. The government decided to set up three new technical institutes to prepare and supply skilled workers to new investors: French-, German-, and Japan-Singapore Technical Institutes with the collaboration of the government and industries in the respective countries. The technology to be transferred was that of running technical training institutes. The Japan-Singapore Technical Institute (JSTI) was created to provide skilled workers for operation and maintenance jobs. A few critical characteristics of the institutional arrangements were institutional training; educated, experienced staff; and freedom to organize training around workplace needs. Other characteristics of the Japanese style emerged: total immersion in the work and managerial style. Five years after its start, JSTI realized the need for more technical education and less skills training. The addition of a mechatronics course reflected the distinctive characteristics of the institution and the Japanese influence during the development phase. Results included the following: most students received scholarships and were bonded for 3 years after graduation; curriculum changes included offering a higher order certificate and moving into research and development activities; and JSTI was not only a training institute, but also helped promote and sustain Singapore's technological development. (YLB)
Descriptors: Developing Nations, Foreign Countries, Institutional Administration, International Educational Exchange, International Programs, Job Training, Labor Force Development, Postsecondary Education, Skilled Occupations, Technical Assistance, Technical Education, Technical Institutes, Technological Advancement, Technology Transfer
International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland.
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: International Labour Office, Geneva (Switzerland).
Identifiers - Location: Japan; Singapore
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A