University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0068
Survey Title Survey of Social Qualification among White-collar Workers (Engineers, Assistant Engineers, Engineer Trainees, Assistant Engineer Trainees), 1994
Depositor JTUC Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards
(Former Name:Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards)
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Period of Data Use Permission One year
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Summary The current environment surrounding white-collar employees is very severe as manifested in the prolonged recession, fewer managerial posts, employment restructuring, reconsideration of seniority wages, and more transfers to affiliates. Under the condition, the question of how white-collar employees work inside their companies has gained momentum, and a issue of how to acquire skills that are also acceptable outside the companies has become a very important matter. Most typical way to socially evaluate those acquired skills is a certificate system. Focused on the professional engineer which is a popular certificate among technical white-collar employees, this survey reveals the effect of obtaining a certificate, the employee's workplace and treatment, and his/her attitude to work and job switching. This survey was conducted to obtain basic data with which to explore how the relationships between companies and white-collar employees should be in the future, by elucidating the contemporary phenomenon of acquiring certificate. For the past two years, we have also conducted surveys for employees engaging in clerical work and this survey was done based on them.
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe Certified professional engineers and associate professional engineers (mainly certified in the past decade) as well as the trainees preparing for acquiring certificates.
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size [Certified professional engineers]
A sample of 784, of whom 439 (56.0%) returned valid responses.
[Certified associate professional engineers]
A sample of 912, of whom 350 (38.4%) returned valid responses.

[Trainee for professional engineers]
A sample of 265, of whom 135 (50.9%) returned valid responses.

[Trainee for associate professional engineers]
A sample of 218, of whom 52 (23.9%) returned valid responses.
Date of Collection 1994-01 ~ 1994-11
Certified professional engineers and the trainees: January-February, 1994
Certified associate professional engineers and the trainees: October-November, 1994
Time Period 1994 ~ 1994
Spatial Unit
Sampling Procedure Probability: Simple random
Certified professional engineer and associate professional engineer:
Random sampling in cooperation with Japan Consulting Engineers Association.
Trainees:
The aforementioned numbers of respondents were selected in cooperation with Japan Management Association's Management Center from the participants in the relevant exam-preparatory courses held by the Center. (Note that at the time of survey, professional engineer courses covered 10 out of the 19 fields and associate professional engineer courses, 4 out of the 19 fields.)
Mode of Data Collection Certified professional engineer and associate professional engineers:
Self-administered mailback questionnaires were sent by mail. (Note that some associate professional engineers were reached via the professional engineer whom they were assisting.)
Trainees:
Self-administered mailback questionnaires were sent by mail.
Investigator JTUC Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0068
Sponsors (Funds)
Related Publications (by the Investigator) Employment Promotion Corporation and JTUC-RIALS (March 1995) Gijutsusha no koyo to shikaku shutoku ni kansuru chosa kenkyu hokokusho (Report of Research Study on Engineers' Employment and Acquisition of Certificates).
Related Publications (based on Secondary Analysis) List of related publications (based on Secondary Analysis)
Documentation [Gijutsushi Chosa-hyo][Gijutsushi-ho Chosa-hyo][Search]
[Gijutsushi no gakushusha Chosa-hyo][Gijutsushi-ho no gakushusha Chosa-hyo]
Major Survey Items Four different questionnaires were prepared separately for four groups; professional engineers, associate professional engineers, trainees of professional engineers and trainees of associate professional engineers. Those for professional engineer and associate professional engineer are almost the same and so are those for the trainees for professional engineer and associate professional engineer
[Certified professional engineer questionnaire]
A. Certificates held: field(s); date of and age at acquisition; reasons for choosing the filed(s).
B. Background of the acquisition: period of preparation; methods of preparation; marital status and spouse's employment status at the time of acquisition; family supportiveness; effect of acquisition; status at the time of acquisition; number of employees, industry, divisional affiliation, and title at the time of acquisition; company's attitude to certificates acquisition; reflection of certificate(s) on treatment; supervisors and colleagues supportiveness.
C. Certificates, job switching, and self-employment: employment, job switching and self-employment activities after acquisition; whether switched jobs after acquisition; reasons for quit; media for job switching; effect of acquisition upon job switching; changes in income and work upon job switching; general judgment of job switching; whether started business after acquisition; (if yes, relationship between acquisition and business; time and age of start; circumstances of business starting; changes in income and work upon business starting); reasons for not switching; changes in income and work upon certificate acquisition; company switching desired or not..
D. Occupation: occupation; number of employees at company; company's industry; job and position;
E.. Demographic items: age; sex; last school attended; annual income; holding certificates.

[Certified associate professional engineer questionnaire]
Item "Time wish to acquire professional engineer certificate" were added to the certified professional engineer questionnaire.

[Trainee for professional engineer questionnaire]
[Trainee for associate professional engineer questionnaire]
I. Certificates acquisition: holding certificates; general effect of professional engineer certificate; course field(s); type of certificates wishing to acquire.
II. Condition for preparation: reasons for choice; period of preparation; average time spent for preparation per day; how to take time for preparation; expense and feeling of the burden; family supportiveness.
III. Preparation and current workplace: existence and condition of encouragement system; reflection of certificate(s) on treatment; desire for reflection of certificate(s) on treatment; conditions wishing at the workplace; supervisors and colleagues supportiveness.
IV. Job switching: job swiching experience; (if yes, number of times, the last work, number of employees, industry, reasons for switching); degree of satisfaction with current workplace; company switching desired or not (if yes type of enterprise desired and important criteria for selection); attitude to work.
V. Demographic items: age; sex; last school attended and major; occupation; number of employees at company; company's industry; job and position; job contents; annual income; type of dwelling; marital status; spouse's employment status.
Date of Release 1999/09/20
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Vocational education and training
Employment
Working conditions
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Education/Learning
Version 1 : 1999-09-20
Notes for Users Data Sets are written in Japanese.