Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the status of social skills training (SST) in vocational training in Japan. In particular, in this essay deals with social skills training in polytechnic seminar courses (Nohryoku-Kaihatsu Seminar,1994) as public vocational training. In maniy fields knowledge over a broad range of disciplines is sought with more emphasis being placed on diagnostic competence. For example, technologists increasingly find themselves fulfilling part-managerial functions and work in multi-disciplinary environments. A broader range of competence and systems awareness in also demanded of technicians and the demand for multi-skilled craft workers is sustained. The existing classifications of occupations as craftsman, technicians, technologists and engineers already seem in appropriate in the light of the changes wrought by new technology. The enlargement of some jobs in clerical and administrative occupations to include other skills, such as social skills needed for selling and counselling, means that existing classifications fail to categorise new jobs properly. Polytechnic seminar courses in Vocational training include three areas, those are A) management and service, B) mechanics, electricity, electronics and information, and C) living, design, chemistry. SST is part of A) management and service, on the whole, occupies 5.6% at a raito of number of courses. Still more, SSTs are separated into three branches from viewpoint of the characteristic, those are (1) individual competenses, (2) social strata and (3) working fields. Each branch is includes some elements, that are; (1) individual competenses: leadership, communication, counseling, presentation, education & training, management (2) social strata: freshman, middle of worker, foreman, manager, administrator, (3) working fields: products, education & personnel affairs, business & selling, secretary & reception, management. As a result, it is examined that social skills training in Japan make much of /leadership, communication (73.5%), /foreman, manager (54.8%)/products (20.3%). SST were performed also in TWI (Training Within Industry), especially JR (Job Relations). In the future, it will be important theme that are, "What's the skills in the future? /the general skills? /the necessary skills?".
