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History and Outline of Co-operative Education
(Industry-academia Collaborative Education)
[ History of Co-operative Education]
According to data from the Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade
and Industry (2004), it was at the University of Cincinnati in 1906 that
internships and the widely-implemented industry-academia collaborative
education programs first got their start. The programs were developed by
the dean of the university Dr. Herman Schneider based on his philosophy
that "in any vocation, there is a limit to what can be learned in
the classroom and some things can only be learned in the workplace. Decisions
fostered through practical experience serve to complement theory",
and were promoted to show the importance of repetitive education in so-called
theory and practice. Due to the rapid growth of industry in the United
States, co-operative and internship programs were implemented widely to
enhance the practical skills of students as part of their professional
education. A report by Saito (2003) et al states that in a co-operative
education survey conducted in 1995 by the U.S.-based Co-operative Education
& Internship Association (CEIA), around 60% of all new university graduates
hired at American corporations have participated in internships or co-operative
education programs, while a 2002 survey reveals that companies rank internship
experience as the most effective recruitment method and co-operative education
experience as the next most effective, thus demonstrating the emphasis
placed on co-operative education by both universities and business.
[What is a CO-OP Program?]
Internships cover a broad spectrum of implementations including the co-operative education program initiated in the U.S. According to a report by the Gifu Economic and Industrial Promotion Center, the second most common form of internships are practicums, which are widely carried out in Japan. Equivalent to NIFS' off-campus sports instruction internship programs, these are apprenticeships and hands-on training programs, most of which are short-term and without pay. Co-op programs, which rank fifth in Japan and into which category the NIFS SCO-OP internship program falls, place a greater emphasis on industry-academia collaboration and, as such, aim to provide long-term, advanced professional and practical training through a close partnership between the sports industry or business world and universities.
These are long-term paid positions which provide professional, practical experience beyond the scope of conventional Japanese internships.
1.Shadowing
Learning the work of professionals and managers through short-term observation. The term derives from the act of walking alongside one's mentor as though a shadow.
2.Practicum
A short-term internship experience in a professional field. Commonly implemented in highly-expert fields such as teaching internships. Carried out in Japan for many years.
3.Field Study
A hands-on learning program mainly characterized by observation or inspection.
4.Summer Internship
An internship conducted over the summer vacation, typically for a period of 3 months or less. Participants often undergo projects limited to three months.
5.Co-op Program
Carried out during university and characterized by collaboration between industry and academia.
Involves a practical internship in a professional field and four months of practical work, usually paid, each academic year.
Yamauchi Koji (2001): The Internship System - Developing Student Career Awareness - Issues and Future Prospects;
Thinking about Gifu: Special Issue on Internships, Gifu Economic and Industrial Promotion Center, No. 112, 2001 (partially amended)
[Co-op Programs and Internships within Co-operative Education]
Making a name for itself through co-op programs, co-operative education has been positioned as an experiential learning method in higher education in the U.S. or as an education method of industry-academia collaboration. After a series of diverse metamorphoses, it then spread extensively into university education as internships. This spread has also been evident in Japan's universities as different types of internships.
The commonality between both of these types lies within the practical education method whereby university forms an alliance with various types of internship institutions such as companies. The difference between the two lies in the fact that internships are primarily managed and administered by the hosting institution. The aim of internships is for students to observe and learn from the work of professionals, often without pay, at a time when there are no university classes. Co-op programs, on the other hand, are primarily managed and administered by the university as part of the course curriculum based on strong collaboration with industry and business. The students undergo learning in their own field of expertise and experience actual work related to that field. Such programs are conducted during the study term, often for pay, and are characterized in that they merge academia and work into a single curriculum so that students can find a job which is closely related to their career goal within their area of specialty by undergoing programs of a certain duration.
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