HIDA Journal 2014 AUTUMN No.5

12/26

HIDA JOURNAL10Fostering Young Japanese People to Succeed GloballyIntroduction to the METI Global Internship ProgramHIDA has been carrying out the METI Global Internship Program* since FY2012 together with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) on consignment from METI. HIDA primarily oversees the areas of selecting host organizations to receive interns in cooperation with the HIDA/AOTS alumni societies that have spread to various different countries, matching interns with host organizations, procedures involved in dispatching them, and the Pre-departure training in Japan prior to their dispatch.The program is now in its third year, with former interns from the program now playing an active role in their respective workplaces at Japanese companies based upon their experiences in their host organizations. Fostering young employees in Japan as human resource who can succeed globally is a common challenge shared by companies in an era where expanding into overseas markets is considered a given. By utilizing this program, companies can have their young employees participate in internships in other countries that they would find it hard to provide on their own. We recently spoke with someone who actually participated as a working-adult intern in order to provide a more concrete understanding of the program.*This program provides Japanese students and young working adults with the opportunity to gain practical work experience (internships) in government-affiliated organizations, local companies, and similar places in developing countries in order to develop young, global human resources in Japan who can serve as effective players right away. In FY2012, 86 people were dispatched to 56 host organizations in 11 countries, primarily in Asia, while in FY2013 152 people gained experience in internships at 118 host organizations in 17 countries. The results of the internships from FY2013 have been uploaded to the HIDA’s website in the form of a results and case studies report.URL: http://intern.hidajapan.or.jp/career/images/pdf/intern_case2013.pdfInternship OutlineIntern: Ms. Kazuha Arai (dispatched on the recommendation of IHI Corporation, the company where she works)Host organization: PT. Adaro Power(Accepted as an intern in the power operations division of a group company of the second largest coal company in Indonesia in FY2012)Period dispatched: September 18, 2013 - February 28, 2014 (5.5 months)Objectives:(1)To survey and analyze Indonesian Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects from the standpoint of a local company(2)To forge bonds between the company that employs her and the company she was dispatched to(3)To grow as a human resource involved in the infrastructure business in newly emerging countriesMs. Arai, it has now been several months since your internship ended and you returned to Japan, how do you feel about the results of your recent internship?I have been placed in our sales department, but acting as a member of P.T. Adaro Power made me once again take notice of the fact that up until now I had only possessed a perspective from someone on the sales side of power facilities. So, for example, since P.T. Adaro Power is a company with a coal company as its parent body the question of how coal should be utilized was a matter of the highest priority. Power generation is only one of several options when it comes to utilizing coal.Being able to understand this way of thinking was extremely informative for me. I feel that having a deep understanding of what the customer is thinking allows me to carry out even more persuasive and convincing sales activities.Did you achieve results in forging personal relationship, which was set forth as one of your objectives?This has increased the number of people who I can readily consult with and ask for opinions when I am having trouble reaching a decision on my own over a new project or the like. Moreover, during my internship I would seek out as many opportunities as I could to do things like eat meals or play sports with the people at the company with the conscious intent of getting on good terms with them in everyday life, not just when we were at work. As a result, when there was something that I did not understand I could consult with them right away.It seems like you were proactive about interacting with the local people and were consciously focused on networking. Language is important when it comes to making friends and getting along with people, but did you have any problems when it came to studying the language?You could usually get by with English in P.T. Adaro Power, but there were times when I was unable to use English and had to rely on Indonesian when I visited coal mines or power plants in rural areas, for example. I went to a language school in Indonesia of my own accord. Here I found the two-weeks of studying Indonesian I had during HIDA’s Pre-departure training in Japan to be enormously helpful, and I was able to put this to good use when studying at the language school.Receiving training at a coal mine

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