Executive training programs

ETP logo

The Executive Training Program (ETP) is an executive training program organized and heavily funded by the European Commission , which aims to increase the export of goods to Japan and South Korea .

The ETP was designed to equip European executives and thus also their employers with the necessary language, business and cultural knowledge that is required to overcome market entry barriers and to successfully enter the market in Japan and South Korea. The program was founded by the European Commission because it has traditionally been a major challenge for European companies to understand the cultural, economic and linguistic characteristics of Japan and South Korea and to develop suitable market strategies accordingly. In order to nevertheless benefit from Japan and Korea, two of the strongest selling Asian markets, the EU has been offering comprehensive support for European companies in the East Asian region through the ETP since 1979.

With around 1,100 graduates from over 800 companies, including 15 of the 20 largest European companies, but also many medium-sized companies, the Executive Training Program (ETP) is one of the oldest and most successful EU advanced training programs.

Program overview

The main concern of the program is to support the participants in such a way that they can develop successful market entry strategies for and with their employers after completing the course in order to increase exports or investments in the country of posting in the long term. The ETP is designed to bring lasting benefits to both participants and their employers. On the one hand, it promotes the personal career development of the participants by training them to become experts for the highly specialized markets in Japan or South Korea, thereby giving them a unique selling point on the job market. On the other hand, it provides companies with in-house expertise which is of great importance for deepening their knowledge of consumer behavior and the societies of Japan or South Korea. In addition, the ETP gives participants the opportunity to substantially expand their personal network.

To achieve these goals, the ETP uses a combination of different teaching methods, guest speakers, networking events, company tours and internships.

The annual 45-week training program for European managers consists of three modules:

1. Preparatory module within the European Union (Inception Module): a three-week intensive course on the culture, history and civil society of Japan and South Korea at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London .
2. On-site training module (immersion module): a 30-week module consisting of various business courses (some of which can be freely selected) as well as an intensive language course at the highly renowned Waseda University in Tokyo or the equally renowned Yonsei University in Seoul .
3. Practical module (internship): a 12-week internship in a Japanese or South Korean company for the practical application of the newly acquired knowledge and skills as well as networking in the industry relevant to the candidate.

Selection process and criteria

The Executive Training Program is limited to executives who are EU citizens and work for a company based in the EU. Furthermore, the company of the candidate must have at least 5 employees, generate a turnover of at least 500,000 euros and be able to demonstrate an active interest in the Japanese or South Korean market. Further criteria for the applicant include a good command of English and at least 3–5 years of professional experience, depending on the academic degree. The application process includes a joint application between the candidate and his employer via the ETP website. Promising candidates will be invited to Brussels for a personal interview by the European Commission . On the basis of this discussion, the commission then selects the 45 participants for Japan and the 15 participants for South Korea.

Financial support

The European Commission pays all course fees for the intensive program, both in London and in the host country. Furthermore, the commission supports the participants with 2200 euros per month for Japan (total of 26,400 euros) and 2000 euros per month for South Korea (total of 24,000 euros). Participation in the flight and other ancillary costs is desirable, but not mandatory.

Story / background

The Executive Training Program was launched in 1979 by the European Commission against the background of the strong Japanese economic growth. The European Commission recognized at the time that Japan, as an emerging economy, had a variety of business opportunities to offer European companies. However, because business practices in Japan are fundamentally different from those in Europe, European companies often face major challenges in the Japanese market. The aim of the Executive Training Program was therefore to provide the participating companies with the tools that are of crucial importance for economic success in Japan through intensive training of their employees.

In 1980 the first 21 ETP participants successfully completed the 18-month advanced training course. In the following years the popularity of the Executive Training Program increased continuously, so that in 1993 the European Commission was able to congratulate the 500th graduate.

In 1995 the European Commission published the success statistics of the ETP alumni for the first time. The result: In the first 10 years after one of their executives took part in the ETP, companies achieved an average of double their turnover. Furthermore, 65% of the ETP graduates rose to a top position in their company.

Due to the increasing success of the ETP in Japan, the European Commission decided in 2002 to extend the program to the Republic of Korea. South Korea expanded economically, but here, too, European companies repeatedly encountered cultural and geographical trade barriers. Similar to Japan, the European Union also saw the opportunity here to enable successful market entry through targeted training and further education despite these difficulties. In 2006, the ETP was adapted to the constantly changing market conditions and shortened to 12 months.

In 2010, the thousandth graduate completed an ETP training course.

After a short break, the Executive Training Program was relaunched under a new brand identity in 2011; it has now been shortened to 45 weeks in order to meet the needs of the companies.

outlook

Although economic growth has slowed in both countries, the European Commission continues to see great potential in Japan and South Korea, the sixth and ninth largest EU trading partners. With a population of 127 million with enormous purchasing power, Japan in particular continues to be of enormous importance as a domestic market and hub for the Asian region. A study commissioned by the European Commission in 2011 dealt with the question of why the per capita trade of most EU countries with Japan and Korea is significantly lower than that with Australia , which has a similar geographic distance. The study found that not only physical distance, but also other factors such as tariffs, language, culture and business environment play a significant role in maximizing trade potential. The study also comes to the conclusion that the EU countries would open up export opportunities of 20 to 40 billion euros if the above-mentioned obstacles were overcome. As a result of the South Korean free trade agreement with the EU, tariffs between the two economic units were largely abolished in 2011, thus taking another step towards opening up the East Asian market. Such a “ Free Trade Agreement ” is meanwhile also being discussed between the EU and Japan, the exact negotiations are still open. In order to continue to support European companies in opening up these markets, according to the European Commission, the Executive Training Program should continue to play a major role in removing language and culture-related barriers.

literature

• LS Sogorski: cherry blossom career . In: Financial Times Germany. May 25, 2012. Special supplement: Executive Education.
• DH Hoge: Overcoming Barriers. In: Personnel scene. March 26, 2012, p. 8.
• European Commission: ETP Newsletter. Volume 1. January 24, 2012, pp. 1-10.

See also

• EU gateway programs

Web links

• ETP website
• Testimonials and experience reports from ETP alumni

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Austrian Chamber of Commerce ( Memento of the original from September 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Website of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved October 10, 2012. 
2. ↑ European Commission ( Memento of the original from November 22, 2014) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 106 kB). Retrieved October 9, 2012. 
3. ↑ Financial Times Deutschland: Cherry Blossom Careers in special supplement Executive Education published on: May 25, 2012.
4. ↑ Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( Memento of the original from November 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Internet presence of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce. Accessed on October 10, 2012. 
5. ↑ Jetro Germany (PDF; 319 kB) Japan External Trade Organization in Germany Retrieved on October 7, 2012.
6. ↑ iMove Germany initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research Accessed on 7 October 2012 Design.
7. ↑ Eurodesk ( Memento of the original dated November 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Eurodesk website.Retrieved October 9, 2012. 
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e} ETP Newsletter V1 ( Memento of the original dated November 22, 2014) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 898 kB)  
9. ↑ Personnel scene : Overcoming barriers . published on: March 25, 2012.
10. ↑ European Commission ( Memento of the original from November 22, 2014) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 122 kB). European Commission website. Retrieved October 11, 2012. 
11. ↑ German Bundestag ( Memento of the original from October 2, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
12. ↑ Infomag  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Interview with the ETP project manager on February 13, 2012.