WANG Changronga, WANG Jianxunb, HAO Lixiaoc, WANG Jianmind
（aInspector of Industry and Information Technology, Hebei Province, China; bDirector of personal department of SME Education Bureau, Hebei Province, China; cDirector of distance education training center of school of continuing education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; dDirector of curriculum cooperation center of enterprise distance school Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.）
Abstract: Small and medium enterprises(SMEs) are the most active part of national economic and social development that health development of SMEs are related to the principle of “increase economic growth and promote employment”, China economic development mode changing, economic transformation promoting and strategy objectives upgrading. But there are several problems exist in the SMEs at the moment, such as business management concept, the staff quality, the bottleneck of technology innovation etc. that means SMEs need high-quality and purposeful learning platforms. Since 2006, SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University have fully cooperated and researched in three-directional training mode strengthening “Government leading, University and Enterprise integrated, distance education and teaching class combined , long-term systematic training and short-term focus learning combined besides High-level Forum and speaking tour combined ”. There are 200 SMEs distance education training bases have been built in Hebei province that have 300 thousand staffs joined, 19 platforms held, thousands of managers registered for learning. Furthermore, more than 6 hundred enterprisers attended in advanced learning classes. The three-directional training mode is welcomed by SMEs in Hebei province; especially it has caused a bigger echo in the society and got provincial leaders approval. Meanwhile, the three-directional training mode offers a good reference to other provinces and shares rich experiences on SME Systematic Training in The National Conference.
Keywords:small and medium enterprises (SMEs), three-directional training mode, distance education, University, Government.
1.Introduction
1.1 Current status and problems of SME
Recently more than 10 million SMEs have registered in Industry and Commerce administrative departments of China, which occupy above 99% of the total number of enterprises in China. The SMEs have become new forces in China of economic and social development because they provided industry output value and taxes profit respectively accounting for 60% and 40% to national total and 75% working opportunities in the cities [.
With the acceleration of the global economic integration and intensive competition among enterprises, SMEs are vulnerable groups due to small sizes, limited resources and some disadvantage policies. However, poor quality and lack of institution construction are the fundamental reasons causing the limit development of SMEs. In the meanwhile, the sustainable development of enterprises are restricted by uneven level of the managers, lack of professional training in business administration and the low education background of the employees generally. Facing continuous progresses of science and technology today, knowledge and talent competition are key factors among enterprises. Especially, the employee and manager quality increasing play very important roles in SMEs' future development.
1.2 Present situation of the SME Training is not optimistic
In the process of the development and grandness of SME, the managers more and more realize the importance of study and training for SME development. Managers themselves are more willing to attend and organize their group to take part in the training programs. Unfortunately, the training needs of SMEs are not satisfied with due to the following reasons.
First of all, the management of SMEs' internal training is immature. One of the reasons is the SMEs are restricted by the stage of their development and their talent strategy, which leads to the shortage of the internal training talents. In other words, there are lacks of professional management trainers in the enterprises. The second reason is only thinking much of current business while ignoring long-term management during facing pressure arising from the management. Most pay less attention internal training management. The last one is lack of good collaboration among institution of internal training, institution of financial system, and human resource system.
Secondly, training fund is short. The investment of Chinese enterprises on staff training is still in a low level comparing with developed countries, which greatly restricts the improvement of the enterprise management. According to China finance regulation of enterprise , the training cost to worker education takes up 1.5% of total salary which is far away from 10%-15% of total salary in developed countries. Based on 282 enterprises surveying, Chinese training cost is only at RMB49.5 per person. The lack of training fund badly effects staff progress, employee potential, innovation enhancement and damage the improvement of the enterprise competition power. What's more, current SMEs' situations are more worrying that training funds are not drown and used based on the regulation widely.
Thirdly, excellent resources are unevenly distributed. The successful factors own to excellent resources. Outstanding training resources concentrate in universities and developed cities but SMEs mainly locate on small or middle cities, which is the reason why so hardly to organize perfect training programs. SMEs are hard to select because the most important phenomenon is mixture of good or bad training institutions.
Fourthly, the training model and training courses are impertinence. Just lecture and assignment study are difficult to organize excellent trainers who can implement systemic training. Furthermore, staffs’ learning time is limited by work schedule that contradiction is training courses should pay more attention on practical skills improving and their knowledge applying. Current training courses are more theory lecture less practical skills leading to poor training effects.
1.3 Cooperation each university to research SEM three-directional mode
Since 2006 SME Bureau of Hebei Province have fully cooperated with school of continuing education, Tsinghua University that the purpose is further implementation of the growth of SMEs, enhancement government guidance to obtain motivation and influence perfect self-training system of Hebei Province in addition to giving full play to enterprise training system. Based on deep research, both jointly carried out the three-directional training mode strengthening “Government leading, University and Enterprise integrated, distance education and teaching class combined , long-term systematic training and short-term focus learning combined besides High-level Forum and speaking tour combined ” .
2.the role and relationship of government, university and SMEs in training mode
2.1 Location of the role
First, we discuss the role position of SME Bureau of Heibei Province in the training mode. SME Bureau of Hebei Province is the administrative department of 160 thousand companies. The SME Bureau of Hebei Province can provide excellent training services, in some extend, SME Bureau of Hebei Province is the planer, promoter, the coordinator and the monitor of the SME’s training program of Hebei Province [2].
Second, we discuss the role position of school of continuing education, Tsinghua University in the training mode. Servicing society and maximizing social benefit of outstanding education resources are main targets of school of continuing education, Tsinghua University. Furthermore , Excellent educational resources, strong scientific research ability, wide international contact and modern technology can provide multi-level, good quality training courses to promoting talent building and economic development in Hebei Province. In other words, the school of continuing education, Tsinghua University is a planer, a participant and a service to the SME Bureau of Hebei Province.
Last, we discuss the role position of SME in the training mode. SMEs are not only main training subjects but also successful key factors. Only if Enterprises really realize talent-oriented strategy, the training can be effective. That to say, SMEs are both trainees and participant.
2.2 relationship model
Since the 20th century 90, in the knowledge economy time, universities as production of knowledge institution have undergone fundamental change from out of social ivory to closing tie with community. Nowadays, the development of university intertwines with the development of society becoming interdependent relationship and intensive cooperation statues. Furthermore, the common development needs are becoming among universities, government and enterprises for social progress promoting. The school of continuing education, Tsinghua University, the SME Bureau of Hebei Province and Hebei SMEs break existing boundaries and build up new a bridge which is equal cooperation relationship among universities, government and enterprises [3].
3.Exploration and practice of SMEs’ three-directional in training mode
In 2006 April, SME Bureau of Hebei Province and school of continuing education, Tsinghua University sign a contract on ‘ Hebei SME talents training planning agreement’ under each leader great attention and strong supporting. Under two sides cooperation, there are series of large-scale, multi-level and comprehensive training activities held in Hebei province that has promoted enterprises’ quality and effectively alleviative manpower shortage.
3.1 To build 200 distance education training bases
3.1.1 Enterprise distance school Tsinghua University
School of continuing education, Tsinghua University integrate all-high quality training resources and build up ‘enterprise distance school Tsinghua University’ project which set up 365 days near two hundreds courses and thousands of hours of distance education courses and near ten thousand hours of full-ranged courseware including marketing, human resource, finance, produce operation, strategy development, leadership, legal practice, staff professionalize, general skills etc. to help enterprise self-training system building.
3.1.2 To build 200 training bases for distance education
Since 2006, SME Bureau of Hebei Province has provided special fund to support some outstanding enterprises which have strong self-training awareness, own internal training institution and have influence in local area to organize SMEs’ bases for distance education of Hebei Province. In the meanwhile, the construction of the training base is standardized by establishing ‘the standard operation and management for distance education’ which can implement dynamic management and preferred help. Different level of SMEs administrative departments play fully foundational roles in enhancing coordination and guidance for bases and exploring common type of group enterprises, common type of technical school and enterprise, common type of self-using enterprise etc. Many training modes of distance education further enlarge coverage of distance education to promote enterprises’ self-training. Up to now, there are 200 SMEs distance education training bases have been built in Hebei province and 300 thousand people work in this field.
Enterprise distance school Tsinghua University is from spreading knowledge, training skills to improving quality facing different positions and staffs to choosing different lectures, courseware and case studies etc. that the purposes are to launch kinds of distance education training courses and boutique courseware’s resources and to provide a full range of curriculum supporting which are generally welcomed by SME Bureau of Hebei Province.
3.2 United creating ‘Hebei Famous SME development forum’
From 2007 SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University have created ‘Hebei Famous SME development forum’ attribute to Tsinghua professional resources so more and more people can learn advanced ideas, management knowledge and management skills. On the other side, guest speakers have famous or high level persons and outstanding experts from Tsinghua University, as well as successful businessmen who train to private enterprises managers, local government leaders and SMEs’ department supervisors. The most importance is that advanced ideas and management concepts can be inspirited to guide managers’ knowledge structure improving, thinking concepts changing, operation ideas reforming and intellectual potential stimulating. All these factors can lead to enterprises both innovation and achieving better and faster development.
SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University have co-hosted tour talk is basic organizational form in the charge of local SMEs bureaus. To ensure training quality between forms and contents, selecting topics and guest speakers all of these are satisfied with training needs of local SMEs. Admittedly, the local government support and pay much attention on activities including on organization form, coordination, security and public propaganda etc. furthermore, some parts of NPC, CPPCC have also been given great attention and actively help to ensure smooth progress of activities.
These years, there are 19 times tour talks in 11 districts Hebei province involving in macroeconomic situation analysis, enterprise systematic innovation and strategy, 12 breakthrough of SME development, capital marketing and enterprise finance, private enterprise development, entrepreneurship and innovation of private enterprise, EQ and influence, to win in the performance, brand strategy and brand marketing etc. more than 10 themes. The experts’ lectures are from theory to practice taking case studies, interactive teaching and learning, macro and micro that the students can listen and lively use the management concepts in order to feel the essence of management business.
Each training course is welcomed by majority of SMEs from at least four or five hundred to 13 thousand people and places are sold out resulting in social strong responds. Meanwhile, Hebei province leader signed ‘very good, the training is more effective tool because participator in school belong to minority person but education fields can be expanded to others through expert platforms leading to good effects in the long run.
3.3 To organize series advanced training class
Since 2006 SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University have co-hosted kinds of advanced training classes combined coming in with going out. For one thing, joint having on short-term trainings are to enterpriser learning classes. SME Bureau of Hebei Province selected 100 innovative growth enterprisers to participant in ‘Tsinghua University technology innovation management advanced training classes in Tsinghua University and organize 50 enterprisers from Zhangjiakou city joining the same training class. The other thing, the experts from School of continuing education, Tsinghua University go to Hebei province for having training classes containing SME human resource management and recycle economy advanced training class, which more than 300 enterprisers joined that short-term training. Last, co-hosting outstanding enterprise management advanced training class. From 2007 SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University have co-hosted ‘outstanding enterprise management advanced training class’ for one year in order to effectively compensate for lack of long-term training including strategy management, modern enterprise management, strategy human resources management, to KPI as footstone performance management, General manager finance management, enterprise financing and merging, SME start an undertaking, modern marketing management, marketing strategy sandbox training, leadership, business culture, international perspective and economic diplomacy etc. There are 50 students in one class taking decentralizing and centralizing, self-study and consulting, theory and practice teaching methods in 3 or 4 days every two months in order that enterprisers can better solve the problems between work and study and well understand learning knowledge. Lastly, 200 enterprisers have successfully joining 4 times ‘outstanding enterprise management advanced training classes’ owning to tailored, characteristic, and target trainings, which is welcomed by Hebei enterprisers.
4.Assessment to Social benefit assessment
4.1 Beneficial to improve function of government services
During these years, SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University have co-hosted and implemented a series of demonstration trainings to promote overall quality and talent development. Currently, Hebei SMEs have reached consensus on enhancing talent training and solving manpower shortage and setting up talent training environment. Furthermore training activities have been own characteristic brand to each SME administration that can promote SMEs better and faster development and produce great cohesion forces and charisma in Hebei Province.
4.2 Beneficial to improve the level of the universities' social service
Universities have serviced society for a long history that‘the mode of German university migrate to American combined with the philosophy of pragmatism, generated the ideal of Wisconsin, the corn is stressed the university should faithfully service society [4].’ Under the new historical situation, School of continuing education, Tsinghua University has realized ‘education innovation and service society’ which is important part of flourish national strategy about ‘technology and talent’ in other words, continuing education is an important sign of social progress. Nowadays, School of continuing education is a pillar part of training system of Tsinghua University and it’s a window to outside world in spreading knowledge and educating to person and community, which build up a bridge from university to society.
Within three years, there are 200 enterprisers joining distance education of Tsinghua University meanwhile, many professors travel and teach in Hebei Province and many enterprisers came to Tsinghua University classes. The fact proved that cooperation among government, university and enterprise are beneficial to improve the Tsinghua University's service level to the society.
4.3 Beneficial to build up learning enterprises
‘The most successful enterprisers are characterized by building learning organization; what’s more, the only sustainable competitive advantage is the ability to learn faster than your competitors in the future [5].’ Joining of all staff and systematization are primary element of learning enterprise, which includes two sides. One is emphasis on overall joining from decision-making level, management level to operation level. The other is emphasis on system that means not only learning is not a personal issue but also learning atmosphere, guarantee from institution, resources and platform should be provided by enterprises.
Constructing of learning organization of SMEs is seriously constrained by immature internal training system, shortage of training funds and no outstanding education resources. But SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University have cooperated to build distance school Tsinghua which already have 200 enterprises. Training bases of distance education have realized dream to build learning organization for 30 thousand people since recent three years.
4.4 Beneficial to spread advanced management concepts and improving management level
In the circumstance with intensive market competition, Chinese enterprises have an unprecedented development and play an important role in the development of Chinese economy and society. It can be said the enterprises’ prosperity means the country’s prosperity. However, the enterprises of China also face unprecedented pressure and challenges. “Human” is the critical factor for the survival and development of the enterprises in our country. An excellent enterprise needs not only excellent entrepreneur but also lots of talented person in management and professional skills.
‘Hebei Famous SME development forum’ hosted by SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University spread advanced management concepts to more than10 thousand person. During the forum, the experts and professors performed wonderful address and built good atmosphere. Both sides have co-hosted a series of advanced training classes to more than 600 entrepreneurs who not only learn modern management knowledge and operation concept but also grasp the basic ability to progress continuously and break limitation. These entrepreneurs’ life experiences and knowledge in humanities are enriched. The entrepreneurs not only extended the knowledge but also sublimated their awareness to shoulder the social responsibility. We have reasons to believe these entrepreneurs can do great contribution to promote the economy development of Hebei province in all aspects.
5.Conclusion
Many successful practices of enterprise have proved that training is the source for the enterprise to obtain the competitive power. Today's increasingly competitive market makes it more important to be aware that the training which can improve the quality of the manager and staff continuously should be the significant content in human resource management.
SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education, Tsinghua University have fully cooperated and researched in three-directional training mode strengthening “Government leading, University and Enterprise integrated, distance education and teaching class combined , long-term systematic training and short-term focus learning combined besides High-level Forum and speaking tour combined ”. Through the cooperation, the training level get to a new stage in Hebei province, which fully proofed the effectiveness of close cooperation among universities, governments and enterprises and showed vitality of SMEs three-dimensional training mode.
Looking at the future, the training cooperation between SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education of Tsinghua University has broad prospects and shoulder heavy responsibilities. There are 160 thousand enterprises in Hebei province. On one hand, most of them are not aware of the importance of training. On the other hand, they have no opportunities to share excellent education resources of Tsinghua University. Thus, SME Bureau of Hebei Province and School of continuing education of Tsinghua University should strengthen cooperation to further improve the three-directional training mode to SMEs and provide better service to them.
[References]
[1] Weiyang Yu, Yan Liu. The Development of Chinese SME Problems and Solutions. China Science and Technology Information, Issue 2, 2008.
[2] Dongchen Hu, Chinese Continuing Education under Globalization of Economy. The Council statement in the fourth meeting for China Continuing Engineer Education Association.
[3] Yongbing Ma, Sunyu Wang, One of Research Results of ‘Asia Research Center of Youth Project in Tsinghua Uninversity’.
[4] Zongbo Ye, University Concept and Management [J], Administration Report of National Institution of Advance Educational, Issue 5, 2001.
[5] Peter·Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization,. Currency Doubleday, 1990.
[6] Dongcheng Hu, Yongbing Ma, Research on Education of Tsinghua University, Issue 2, 2008.
（The paper was published in the 12th IACEE World Conference on Continuing Engereering Education in October, 2010）
