A Study on the Preferences of Dental Technology Students for Overseas Employment

Purpose: This study aimed to find overseas workplace and improve global competence through the preference survey on overseas employment by dental technology students. Methods: The survey sample consisted of 250 randomly selected dental technology students. Survey was conducted from March 1 to May 1 in 2012. Total of 245(98.0%) replies and analyzed 236 questionnaires excluding 9 incomplete questionnaires. The questionnaires used in this study consisted of 7 items for general information, overseas employment characteristics of 10 items, 7 items for overseas employment activation plane and job competency development of 7 items. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS(Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Win 19.0 statistics program. Results: Regarding general characteristics of the subjects, there were 131 third graders(55.5%), 63 first graders(26.7%) and 42 second graders(17.8%) among 130 males(55.1%) and 106 females(44.9%). 221(93.6%) of the subjects had no experience in language training. Students who had clinical training for 1-5 months were 123(52.1%), and 24(10.2%) students had more than six months. 89(37.7%) of the subjects had no clinical training. 155(65.7%) of the subjects hope to work with korean owner, and 81(34.3%) chose foreign owner. Favored working countries were Australia(41.5%), the United States(29.2%), Canada(18.2%) and other(11.0%). The field of dental ceramic was indicated to be the highest proportion of 104(44.1%). Period of training were 3 hours(40.3%) and 6 hours(35.2%). The most important training were language-centered education(54.2%), Job-oriented education(24.2%), local culture education(16.1%), other(3.0%) and Leadership Training(2.5%). The subjects chose overseas worker(44.9%), working-level practitioner (28.8%), successfully employed dental technology graduate(19.5%a) and professor(3.4%) as an instructor. The subjects get education and training information from professor(40.3%), other(28.0%), senior(14.4%), job site(8.9%) and acquaintance(8.5%). A credit exchange(2.46 points), a joint degree program(2.46 points), and a foreign professor(2.33 points) were needed to activate the overseas employment. A kind of dental prosthesis(3.58 points), carving tooth morphology(3.38 points), and majors of dental technology(3.30 points) were indicated to develop job competency for overseas employment. Age, year, clinical training experience and company owner were statistically meaningful data among the general characteristics affecting job competency development. Conclusion: The college needs to offer variety programs such as foreign language-centered education and a local job competency development program to graduates to be connected with international workplace and employment.

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