ABSTRACT
Innovation (be it as a result of either indigenous development or transfer) requires a background of knowledge and skills for its successful implementation. Conversely the lack of appropriate knowledge and skills represents a significant obstacle to successful innovation and economic performance. This chapter provides an overview of training systems in Britain and Japan from the late nineteenth century into the post-Second World War period. It focuses mainly on manufacturing industry and on training at three levels: managerial (defined as those with strategic and operational responsibilities, from top down to supervisory level), technical (engineers, chemists, and other technical specialists), and operative (maintenance and production workers).
