H. Nakabushi, Y. Sano, C. Kobayashi and H. Tubuku Accelerator Engineering Corporation (AEC) 1. What’s AEC 2. Operations of Particle Therapy Facilities 3. Recruit and Hiring 4. Training 5. Advanced Training, Development and Future Concern 1
What ’s AEC
Accelerator Engineering Corporation (AEC) . is a private company, . which was founded in 1992 . by the joint investment of four accelerator makers and other two companies, • with the purpose of carrying out operation and maintenance of HIMAC facility at NIRS. HIMAC: Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba NIRS: National Institute of Radiological Sciences
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Maintenance of building equipments & utilities •HIMAC Building •	Hospital of Charged Particle Therapy •Medical Imaging Building Accelerator complex operation & maintenance • Beam supply operation in HIMAC • Beam supply operation in NIRS cyclotrons (AVF930 & HM18) • Relating maintenance, development & improvement Technical support for experimental users • Technical support for heavy ion beam experiments • Relating maintenance, development & improvement Technical support for cancer treatment irradiation and treatment planning preparation •Technical support for cancer treatment irradiation •Technical support for treatment planning preparation • Relating maintenance, development & improvement Technical support & cooperation in HIMAC-relating research & development • Design & development of a small ring, compact medical accelerator etc • Magnetic field measurement of superconducting wiggler Rearing of operation technicians for charged particle therapy facilities •Supply of operators for Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center and NCC East Hospital NIRS：National Institute of Radiological Sciences HIMAC : Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba NCC：National Cancer Center
e a Operations of Particle Therapy Facilities ■ There are seven charged particle therapy facilities in Japan. ■ Our major jobs are to carry out operations and maintenances of HIMAC and medical cyclotron facilities at NIRS. ■ One engineer is working in a proton therapy facility at NCC East Hospital. ■ Six engineers are working in a particle therapy facility at HIBMC. ■ And, we have a big news!! HIBMC: Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center NCC: National Cancer Center
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Operation at Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center We have recently received a contract from HIBMC for operation of a particle therapy facility with PATRO, which is a medical-dedicated accelerator complex including a proton & carbon ion synchrotron . ■ Our thirteen proficient operators, trained in upgrade level at HIMAC, start to carry out the regular operation in the beginning of this coming April. PATRO: Particle Accelerator for Therapy, Radiology and Oncology
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Accelerator Division Treatment planning support NCC: National Cancer Center PATRO: Particle Accelerator for Therapy, Radiology and Oncology ANTM: Association for Nuclear Technology in Medicine
Cooperative Personnel
■ During beam commissioning of HIMAC, the engineers of the accelerator makers and related companies engaged in the accelerator operation.   After finishing the commissioning, AEC received them as loaned staffs for the help of continued operations of HIMAC.  We appreciate their cooperative and helpful activities and call them “cooperative personnel”. ■ Some of them have become to our permanent staffs. But, most of them returned gradually to their home companies. ■ With decreasing cooperative personnel and expanding service and support jobs, we have had to recruit and hire new employees almost every year. ■ Recruiting and hiring personnel and their training are important and ongoing matter.
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ATISTICS OF EMPLOYED AND RETIRED ENGINEER
ERMANENT ENGINEERS. e of 1997   7 13. 22 30 35 44 46         47    47 49
■ The first stage of recruiting and hiring process is getting good candidates. ■ Recruiting efforts of recent graduates expand from universities and graduate schools to vocational and technical schools, mainly through private communi¬ cation and  recommendation, and by posting on local bulletin boards at universities and schools. ■ Hiring efforts are widely made by advertising on dedicated home pages and magazines. ■ Although we have had success recruiting externally, we have hired a few qualified candidates from research organizations and accelerator makers.
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Recruit and Hiring-2
■ The second stage is reviewing written applications and resumes. ■ The third stage is screening for getting good prospects for the interview. ■ In the fourth stage, the candidate gets a tour of HIMAC facility and operation areas, before the interview. ■ The fifth stage is the interview, where we intend firstly to appreciate personality and positive motivation, secondly to expect good communication skill and footwork ability, and thirdly to check basic knowledge and skills.
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Training-1
■ Once we recruit and hire new employees, we must provide adequate training for them.  The training program is a combination of training lectures, on-the- job training (OJT), and self-study. ■ The initial program is collective lectures by senior personnel and OJT in the accelerator control room. Introductory lectures intend to provide a fundamental understanding of the facility, its systems and its operation.  Respective expert staffs give lectures on specific parts of the accelerator in rather details ■ Regular training courses are included on radiation protection and occupational safety issues.
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関係各位殿Recent Graduate等採用一枚券期間2ヶ月一配属5月1日）
議貞靖（頭射G）外車人教育スケジュール（入社日2002年4月Hired伊鳥岳人(開射G)家庭採用) ＊所属は仮配属式配属以降は、配属先グループで新たに敬育担当者を確保し、敬育担当者と同じ運転チームに所属させ運転を通してOJT(2ヶ月間)を実施する・・・
Training-2
■ In non-lecture times, the trainees stay in the accelerator control room, learning how the accelerator system is controlled and operated, under the guidance of an operation crew leader on duty. ■ In the second program, the trainee is successively, in a period of one to two weeks, attached to respective of the groups of the accelerator operation, technical support and medical support, and starts first-stage OJT, where the trainee learns and understands how each group is working, participating in certain job under the guidance of instructor or group leader.
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Training-3
■ In the third stage, we formally set the trainee in one of the working groups, starts OJT in higher level, and deals with real practice under the man-to-man direction of a specified instructor. ■ After finishing the lecture program of two months and initial OJT of next two or more months, the trainee becomes to deal with regular operation, designated as an operator trainee. ■ A few or several months later, the evaluator conducts an final evaluation to see whether the trainee’s knowledge and/or skills reach to expected levels.  If the trainee completes this final evaluation, he is promoted to a regular operator.
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Advanced Training, Development and Future Concern-1 ■ Training begins with recruiting and hiring and ends with - retention.  Emphasis is placed on self-study program not only to maintain, but also to enhance, the skills and knowledge acquired.  Steps in between include professional development and career advancement. ■ We, in regular manner, perform exchanging personnel between the groups, for extensive operational experience and expanding technical fields and abilities. ■ Off shift and downtime projects are encouraged because they provide opportunities for in depth study of specific aspects of accelerator operation and maintenance. ■ During non-operational periods, a series of lectures are provided on relevant topics and are used to maintain and enhance operator's  proficiency.
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Advanced Training Development and Future
Concern-2
■ Supplemental outside training at technical training courses, business seminars and laboratory training sessions,  participation in relating symposiums on accelerator engineering, radiation handling and specific technologies, and acquirement of authorized qualifications such as radiation protection, electronics, IT electricity etc. are also encouraged. A foreseen concern is how long a person can work as an operator. The stress of working rotating shift including night shift may cause a senior person to seek a position with normal working hours. This does not necessarily mean that the person is seeking to leave accelerator operation.  However, the number of such senior positions available is limited. We have to find out new jobs or positions for senior personnel in the neighboring field.
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