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This document provides a summary of a study that was conducted as part of a research project called 'Study on improvement of labour market infrastructure concerning vocational ability development'. The aim of the study was to explain 'the realities of vocational ability development in the Japanese society, from the standpoints of both educational training service suppliers (i.e. service providers) and service users (i.e. workers)'. Subjects of the 'Career Tracking Survey' undertaken by the National Institute of Employment and Vocational Research for 10 years beginning in 1970, were surveyed to identify how the subjects, now aged around 50, have built their vocational abilities and careers. Based on the findings, the study calls for more support for job choices in schools and in the early stage of career development. The study also indicates that there is scope for expansion of the research concerning 'career and vocational ability development' and that there is a need to review the vocational ability development and ability certificate. Show less

To mark its 15th anniversary, KRIVET hosted an international seminar on youth employment and skills development. Experts from seven countries (Korea, Japan, China, USA, UK and Germany) presented country papers that looked at the following issues: the current status of youth employment and unemployment; the causes of youth employment; the key measures taken to solve youth unemployment (including vocational education and training related policies); and other policy measures implemented to combat youth unemployment. This chapter contains the country paper for Japan. Key points include: the youth unemployment rate rose steeply from 2008 to 2009 as a result of the global economic crisis; younger people are more exposed to job loss as they are more likely to be working as non-regular employees; while Japan's NEET (not in education, employment or training) is lower than that of other countries, it is a major social issue for the country; while traditionally, Japan is considered to have a smooth transition from school to work system, about 40 per cent of people born in or around 1980 did not make a smooth transition to employment; and policy measures to promote youth employment have been directed at (1) maintaining and complementing the new graduate-oriented recruitment system to support the school to work transition, (2) promoting vocational and career education in school, and (3) expanding job opportunities for non-recent school graduates. Show less

In Japan, the transition from school to work has become more uncertain in recent years, and along with this, more young people have become non-regular workers inferior in status to regular employees in terms of working conditions and access to capacity building opportunities. Promoting the transition of non-regular workers to regular employment is a pressing issue. Based on the results of the survey of the personal data of young people between the ages of 25 and 44, this paper explores the factors that divide workers' career courses into two types: transitions from non-regular to regular employment and from one non-regular position to another. It attempts to engage in a quantitative analysis and review of the qualities firms emphasize when recruiting workers, by applying control variables relating to workers' personal attributes and views and those relating to firms' manpower demands.

As a result, it was confirmed that the transition from non-regular to regular employment through movement between firms takes place less frequently for workers in their late 20s or older, whereas age does not act as a great hindrance to promotion to regular employment within the same firm. It was also observed that off-the-job training experience while engaged in non-regular work and engagement in self education have great effects on the transition to regular employment. From these findings, the author of this paper proposes strengthening measures to broaden and increase the number of cases of promotion to regular employment within firms, and enhancing consultation services for young people.

Published abstract. Show less

This document provides a summary of a study that focused on: (1) understanding and analysing consciousness and actual behavior of young people, focusing on those who tend to have difficulties in transition from school to work due to low educational background, as well as those with a tendency to avoid participating in the labour force, both of which were not able to make use of past employment support measures; (2) conducting hearings with respect to situations of youth employment support measures that have been newly administered in Japan; and (3) examining directions that youth employment assistance measures should head for so that Japan can efficiently deploy those measures, by investigating realities surrounding operations and evaluations of new measures taken in other countries such as the UK. The following seven suggestions are made in terms of youth employment support policies: (1) enhancing collaboration between schools and employment support organisations outside of schools and establishing an organic system of collaboration among support organisations; (2) establishing a system to improve the quality of assistance provided by employment support organisations; (3) establishing a system to enhance assistance capacities of support staff; (4) encouraging young people themselves to participate in youth support activities; (5) exploring comprehensive transition assistance measures; (6) establishing a sustainable public assistance system; and (7) enriching support for teenagers who are still studying at school. Show less