Report No.230701

NEWS

- Domestic -

Plan to Help Young People Become Vocationally Independent through "Agriculture"

The government convened, on January 17, a strategy meeting consisting of the chief cabinet secretary and related cabinet ministers, meant to formulate and promote policy measures to help young people face with challenges and become vocationally independent. The meeting specifically decided on an enhanced plan of action to raise the target number of so-called 'FREETERs' or part-time jobbers (who would not take up life-time employment) turned to regular jobbers from 200 thousand for the fiscal 2005 to 250 thousand for the fiscal 2006*. The enhanced plan, for the first time, incorporates an idea of supporting young people find jobs in agriculture through a program of experience in farming.

* There are more than 4 million young people counted as freeters, neets or unemployed, and this is considered as resulting from the mismatch of the needs of companies and of the consciousness and vocational ability of youths.

On the point of enrolling more freeters as regular jobbers, the plan will strengthen the function of 'job cafe,' an employment promotion office exclusively for youths, set up at prefecture government. Job supports for agriculture sector will be provided by way of training in such forms as the strengthening job consciousness through vocational guidance, program of a month of experience in farming or of a six month training camp, and e-learning (training by internet) which will be newly installed at preparatory schools for agricultural occupation.

On the point of promoting the employment of 'NEETs' who are not in education, employment or training, local regime of consultation will be strengthened by installing 'local youths support stations' at 25 places over the country. Youths Independence Cram Schools will also continue to be promoted for them to run training camps for living, labor and farming experience. There were 20 such schools as of December 1, 2005. Of 59 course graduates, 34 got employed including one employed on a dairy farm. Some others found part-time jobs at agriculture corporations.

Another pillar of the plan is to encourage young people to enter local industries. 'Green Employment' program is one such avenue, through which employment in forestry could be facilitated after long-term training in forest works.

On the point of enhanced vocational training, 'Practice-oriented Human Resource Development System' will be installed and propagated. Under the system, companies will take initiative in offering opportunities of class-room type learning as well as field training while paying a certain amount of wage to would-be youths.

The enhanced plan will be financed by the proposed budgetary appropriation of 76.1 billion yen for the fiscal 2006.

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