Japan’s Quest for a Global Workforce
In the recent years, Japan is slowly embracing the intensifying demands of a global workforce. A series of government initiatives is pushing for higher enrollment of foreign students in its universities through scholarship programs, tuition reductions and exemptions, generous student accommodations, and easing immigration regulations for prospective international students.
In 2008, the Japanese Government announced the 300,000 Foreign Students Plan that aimed for an increase of foreign enrollment from 140,000 to 300,000 by the year 2020. The objective of the plan, according to an officer of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, was to “make Japan a country that is more open to the world and to expand the flow of people to and from Japan.” The push for foreign enrollment is also attributed to the declining of the Japanese population under the age of 18. With a possible brain drain in Japan’s current demographics, it becomes obvious that the Japanese government is looking to increase their competitiveness by recruiting high-quality students from abroad.
Despite the visions of the Japanese government to attract more foreign students to its country, corporate Japan appears to differ in opinion. In May 2012, the New York Times interviewed prospective students interested in working for Japanese companies. Many have commented on the insular nature of corporate Japan. According to the students, Japanese companies are “wary” and “cautious” of Western-educated students and are reluctant to utilize pools of international talent in its major industries.
One of the reasons for this reluctance is employers’ confidence at Japan’s own universities, which are perceived as more prestigious than their American or European counterparts. Standard recruitment programs in Japanese companies, or “shukatsu,” that recruit students directly from graduation discourage overseas education because you will be “behind schedule” if you do not join the career race right after college.
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Written by Ying Jia Huang
