The Transition from the Education to the Employment System in Japan — A Balancing Act between Continuity and Change

Abstract

Japan’s ‘market model’ of vocational training shows continuities and changes: On the one hand it can be stated that the country’s transition from the school system into employment remains quite stable. On the other hand, especially demographic, societal and cultural changes lead to a higher academization rate with consequences for the secondary and tertiary vocational training institutions. Even universities and colleges more and more diversify their curricula with vocational compounds such as ‘employability’, ‘vocationalism’ and ‘career education’, trying to cope with less educated youth to ensure a smooth transition into the employment market. Moreover there are recent changes in the recruitment procedures of the companies, such as hiring mid-career employees that might lead to further changes in the ways of Japanese vocational training.