In April 2019, two Professional and Vocational Universities and one Professional and Vocational Junior College will open their doors in Japan and admit their first cohort of students.

These are completely new types of higher education institutions in Japan and are the first to be opened since a revision in the School Education Law in May 2017 allowing the establishment of such institutions.

Traditionally, vocational education in Japan has been delivered by Colleges of Technology which offer a five-year programme that combines upper secondary education and two years of higher education, and Specialised/Professional Training Colleges which can be divided into three categories covering upper secondary education, post-secondary education or general education.

The new categories of higher education institutions, Professional and Vocational University and Professional and Vocational Junior College, were created in response to Japan’s urgent need to foster professionals who can drive innovation and growth in specialised fields, with theory-based practical skills and creativity. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) explains that such need has come out of changing economies (e.g. the Fourth Industrial Revolution, intensifying global competitions, Japanese companies’ reduction in in-company training, and growing demand for higher productivity due to declining birth rate and aging population) as well as issues surrounding the higher education sector (e.g. growing mismatch between graduates’ skills and employers’ needs, and the need to diversify qualifications while higher education becomes universal).

Under MEXT’s framework, the new degree/associate degree programmes are required to offer curricula developed and delivered jointly with industry, and over 40% of the full-time teaching staff members must be business practitioners. Students will earn one-third of credits through practical training such as extended work placements. Professional and Vocational Universities will also encourage enrolment of mature students with work experience and offer a shortened degree programme to those who meet certain criteria.

The two Professional and Vocational Universities which open in April 2019 are:

Professional Institute of International Fashion (admission capacity: 194)
Kochi Professional Institute of Rehabilitation (admission capacity: 150).

The first approved Professional and Vocational Junior College is established by Yamazaki Gakuen, an education corporation which focuses on animal health (admission capacity: 80).

As of November 2018, there are 15 applications to establish Professional and Vocational Universities in 2020 and 5 applications for Professional and Vocational Junior Colleges. The majority are in the medical and welfare field, with proposed annual intake ranging from 24 to 320 per institution. MEXT’s approvals for 2020 openings are still pending.

Comments by Chika Takahashi, Senior Programme Manager, Japan:

The establishment of new types of higher education institutions which heavily focus on development of professional knowledge and specialised vocational skills should be a welcome addition to diversify the higher education system in Japan.

If the number of these new institutions grows in the coming years, there may be opportunities for the UK institutions to partner with some of them for student mobility and training. The British Council will monitor the progress of the new Professional and Vocational Universities/Junior Colleges and will share any opportunities involving them as and when they materialise.

In a broader context, the UK institutions should be aware of the growing demand in Japan for courses which help students foster practical skills and creativity and consider highlighting their programmes that offer similar benefits.

The mature student population is still very low in Japan even though MEXT is pushing the life-long learning/recurrent education agenda. The introduction of new Professional and Vocational Universities/Junior Colleges could help change Japanese people’s perceptions towards returning to education – within Japan and overseas – later in life.