With the advent of the Internet of Things, AI, Cloud Computing, and Big Data demand for computer science graduates has grown exponentially in Japan leaving the country with a critical shortage of labour in IT-related professions*.
This labour shortage has been exacerbated by negative perceptions of the IT industry with many students put off from pursuing IT-related careers by the comparatively low wages, poor working conditions involving long hours and extreme pressure, and the need to constantly update ones knowledge and skills in order to stay ahead.
Japanese companies are filling the gap by actively hiring international staff and increasing wages but this is regarded as a short-term solution and there is a clear need to foster more domestic talent.
In an effort to boost interest in IT-related careers and improve general IT skills, the Japanese government will make computer programming a compulsory subject at elementary schools from 2020 – this will be expanded to include junior high schools and high schools in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Cram schools too are stepping up their game by offering coding classes for elementary and secondary school students, which have proved extremely popular.
These education reforms allied to continuing demands from industry for domestic talent as we move towards the fourth industrial revolution are anticipated to catalyse interest in IT-related careers in Japan in the coming years.
With this in mind, now is an excellent time for UK universities to showcase your computer science degrees to prospective students in Japan. UK institutions are recommended to highlight how your programmes foster skills for today’s word acquired through project-based / active learning as well as how your programmes develop critical and innovative thinking. Institutions should also look to highlight star alumni (key influencers in Japan) as examples of those who have forged successful careers in IT.
* IT recruiter Computer Futures has reported 2.3 openings for every applicant this year, while one estimate suggests Japan will face a shortage of close to 600,000 IT professionals by 2030.