A.	Raising the level of public vocational training programs

Japan's economy and society today is confronted with changes in industrial structure driven by technological innovation and the progressive shift of company activities overseas. This trend has accelerated the urgency of training human resources capable of supporting business developments in high value-added sectors and new areas of industry.
      Given these circumstances, the Ministry of Labour is taking steps to raise the level of public vocational training in such ways as revising the Human Resources Development Promotion Law to introduce new course programs called "advanced practical course" and "short-term advanced practical course", which provides more advanced occupational training and seeks to raise training to a university level (in addition to the existing Polytechnic Colleges).

1. The Polytechnic University
The new course program, provisionally called the advance practice course, which provides more advanced occupational training in addition to the advanced occupational training already conducted at the Polytechnic Colleges, will be offered at the Polytechnic Universities in the major national blocks beginning FY1999.

2. The Comprehensive Polytechnic University
Polytechnic University (Sagamihara City, Kanagawa) and Tokyo Polytechnic College (Kodaira City, Tokyo) merged into the Comprehensive Polytechnic University in FY1999. The University is a center for developing and improving occupational ability and provides advanced vocational training to those who in turn implement public vocational training programs. The University also conducts surveys and research on programs designed to train occupational instructors and on occupational training programs conducted by the Polytechnic Universities.

B.	Enhancing support programs for advanced human resources

In order to promote the cultivation of advanced human resources who can contribute to advanced businesses, subsidies and other assistance is available for employer groups and other organizations that develop and implement systematic and planned education and training along the lines of the advanced human resource guidelines. These are also available for employer groups and other organizations that develop and implement systematic and planned education and training along the lines of the basic guidelines for measures related to employment management conducted by small and medium enterprises to secure manpower.

C.	Providing a promotional framework for human resources development

1. Promotion of human resources development in private enterprises
In promoting lifelong human resources development, it is important to arrange programs to develop occupational abilities for workers in enterprises, to be implemented by stages and in a systematic way. To ensure that as many enterprises as possible will take active measures for human resources development, the following measures are provided:

a.	Enterprises are encouraged to appoint a "human resources development promoter" who plays a central role in human resource development programs.
b.	At the Human Resources Development Service Center established in each prefecture, information as well as advice and guideline concerning human resources development are provided to employers, by using the Ability Development Database System (ADDS).
c.	The following system of grants has been created to help employers provide their workers with vocational training, in line with the concept of lifelong human resources development. Grants are given to cover part of the expenses entailed and wages paid. i. Grants for lifetime development of vocational abilities ii. Grants for dispatching workers to authorized vocational training
d.	Vocational Ability Development Associations have been established at the national level and in each prefecture, as leading organizations for human resources development in the private sector. They undertake such programs as the collection and supply of various information about human resources development, provision of advice and guidance to employers, and trade skill tests.

2. Promotion of human resources development in the public sector

a.

Types of public vocational ability development facilities and the contents of training programs To promote occupational abilities development for the unemployed or those wishing to change their jobs, and to provide pre-employment preparation for young persons, the national government and prefectural governments have established public human resources development facilities, where efforts are being made to provide vocational training matched to the needs of the workers and enterprises. The types of public facilities for vocational ability development and their services, including vocational training, are shown in the chart below.

b.

Aid for those who receive public vocational training Persons who receive public vocational training under instruction from the Head of the Public Employment Security Office will, if they are qualified recipients under Employment Insurance regulations, be paid basic allowances and skill acquisition allowances during the whole period of training to which the prescribed duration of benefits will be extended. Middle-aged and older persons who satisfy certain requirements will also be paid training allowances.