Where Does Vocational Training in Japan Stand and What Has Been Discussed?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current state of vocational training in Japan and the debates that have taken place so far. Vocational training has been discussed from various disciplines and perspectives, and its discourse has not been treated as a single theoretical system. Most traditional studies have considered the connection and integration between in-company training and external vocational training to be weak, and there have been no attempts to comprehensively grasp them as a unified system. However, in recent years, researchers have shown interest in identifying the organizational basis for the provision of vocational training, known as vocational training providers. The concepts and terms “demand-led approach” and “meeting the employer's requirement” have been redefined in recent years to emphasize a positive linkage between in-company training and vocational training, rather than viewing them as separate entities. Based on the discussion up to this point, it is necessary to focus the analysis on how vocational training is connected to in-company training in order to address traditional issues concerning about vocational training in Japan. Therefore, this paper reviews vocational training with a focus on the following three points: Firstly, it will explore the formation of the internal labor market and the establishment of in-company training, considered characteristic of the Japanese employment system, to clarify their interrelationship with vocational training. Secondly, it will review past issues regarding vocational training in Japan. Thirdly, it will examine the development of new debates on vocational training and the challenges.