Implemented area：	Hiroshima Prefecture, Okayama Prefecture
Managing organization：	The Chugoku New Business Conference, Okayama Federation of Small Business Association, Hiroshima Industrial Promotion Organization
Universities participating in the program：	a total of eighteen universities consisting of Okayama University, Okayama Shoka University, Okayama University of Science, Kibi International University, Sanyo Gakuen University, Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen University, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima University of Economics, Hiroshima Shudo University, Hiroshima City University, Hiroshima University, Fukuyama University, Hiroshima Jogakuin University, Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University, Hiroshima International University, Fukuyama HEISEI University, Onomichi University, HIJIYAMA University
Private companies participating in the program：	132 companies consisting of SHINKO KOGYO CO., LTD., Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., TOMBOW CO., LTD., CORETEC INC., SIGMA ELECTRONICS Co., Ltd. NITTO SEIMO CO., LTD., The Hiroshima Bank Ltd., Toyo Securities Co., Ltd, Ishizaki Honten Company, Limited, Hottagumi Co., Ltd., etc.

"Program for developing highly-practical foreign students in the Chugoku area"

As part of support for strengthening international competitiveness of small and medium-sized companies that underpin industries in the Chugoku area, this program is intended to create a system that systematically and continuously supports foreign students from Asia in getting employed by Japanese companies. For the time being, the program will be implemented in Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures ahead of other prefectures, where 70 percents of all foreign students from Asia in Chugoku area live. In future, the program aims to build a wide area network covering all five prefectures in the Chugoku area.

Okayama area

■ Japanese language basic education program

・Practical exercise education (inhouse exercise)

・Sandwich education (preliminary education, intermediate education, retrospective education)

・Joint exercise with company people

・Company visit and social event

・Open reporting and social event

■ Practical education program / job-hunting support

・Practical exercise education (internship) program

・Sandwich education (preliminary education, intermediate education, retrospective education)

・Joint exercise (experience collaborative work with company people / on basis of Japanese language)

・Company visit and social event (visit and see cooperative companies)

・Company visit and social event

・Open reporting and social event

■ Abilities needed to be the global human resources

・Strong consciousness for getting employed in Japan

・Understanding of career path unique to Japanese companies

・Ability to work collaboratively with people with different cultural backgrounds

■ Program management new program

・Research PR program: Research the human resources needs of local companies (coordinators visit companies for survey)

・PR activity to area: PR using various media

・Project management program

Hiroshima area

■ Basic Japanese language training

・Check basic grammatical items and cultivate operational capability to make the trainings effective

■ Basic Japanese language skills

・Aim to acquire communication skills in letters and voice (presentation, discussions, business report, planning paper, etc.).

■ Business manner

・Learn Japanese business manners and Japanese companiesﾕ business practices by studying along the specific scenes.

■ Practical training through company visit

・Practically train the skills acquired through company visit. (preliminary preparation, visit, retrospective instruction)

■ Practical training through internship

・Participate in the internship implemented by a managing organization, practice and verify what were learned in trainings, and recognize own problems etc. to be solved to get employed etc.

■ Specialized trainings

・Give specialized instruction on issues identified.

As an effective countermeasure to absolute shortage of human resources, which has been a problem of mainly small and medium-size companies in the "manufacturing" industry, develop environment to enable continuous output of human resources that support local industries.

Human resources who support corporate activities in wide areas featuring production, management, design and technology development in the manufacturing companies. Human resources that soon becomes work-ready by cultivating wider knowledge and abilities as well as developing abilities adaptable to Japanese business.

Okayama University

Hiroshima University

Chugoku New Business Confe

TEL：082-221-2929

FAX：082-221-6166

E-mail：nbc@cnbc.or.jp