{"id":5510,"date":"2026-07-31T15:37:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T06:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/?post_type=project&p=5510"},"modified":"2026-07-31T15:45:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T06:45:06","slug":"a-collaborative-career-education-project-for-seamlessly-integrating-schools-and-the-business-community","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/project\/5510\/","title":{"rendered":"A Collaborative Career Education Project for Seamlessly Integrating Schools and the Business Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As the shortage of workers in local industries becomes increasingly severe, a college student has launched an initiative aimed at breaking down the \u201cinvisible barriers\u201d between companies and schools and supporting high school students in making proactive career choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cCareer Education Co-creation Project,\u201d led by third-year student Yuta Mori, aims to build a new educational model that connects local companies with high schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Challenges Facing My Hometown That I Realized After Leaving It<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Toyama Prefecture continues to face a labor shortage, particularly in the manufacturing sector. With a population of approximately 980,000, only a few hundred graduates from local universities find employment with local companies each year, making the outflow of young people to the Tokyo metropolitan area a major challenge. Meanwhile, while the employment rate for high school graduates within the prefecture stands at a high level of approximately 99.96 percent, the early resignation rate reaches 40 to 60 percent, posing a significant challenge in terms of retaining employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was Mori who became aware of these issues. Having watched his father run a manufacturing business with fewer than 10 employees in Toyama Prefecture up close, he gained a firsthand understanding of the reality of recruitment difficulties faced by small and medium-sized enterprises. Furthermore, while working as a School Attractiveness Coordinator at a private high school in Toyama Prefecture, he strongly felt that there was a lack of information sharing among high schools, companies, students, parents, and local government, leaving each group isolated from the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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A Bridge Connecting High School Students, Parents, and Companies<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Through his studies at Eikei University of Hiroshima, Mori conducted a structural analysis of the issue and defined the root cause as \u201cthe disconnect between the corporate world and schools.\u201d Proposing \u201cseamless integration between the corporate world and schools\u201d as a solution, he launched the \u201cCareer Education Co-creation Project\u201d in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the core of this initiative is the \u201cCareer Education Co-creation Platform.\u201d By increasing opportunities for high school students to interact with young employees at companies, high school students gain a more realistic understanding of the working world, while young employees have the chance to reevaluate their own careers. It is a system that creates a cycle of learning for both parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The project was designed using the PMBOK Guide, 6th Edition, and Eikei University of Hiroshima\u2019s proprietary framework, and was developed through an iterative process that integrated theory and practice. During the planning phase, the team visited approximately 30 companies in Toyama Prefecture to gather feedback from businesses across various industries and refine the program\u2019s content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, the team is planning quantitative surveys to objectively evaluate the program\u2019s effectiveness. They aim to establish a reproducible educational model by using AI to organize and utilize the accumulated data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Pricing proved to be a major challenge during the commercialization process. With the need to set prices based on \u201cvalue\u201d rather than cost, Mori chose a strategy of first launching the business on a small scale in partnership with companies that shared his vision, and then building a track record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cLearning\u201d in Which You Discover Your Own Questions and Choose Your Own Answers<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
His university studies form the foundation of this project. Through applying theories such as project management and design thinking to real-world practice, he came to realize that \u201cthe back-and-forth between learning and practice is what leads to growth.\u201d Furthermore, the perspectives of \u201chyper-interdisciplinary fields,\u201d \u201chuman-centered design,\u201d and \u201cvalue\u201d\u2014gained from a course on social entrepreneurship\u2014have shaped the very philosophy of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Toyama Prefecture is home to many companies with outstanding technologies and products, there are not a few cases where their value is not sufficiently communicated to society, causing them to face barriers to growth. He points out that it is crucial to consider how to deliver \u201cmeaningful value\u201d\u2014rather than merely functional value\u2014to society. This awareness of the issue also led him to take on the challenge of studying abroad at the Polytechnic University of Milan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ultimate goal of this project is to create an environment where high school students can choose their own career paths based on their own decisions. As a result, companies are expected to benefit from strengthened talent development and recruitment foundations, while schools are expected to see improvements in career education. Another objective is to reexamine the very nature of hiring high school graduates and foster a movement across the entire region to invest in the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through this project, He gained hands-on experience in a series of business processes, including planning, sales, contracting, and operations. \u201cIt was a great opportunity to assess my own aptitudes,\u201d he reflects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going forward, he plans to continue his involvement in the project as a director of the General Incorporated Association Teena Light. He also intends to deepen his understanding of design thinking and, in the future, is considering expanding the sales of the crushers handled by his father\u2019s company globally. He plans to take on the challenge of creating a new model for talent development while promoting the value of local industries to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u3000<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u25bcPartner Company Introduction<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u25cfTeena Light General Incorporated Association<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guided by the motto \u201cTeens Illuminate Society,\u201d the organization is engaged in educational activities aimed at fostering an environment where as many teens as possible can feel \u201cexcited\u201d about their dreams and futures. It operates college preparation and academic support programs\u2014such as the \u201cOnline Namerikawa Academy\u201d and the \u201cTateyama Children\u2019s Future Academy\u201d\u2014through strong collaboration with local governments, NPOs, and co-creation partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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