According to the definition set out by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, internships are “programsthatstudentsengage in during their time inhigher educationto experience employment at a company or other organization related to their major or future career.”

In recent years, issues related to employment in Japan have included high percentages of new graduates leaving their employment at an early stage, and an increase in the numbers of people unable to settle in permanent full-time employment, such as thosein part-time work (“freeters”) and those not in education, employment or training (“NEET”). A chief factor behind these issues is that young people who are looking for employmentoften decide on a future career path without selecting a profession that is suited to their aptitude and abilities, and without gaining sufficient understanding of factors such as what it means to work, their chosen industry, job content, or the structure of society. Opportunities to participate in internshipshelp to prevent such mismatches, and also serve as informativeexperiences for students who are considering their potential career and the direction they wish to take in the future. We encourage students who are interested in doing an internship to make active efforts to apply for and participate in a program.

Our approach to internships
At ICU, our approach is thatit should be up to students to apply for and participate in internships on their own initiative. Most of the internships that students participate in are therefore programs that they have appliedfor directly with the company or organization and that are not recognized for credits as part of the formal university curriculum. At the same time, the university also believes that it is worthwhile for students to experience employment on their own responsibility, provided that they do so in a way that does not adversely affect their studies, such as participating in programs during the long vacations.

The Placement Office holds guidance sessions on internships as part of its events for supporting career development. In doing so, we aim to assist students who are interested in doing internships to pursue such programs proactively and safely, while alsogathering fulfilling experiences. You can access the information provided to the university on internships via the ICU portal site or at the Placement Office Information Room, on the noticeboard and the Internship Corner.

It is also important to note thatat some companies such internships have ultimately become part of the recruitment process in recent years. When deciding whether to take part, you will also need to have the capacity toaccurately evaluate the information you have gathered.

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