Measures to Develop Human Resources with AI Skills in Japan: Society 5.0 and Investment in the Next Generation

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter summarizes the progress of human resource development policies in the IT and AI fields in Japan from the 1980s to 2020 and examines the challenges and issues in the path of fostering the next generation under the vision of Society 5.0. In 2016, the Japanese government announced the concept of Society 5.0, which is a holistic approach to AI human resource development, including programming education in elementary schools, university curriculum reform, recurrent education, and the development of talent. In the past, IT human resource development in Japan began in earnest in the 1980s. The use of the Internet in schools has been sluggish since the mid-2000s, and the provision of online education was comparatively less than in other countries during the spread of COVID-19 and the declaration of a state of emergency. Despite these issues in Japan, it is expected that the medium- and long-term initiatives envisioned for 2030 and 2050, which are the goals of Society 5.0, will produce results in the future. However, there is a possibility that a mismatch will continue to exist between supply and demand or between the human resources that society needs and the human resources that are being developed. To cope with this, continuous monitoring of the situation and collaboration between industry, government, and academia will be beneficial.KeywordsAI skillSociety 5.0JapanHuman resource developmentNext generationOECD PISAICTEducation