Tokyo Institute of Technology- Over 200 students meet 22 companies at online career talk

Tokyo Tech’s Innovator and Inventor Development Platform (IIDP), the Student Career Support Section of the Student Support Center, and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) co-hosted Career Talk: Information Exchange Event with Foreign-Affiliated Companies, an online session for approximately 240 of the Institute’s students, on November 25. Joining the students for roughly four hours of information sharing and exchange of opinions were 22 foreign companies with offices in Japan, including Cambridge Consultants Japan Inc., DuPont K.K, Ericsson Japan, and Siemens K.K.

IIDP Professor Akira Izumi guiding students during breakout room session

IIDP Professor Akira Izumi guiding students during breakout room session
Tokyo Tech and JETRO concluded a comprehensive cooperation agreement to develop the Japanese economy and global human resources in May 2018. The November event was a co-sponsored project conducted annually based on this agreement.

This event was an extremely fruitful one for both sides. Students commented that they were able to learn about companies they were not aware of, hear firsthand accounts of what companies expect of new employees, and broaden their career opportunities. Likewise, participating companies were pleased to expand their recruiting activities while learning what students seek in employers.

According to an annual JETRO survey on the business environment in Japan, foreign-affiliated companies consistently cite the difficulty of securing human resources as an obstacle to doing business in the country. These companies are seeking new employees with language skills and a strong science background, two attributes that many Tokyo Tech students possess.

The collaboration between Tokyo Tech and JETRO continues. By organizing gatherings between businesses and students, and facilitating guest lectures at the Institute by employees of foreign-affiliated companies, this partnership continues to strengthen the development of globally competent human resources.