Towards a New Infrastructure for the Era of Skilled Worker Shortages. Technical Academy "HOW PRO" Launches "Living Engineer Certification System" to Certify the "Invisible Skills" of Blue-Collar Workers.
HOW PRO, a technical academy operated by Shijinbito Co., Ltd., will fully launch the "Living Engineer Certification System" on May 8, 2026, which objectively evaluates and certifies the "invisible skills" of blue-collar workers. It aims to address skilled worker shortages and skill transfer challenges, striving to create an industry where professionals are chosen based on skill and trust.
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- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 22:00
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Shijinbito Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Toshihiko Tsuruhara), which operates the "HOW PRO" technical academy specializing in home services, will fully launch the "Living Engineer Certification System" on Friday, May 8, 2026. This system objectively evaluates and certifies on-site skills related to daily life, such as air conditioner cleaning, house cleaning, washing machine cleaning, interior work, and home appliance repair.
This system transforms the "invisible skills" cultivated by blue-collar workers on-site into visible certifications through cards with certification numbers, image data, and banners. Technicians who meet criteria such as completing all training days, scoring 90% or higher on a written exam, and passing practical and customer service (CS) exams, will be issued a certification card with an individual certification number.
For technicians, this serves as a portfolio to demonstrate their skills. For customers, it provides a reliable basis to confirm "what kind of professional this person is" before making a request. Through this system, HOW PRO aims to create an industry where blue-collar skilled workers are chosen based on their skills and trust, rather than being compared solely on price.
Why is a system to "certify" the skills of skilled workers needed now?
In the field of on-site technical skills surrounding home services, construction, and repair, labor shortages and the succession of skills are major challenges. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "White Paper on Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 2025," 36.7% of construction workers in 2024 were aged 55 or older, while only 11.7% were aged 29 or younger. With the simultaneous progression of an aging workforce and a shortage of young workers, the question arises of how to foster skills applicable on-site and how to convey them to society.
On the other hand, in the field of home services, there is a structural problem where it is difficult to judge technical ability before making a request. White-collar workers can explain their skills through resumes, work histories, and qualifications. However, for blue-collar on-site skills such as cleaning, repair, and interior work, it is difficult to see from the outside whether they can perform "meticulous work," "handle situations safely," or "explain things clearly to customers," leading to a situation where price comparison tends to be prioritized.
In response to this challenge, HOW PRO has designed a certification system that visualizes not only the fact of having received training but also the fulfillment of criteria including knowledge, practical skills, and customer service. It is, so to speak, a new skill certification infrastructure for blue-collar workers.
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism "White Paper on Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 2025," Section 1: Service Supply Constraints Due to Labor Shortages, etc.
https://www.mlit.go.jp/hakusyo/mlit/r06/hakusho/r07/html/n1111000.html
From "I can do it" to "It is certified"
The "Living Engineer Certification System" is not a system to weed out technicians. It is a system to transform the efforts and skills accumulated by trainees into trust that can be conveyed to customers.
1. Objective Standards through 90% or higher on Written Exam, Practical/CS Exams
For each category, criteria are set, such as completing all training days, scoring 90% or higher on a written exam, and passing practical or CS exams (role-playing). This confirms not only knowledge but also skills reproducible on-site and customer service.
2. Visualize Skills with a Certification Card with a Certification Number
Successful applicants will receive a physical card with their photo and certification number. In addition, image data and "○○ Engineer Available Store" banners, which can be used on SNS, websites, and business cards, will be provided to enable online communication of the certification.
3. Career Path to Multiskilled Worker from a Single Skill
Starting with a single skill like air conditioner cleaning, certification can be gradually expanded to house cleaning, washing machine, interior work, and home appliance repair. By holding multiple titles, technicians can grow into "Living Engineers" capable of handling a wide range of daily life problems. This is also an initiative to visualize the career ladder for blue-collar workers.
Five Categories of Engineers Available for Certification
Certification will be granted by category according to the training courses and exam clearance status.
Title
Target Course/Training
Main Certification Criteria
Air Conditioner Cleaning Engineer
Air Conditioner Beginner Pack Training, Start Dash Plan, etc.
3 days full attendance, 90% or higher on written exam, CS exam
House Cleaning Engineer
Water Area Beginner Pack Training, Vacant Room Beginner Pack Training, etc.
3 days full attendance, 90% or higher on written exam, CS exam
Washing Machine Engineer
Washing Machine Full-Scale Training
2 days full attendance, 90% or higher on written exam, CS exam
Interior Engineer
Miscellaneous work, wallpaper, floor tiles, decorative sheets, wood, etc.
Completion of specified training days, 90% or higher on written exam, practical exam
Home Appliance Repair Engineer
Air Conditioner Repair Training, Washing Machine Repair Training
90% or higher on written exam, CS exam
By acquiring multiple categories, technicians can cumulatively demonstrate "what they can do." For customers, it eliminates the need to search for a cleaning, repair, or interior service provider each time.
This system transforms the "invisible skills" cultivated by blue-collar workers on-site into visible certifications through cards with certification numbers, image data, and banners. Technicians who meet criteria such as completing all training days, scoring 90% or higher on a written exam, and passing practical and customer service (CS) exams, will be issued a certification card with an individual certification number.
For technicians, this serves as a portfolio to demonstrate their skills. For customers, it provides a reliable basis to confirm "what kind of professional this person is" before making a request. Through this system, HOW PRO aims to create an industry where blue-collar skilled workers are chosen based on their skills and trust, rather than being compared solely on price.
Why is a system to "certify" the skills of skilled workers needed now?
In the field of on-site technical skills surrounding home services, construction, and repair, labor shortages and the succession of skills are major challenges. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "White Paper on Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 2025," 36.7% of construction workers in 2024 were aged 55 or older, while only 11.7% were aged 29 or younger. With the simultaneous progression of an aging workforce and a shortage of young workers, the question arises of how to foster skills applicable on-site and how to convey them to society.
On the other hand, in the field of home services, there is a structural problem where it is difficult to judge technical ability before making a request. White-collar workers can explain their skills through resumes, work histories, and qualifications. However, for blue-collar on-site skills such as cleaning, repair, and interior work, it is difficult to see from the outside whether they can perform "meticulous work," "handle situations safely," or "explain things clearly to customers," leading to a situation where price comparison tends to be prioritized.
In response to this challenge, HOW PRO has designed a certification system that visualizes not only the fact of having received training but also the fulfillment of criteria including knowledge, practical skills, and customer service. It is, so to speak, a new skill certification infrastructure for blue-collar workers.
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism "White Paper on Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 2025," Section 1: Service Supply Constraints Due to Labor Shortages, etc.
https://www.mlit.go.jp/hakusyo/mlit/r06/hakusho/r07/html/n1111000.html
From "I can do it" to "It is certified"
The "Living Engineer Certification System" is not a system to weed out technicians. It is a system to transform the efforts and skills accumulated by trainees into trust that can be conveyed to customers.
1. Objective Standards through 90% or higher on Written Exam, Practical/CS Exams
For each category, criteria are set, such as completing all training days, scoring 90% or higher on a written exam, and passing practical or CS exams (role-playing). This confirms not only knowledge but also skills reproducible on-site and customer service.
2. Visualize Skills with a Certification Card with a Certification Number
Successful applicants will receive a physical card with their photo and certification number. In addition, image data and "○○ Engineer Available Store" banners, which can be used on SNS, websites, and business cards, will be provided to enable online communication of the certification.
3. Career Path to Multiskilled Worker from a Single Skill
Starting with a single skill like air conditioner cleaning, certification can be gradually expanded to house cleaning, washing machine, interior work, and home appliance repair. By holding multiple titles, technicians can grow into "Living Engineers" capable of handling a wide range of daily life problems. This is also an initiative to visualize the career ladder for blue-collar workers.
Five Categories of Engineers Available for Certification
Certification will be granted by category according to the training courses and exam clearance status.
Title
Target Course/Training
Main Certification Criteria
Air Conditioner Cleaning Engineer
Air Conditioner Beginner Pack Training, Start Dash Plan, etc.
3 days full attendance, 90% or higher on written exam, CS exam
House Cleaning Engineer
Water Area Beginner Pack Training, Vacant Room Beginner Pack Training, etc.
3 days full attendance, 90% or higher on written exam, CS exam
Washing Machine Engineer
Washing Machine Full-Scale Training
2 days full attendance, 90% or higher on written exam, CS exam
Interior Engineer
Miscellaneous work, wallpaper, floor tiles, decorative sheets, wood, etc.
Completion of specified training days, 90% or higher on written exam, practical exam
Home Appliance Repair Engineer
Air Conditioner Repair Training, Washing Machine Repair Training
90% or higher on written exam, CS exam
By acquiring multiple categories, technicians can cumulatively demonstrate "what they can do." For customers, it eliminates the need to search for a cleaning, repair, or interior service provider each time.