Recruitment Begins for "IT Engineer Career Creation Program," a Paid Internship for Students and Graduates with Disabilities: Supporting Career Development and Employment through "Onboarding," "Training," and "Practice"

The Japan Research Institute, Limited (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Jun Uchikawa; hereinafter "JRI"), Mynavi Partners, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Yu Fujimoto; hereinafter "Mynavi Partners"), and Encourage Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Representative Director: Takashi Kubo; hereinafter "Encourage") have announced that they will begin accepting applications today, March 30, for the "IT Engineer Career Creation Program" (hereinafter "this internship"), a training-based paid internship for students and graduates with disabilities, which will commence at JRI in August 2026.

Background and Purpose of the Internship In recent years, the number of employed individuals with disabilities has been on an upward trend. However, according to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Note 1), over 60% of companies feel they face challenges in hiring people with disabilities, with the most common concern being the creation of suitable roles, such as "whether there is appropriate work within the company." Furthermore, looking at the industry, the "Information and Communications" sector, which requires a high level of expertise, has an actual employment rate of 2.06% (Note 2), which is significantly lower than the overall average of 2.41%, indicating that people with disabilities are not currently receiving sufficient opportunities to thrive.

Against this backdrop, the three companies have launched this internship with the belief that "even students and graduates with disabilities who have no IT experience can take the first step toward becoming engineers who support Japan's financial infrastructure, provided they have the determination to seriously pursue a career as an IT engineer." The program aims to support career development and expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the IT field.

Overview of the Internship This internship is a training-based paid program that allows students and graduates with disabilities to acquire the foundations necessary to succeed as IT engineers, even without prior experience. Over approximately six months, participants will accumulate learning and practical experience through three stages: "Onboarding," "Training," and "Practice." A key feature is that, in addition to the fundamental IT and business skills required for IT roles, participants will comprehensively learn skills such as self-care.

Participants will acquire the basics of IT roles at JRI, a core IT company of the SMBC Group, while receiving understanding and support tailored to individuals with disabilities. Additionally, from the middle of the program, participants will be able to earn a salary while gaining experience in tasks close to actual business operations. Following this internship, JRI will also consider future full-time employment for participants.

[IT Engineer Career Creation Program Overview] - Duration: 4 days per week on weekdays from August 2026 to late February 2027 (maximum of approximately 6–7 months) - Location: JRI Tokyo Headquarters (Osaki Forest Building, 2-18-1 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) - Eligibility: Those who have graduated (completed) or are expected to graduate (complete) from a vocational school, junior college, technical college, or university undergraduate, master's, or doctoral program by the end of March 2027, and who possess or are in the process of applying for a disability certificate. *Applications are welcome regardless of work history.

- Program Structure: [Stage 1: Introductory Seminar (August 2026 – September 2026)] This is a preparatory period that serves as the foundation before entering IT studies. Participants will deepen their understanding of disabilities and self-awareness, and learn the basics of being a working professional as well as the fundamentals of the financial and IT industries. This is an onboarding phase to establish daily rhythms, basic attitudes toward learning and work, and to acquire the "ability to keep learning."

[Stage 2: First Half Internship (October 2026 – January 2027)] Participants will acquire IT fundamentals, centered on JRI's unique IT engineer training program, which allows for systematic learning from programming basics to practical development methods. This is a training phase where participants also undergo business basics and self-care training in parallel, building the foundational skills of an engineer from zero IT experience.

[Stage 3: Second Half Internship (January 2027 – February 2027)] Participants will be temporarily assigned to actual departments to experience tasks close to real-world operations. While receiving follow-up support such as regular interviews, participants will confirm their understanding of actual work and their own aptitude. This is a practical phase where participants will also concretely envision their careers as IT engineers through advanced IT training that builds upon the first half of the internship.

- How to Apply: Please check the job information and apply via the link below. "IT Engineer Career Creation Program" https://hrmos.co/pages/jri/jobs/internship_itcareersosyutsu - Application Deadline: Friday, May 29, 2026

Roles of Each Company in the Internship JRI will plan and operate this internship based on its advanced knowledge and track record in finance and IT. Mynavi Partners and Encourage will participate as instructors and operators, leveraging their extensive knowledge and experience in career and employment support for students and graduates with disabilities. By utilizing the respective strengths of the three companies, they will provide integrated support from learning to practical work, staying close to each participant.

(Note 1) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "FY2023 Survey Results on Employment of Persons with Disabilities" (Survey conducted in June 2023) https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11601000/001233721.pdf (Note 2) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "2025 Aggregate Results of Employment Status of Persons with Disabilities" (December 19, 2025) https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11704000/001357856.pdf