Report on February Job Experience Events 'Oshigoto Fair' and 'Sensei Fes' for High School Students and Teachers

Jinjib (Osaka City), an employment support provider for high school students, held vocational experience events called 'Oshigoto Fair' (Job Fair) and 'Sensei Fes' (Teacher Fest) across 24 venues nationwide between January and February 2026, targeting high school students graduating in March 2027 and teachers. Holding the 'Oshigoto Fair' in February was a first-time initiative, attracting 1,334 participants (1,192 students, 142 teachers) across 7 venues, while 'Sensei Fes' (17 venues) saw 247 teachers participate, bringing the total attendance across all 24 venues to 1,581.

This release reports on the events and the results of a survey conducted among 426 participating high school students and 178 teachers.

Survey Summary

- 93.9% of participating high school teachers answered that "pre-employment job experiences should be emphasized more than ever."

- Teachers view the benefits of experiences as "obtaining unverbalizable information" and "transforming anxiety into confidence and resolution."

- 76.3% of high school students answered that they had a "positive change in their image of work" through the experience.

■ Background of Holding 'Oshigoto Fair' and 'Sensei Fes' in February

The jobs-to-applicants ratio for high school students graduating in March 2026 reached 3.94 in September, indicating that companies' hiring appetite remains strong amidst labor shortages. (*1) However, the short job-hunting period has been cited as an issue, leading to mismatches and post-employment gaps because students lack sufficient time for corporate research. In response, government, educational, and economic bodies discussed "rule revisions" to ensure ample time for career selection for students. Nevertheless, the policy for March 2027 graduates will maintain the current schedule: job postings open on July 1, and applications begin on September 5. (*2)

With 93.9% of the participating high school teachers stating that "pre-employment job experiences should be emphasized more than ever," calls for early career education are spreading in the educational field. Furthermore, about 60% of high school graduate workers who have experienced job hunting reflect that they "should have gathered more information." (*3) To create opportunities for students to broaden their interests, learn about industries and jobs, and consider their career paths, we held these vocational experience events in February, ahead of the new school year.

*1 "Summary of Job Openings, Applications, and Employment Offers for High School and Junior High School Graduates (As of End of September)," Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, FY2025

*2 "35th High School Employment Issue Study Meeting," February 16, 2026, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

*3 Jinjib "High School Graduate Worker Survey: Job Hunting Experience Reflection (Class of '25)"

■ 'Sensei Fes' Participant Survey (Teachers)

[Survey Period] January 30 - February 25, 2026

[Target Audience] High school teachers who participated in 'Sensei Fes 2026 Jan/Feb'

[Valid Responses] N=178 (Full-time: 68, Correspondence: 89, Part-time: 21)

1. Has there been a change in your previous 'image of companies/industries' resulting from interactions with companies and job experiences? (n=177 *1 non-respondent)

When asked if the job experience changed their image of companies or industries, 86.4% responded positively: "significant positive change (30.5%)" and "somewhat positive change (55.9%)." Combined with those who "felt the difficulty and strictness more (1.7%)," 88.1% of teachers gained some form of perception change.

2. What changes occurred resulting from interactions with companies and job experiences? (n=153 *Those who answered "had a change" in Q1)

When asked about the nature of the changes, "discovering unknown jobs (73.9%)" was the most common response. This was followed by "image of the industry itself (55.6%)," "fun and rewarding nature of work (41.2%)," and "human relations and workplace atmosphere (33.3%)." This shows that perspectives not discernible from job postings changed through actual experiences.

3. What do you consider the benefits of students having 'experiences'? *Multiple answers allowed (n=178)

When asked about the benefits of experiences for students, 77.5% answered, "obtaining unverbalizable information such as the workplace atmosphere and the people working there." This was followed by "transforming anxiety about whether they can do it into confidence and resolution (59.0%)." It is evident that many teachers perceive benefits in how actual experiences help students visualize working at a company.

4. For students graduating in 2027 and later, do you think pre-employment 'job experiences (e.g., open companies)' should be emphasized more than ever? (n=178)

When asked if pre-employment "job experiences (open companies)" should be emphasized, over 90% of teachers answered affirmatively: "strongly agree (59.6%)" and "agree (34.3%)," indicating they believe these experiences should be prioritized more for students graduating in '27 and beyond.