Recruitment Begins for "IT Engineer Career Creation Program," a Paid Internship for Students and Graduates with Disabilities

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-shi, Osaka; Representative Director: Takashi Kubo; hereinafter "Encourage") will begin accepting applications today, March 30, for the "IT Engineer Career Creation Program" (hereinafter "this internship"), a developmental paid internship for students and graduates with disabilities, which will commence at JRI in August 2026.

Background and Purpose 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), more than 60% of companies feel there are challenges in employing people with disabilities, with the most frequently cited issue being the creation of suitable job roles, such as "whether there is appropriate work within the company." Furthermore, by 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 being provided with sufficient opportunities to excel. Under these circumstances, 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," aiming to support career formation and expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the IT field.

Overview of the Internship This internship is a developmental, paid program that allows students and graduates with disabilities to acquire the foundations necessary to transition from having no IT experience to becoming active as engineers. Over approximately six months, participants will accumulate learning and practical experience through three stages: "Onboarding," "Development," and "Practice." A key feature is that, in addition to the IT and business fundamentals required to pursue an IT career, 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 period, participants will be able to earn a salary while experiencing tasks close to actual practical work. Following this internship, JRI will also consider hiring participants for full-time positions in the future.

〇 Duration: 4 days per week (weekdays) from August 2026 to late February 2027 (maximum of approximately 6–7 months) 〇 Location: JRI Tokyo Headquarters (Osaki Forest Building, 2-18-1 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) 〇 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 open to everyone regardless of work history. 〇 Program Structure:

[Stage 1: Introductory Seminar (August 2026 – September 2026)] This is a preparatory period that serves as a 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 finance 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, focusing on JRI's unique IT engineer development program, which allows for systematic learning from programming basics to practical development methods. This is a development phase where participants gain the foundational skills of an engineer from zero IT experience, with concurrent training in business basics and self-care. [Stage 3: Second Half Internship (January 2027 – February 2027)] Participants will be provisionally assigned to actual departments to experience tasks close to real-world work. While receiving support such as regular interviews, participants will confirm their understanding of actual operations and their own aptitude. This is a practical phase where participants can concretely envision their career as an IT engineer through IT training that further builds upon the first half of the internship. 〇 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 〇 Application Deadline: May 29, 2026 (Friday)

Roles of Each Company in this Internship JRI will plan and operate this internship program based on its high level of expertise 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, we will support each participant closely, providing integrated support from learning to practical work.

(Note 1) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "FY2023 Survey Report 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

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Contact Information for Inquiries The Japan Research Institute, Limited [Media Inquiries] Public Relations Department, Kanai Phone: 080-3437-9449 [General Inquiries] Human Resources Department, Recruitment Team Mail: jinji@jri.co.jp