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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

DYLJ and JCP support young people's career

Young people's difficulty in finding jobs is more serious than ever. This being a major social problem, the Japanese Communist Party in Tokyo's Minato Ward worked to get the municipality to establish a business internship program aimed at helping young people find jobs suitable for them in cooperation with the Democratic Youth League of Japan (DYLJ).

This employment support program begun in May. The municipal office provides young people a 6-month internship in its office. Anyone under 26 years of age with less than one-year job experience can apply for the program and be paid 400 yen for travel expenses as well as 900 yen an hour.

In order to have this program established, the DYLJ conducted a survey of young people and the JCP in the Minato Ward Assembly has tenaciously taken up the issue of young people's employment situation.

An official of the Minato Ward Office personnel division says, "Young people can discover their niche through work experience in the public office. For the ward office, it can secure good human resources while helping them find jobs."

Intern Suzuki Keisuke, 23, recalls that he used to work from seven in the morning till late at night in a company. He says, "I majored in environmental policies in college, but none of that knowledge was needed in the company. Being an intern, I'm now thinking how local governments can cooperate with companies in promoting environmental protection."

Okada Mari of the DYLJ Minato District Committee said, "Our activities to conduct surveys on young people's actual situation and social experience, and inform assembly members and the ward office of the findings have made this internship program possible."

Hoshino Takashi, a JCP member of the Minato Ward Assembly, has repeatedly called for more job opportunities to be given to young people in assembly sessions. He said, "I will continue to work for improvement of young people's employment situation."

The JCP Minato Ward Assembly members group also calls for: an increase in young people's employment in such sectors as childcare, education, nursing care, medical services, and information technology; subsidies to small business owners if they hire young people; and support of young people in succeeding or starting a store or a small business. -- Akahata, October 17, 2005