#Japan #Tokyo #career education #Blueberry #Welfare

Blueberry and Tokyo Join Forces for Youth Career Development

On May 1, 2025, Blueberry Inc., headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, has officially partnered with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government through a collaborative agreement aimed at securing the next generation of welfare professionals. This agreement stems from the winning proposal presented at the 46th "UPGRADE with TOKYO" pitch event held in January 2025. Its goal is to nurture understanding and interest in welfare careers among elementary and junior high school students.

As Japan faces a rapidly aging population and a declining birthrate, the demand for welfare professionals is increasingly critical. With the entirety of the baby boom generation now classified as senior citizens in 2025, the need for welfare services is set to spike. Concurrently, a decrease in the working-age population in Tokyo poses significant challenges in securing and developing the workforce necessary to meet growing welfare demands. The partnership between Blueberry and Tokyo aims to initiate a multi-phase educational program targeting younger populations to foster interest in careers within the welfare industry.

Educational Programs Under the Agreement

At the core of this collaboration are seven compelling educational programs designed for students and their parents. These programs offer experiential learning opportunities that promote exploration, interaction, and discussion within the educational setting.

1. On-Demand Videos: Students can access a series of video materials that showcase 15 different welfare job roles on their tablets.
2. VR Experiences: Students will experience virtual tours of welfare facilities, such as nursing homes, immersing them in the realities of the profession.
3. Engagement Events: Online interactions with welfare professionals provide students an opportunity to engage directly with industry experts.
4. Presentation Contests: Students conduct research and present their findings on various welfare jobs through project-based learning activities.
5. Creative Ideathons: Children will design and propose their ideal welfare facilities, encouraging innovative thinking.
6. Parental Seminars: Workshops aimed at informing parents about the benefits and future prospects of careers in welfare.
7. Youth-Friendly Website: A dedicated online portal allows children to explore welfare careers further.

These programs are flexible and can be tailored to the specific career education policies and needs of each school. For instance, schools may choose to combine VR experiences with engagement events or have students watch on-demand videos before participating in discussions. The Blueberry team is committed to collaborating with each school to customize the most effective plan based on individual interests and educational goals.

Program Highlights

• - On-Demand Videos: These resources convey the realities of welfare work through 15 different job roles. They can be accessed via tablets according to student interests and can be paired with worksheets to enhance proactive learning.
• - VR Experiences: Utilizing cutting-edge virtual reality technology, this program enables students to step into the shoes of welfare professionals as if they were on-site, thus reducing the workload for educators, as Blueberry's staff will assist in facilitating this experience.
• - Engagement Events: Students will be inspired by conversations with active professionals in the welfare sector in a format that prioritizes interaction. The event incorporates relay talks from three speakers, making it rich with valuable insights into the current state of welfare.
• - Presentation Contests: This project-based course allows students to synthesize what they’ve learned and express it through presentations, fostering both communication skills and research curiosity.

All of these programs can be customized to fit the curriculum and school hours, and support materials are readily available to ease the implementation process for participating schools. This venture is an exciting opportunity for educational institutions looking to make their career education more dynamic.

Future Recruitment

Information regarding recruitment for these programs will be released once finalized.

Comments from Leadership

Ryotaro Shibata, CEO of Blueberry, expressed his enthusiasm about this partnership, stating, "We believe that education holds the power to change society’s future. Career education is vital for nurturing the next generation of workforce leaders. It addresses critical societal issues like those faced in the welfare sector. I sincerely thank everyone involved in this agreement, and we commit to putting forth our best efforts into this project."

Additionally, Ryoichi Yamaoka, Director of Human Resource and Service Development at the Tokyo Metropolitan Welfare Bureau, highlighted that with high job availability rates for welfare professionals, it is crucial to raise awareness of the significance of this work among students. They hope this collaboration will encourage more young people to consider careers in welfare when the time comes to choose their paths.

Contact Us

For Tokyo’s elementary and junior high schools interested in more details about these career education programs, please feel free to reach out via our website’s contact form or through the email below:
Email: mail@blue-berry.org

Company Info
Blueberry Inc.
CEO: Ryotaro Shibata
Business: Development and Provision of Online Career Education Programs
Headquarters: 18 Showa-cho, Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture
Founded: February 2021
Website: https://blue-berry.org/