Japan holds 1st meeting of human resources development panel

September 11, 2017

TOKYO- The Japanese government on Monday held the first meeting of a new task force to discuss specific measures for a "revolution in human resources development," a new key policy of the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The members of the team include Lynda Gratton, a London Business School professor known for her work in the field of human resources development.

The task force will meet about once a month, with a view to announcing a final report in summer next year.

The panel will discuss an array of human resources-related issues, such as recurrent education, in which people already in the world of work return to school for study.

Other topics will include how to encourage businesses to make their hiring systems flexible and reform the social security systems that have focused intensively on the elderly.

It will release an interim report within this year.

The team, to be headed by Abe, comprises Human Resources Development Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and other relevant ministers, as well as business leaders and other experts.

The members also include Yoichiro Mikami, 19-year-old chief executive officer of information technology company Gnex Ltd., Masako Wakamiya, a smartphone game developer in her 80s, and Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren. Jiji Press