Promotion of Skills

Measures	Outline
Youth Monozukuri Skills Competition	The Youth Monozukuri (or manufacturing-related) Skills Competition has been held annually since FY2005 and is open to anyone aged 20 or younger that is currently studying at a human resources development institution, an accredited vocational training institution, or a technical high school. The Competition was designed to set targets for any such young people and increase their skills to get the opportunities of employment.
National Skills Competition	The National Skills Competition has been held annually since FY1963 with the aim of providing skilled young workers (23 or younger in principle) in Japan with aspirational goals via use of a proficiency level competition and thus appealing to the importance and necessity of skills to the general public widely in developing a positive social feeling of respect for having obtained a skill.
WorldSkills Competition	The WorldSkills Competition was first held in Spain in 1950 and at present is held once every two years with the aim of promoting vocational training and developing worker skills in participating countries and promoting international goodwill and exchanges through holding an international skills competition among young skilled workers (22 or younger in principle). Japan has been participating in the Competition since FY1962. In November 2007 the “39th WorldSkills Competition” and “7th International Abilympics”, an international skills competition for persons with disabilities, were held simultaneously for the first time in Japan (Shizuoka pref.) under the title of the “International Skills Festival for All, Japan 2007”.
National Skills Grand Prix	The Skills Grand Prix has been held annually since FY1981 and at present has been held once every two years since FY2002 as a skills competition in which skilled workers with advanced grades of skills, 1st grade, etc., can participate with the aim of further advancing their proficiency levels and promoting their social status and skills.
Award for Outstanding Skilled Workers	This award has been granted to outstandingly skilled workers annually since FY1967 with the aim of developing a social feeling of respect for skills and thus improving the status of skilled workers and their proficiency levels, while also developing the positive social feeling of enabling young people to become skilled workers who have pride and hope in and are devoted to their work.
Monozukuri Nippon Grand Award (Prime Minister's Commendation)	The award has been granted to individuals, groups, or organizations engaged in “Monozukuri” (manufacturing), which supported the development of industries and culture and made such a great contribution to the public wealth of Japan, that have had outstanding achievements (once every two years) since FY2005 and with the aim of ensuring a succession to the next generation of the technologies and skills involved in “Monozukuri” via praising their achievements.
Award for Human Resource Development from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare	This award is granted to offices, organizations, or individuals that are recognized to have made an outstanding achievement in promoting the accredited vocational training and National Trade Skills Tests that serve as a model to others and to offices and organizations that have been recognized to have made an outstanding achievement in promoting trade skills which serve as a model to others with the aim of contributing to the promotion of accredited training, national trade skills testing, and trade skills, and thereby to the advancement of technology levels, and disseminating/enlightening the purpose of the Human Resources Development Promotion Act.
Abylimpics (National Vocational Skills Contest for the Disabled Persons)	The Abylimpic has been held since 1972 with the aim of promoting the vocational ability development of persons with disabilities and in enabling them to participate in society with confidence and pride as skilled workers and also facilitating the employment of persons with disabilities through raising public awareness and understanding of them.