(Initiatives through public-private partnerships)

In light of the need to start studying measures that should be taken across both short-term and medium- to longer-term timelines by fostering a shared awareness of the current situation surrounding leaders of the construction industries and of future perspectives and other important issues, meetings of the Construction Industry Revitalization Council as chaired by the State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism were held in January 2014. This council has engaged in various forms of initiatives as comprehensive measures to secure and foster human resources through public-private partnerships. Examples include the implementation of measures to limit principal contractors and certain primary sub-contractors for government construction projects to businesses enrolled in social insurance schemes and the formulation of a construction industry action plan to enable women to play a bigger role in August of the same year and the launch of a consortium to secure and foster leaders of the construction industries (secretariat: Construction Business Promotion Fund) in October of the same year (Figure 3-2-3).

In conjunction with these initiatives, construction industry groups have been steadily carrying out various initiatives in accordance with their salient features. Examples include the formulation of Action Guidelines for Securing and Cultivating Future Local Construction Industry Leaders by the National Construction Industry Association (February 2015) and the formulation of a Long-Term Vision for the Construction Industry With a View to Revitalization and Evolution by the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors (March of the same year).

Thanks to these sorts of public-private initiatives, the number of skilled workers has stayed firm in recent years to keep pace with the stability of public investments $ ^{Note67} $ (Figure 3-2-4).

## Key contents of the action program

1. Establish networks tied to local areas

Support is provided at a prefectural level for the establishment by general construction groups, specialized construction groups, job-training schools, educational institutions, and local governments of systems for securing and cultivating leaders (nineteen feasibility studies and eleven projects for implementation selected).

2. Enrich and reinforce the foundation for education and training

(1) Develop training programs, educational materials, etc.

(2) Attract and cultivate instructors

(3) Collect and transmit information and make proposals concerning the securing and fostering of human resources

(4) Promote strategic publicity to encourage young people to enter the work force

3. Establish a network bringing together job-training schools in each area

Promote the deployment of joint projects, such as those concerning information exchanges and mutual cooperation among job training schools in each area, with a primary focus on the Fuji Education Training Center.

Figure 3-2-4

## Changes in the number of construction industry workers

Construction industry workers: 6.85 million persons (1997) → 4.98 million persons (2010) → 5.00 million persons (2015)

Persons engaged in specialized or technical work: 410,000 persons (1997) → 310,000 persons (2010) → 320,000 persons (2015)

Skilled workers: 4.55 million persons (1997) → 3.31 million persons (2010) → 3.31 million persons (2015)

(Note) Data for 2011 consist of estimated values due to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Source) Developed by the MLIT based on the "Labor Force Survey" (MIC)