한국과 일본의 진로교육정책 비교

Abstract

This article explores the career-related legislation of the central governments in Korea and Japan, along with various career-related initiatives and schemes. Upon examination of the Career Education Act, the Act on the Promotion of Industrial Education and Industry-Academia Cooperation, and the Special Act on the Promotion of Youth Employment in Korea, it was discovered that the Career Education Act restricts its application to elementary and secondary school students as stated in Article 1 (Purpose). Similarly, the Act on the Promotion of Industrial Education and Industry-Academia Cooperation limits state support to students in industrial education institutions as specified in Article 2 (1) of the Act. The term "students" should be revised to "children and adolescents" to accurately encompass the evolving educational landscape, which encompasses diverse learning methods such as homeschooling, alternative schools, and out-of-school youth. The Japanese government started to demonstrate a genuine interest in career education in December 1999, prompted by the growing number of young people with a high turnover rate, which had become a social issue. On January 6, 2001, the Central Education Council was established within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to provide guidance on various aspects of education, including career education. While Japan has previously demonstrated interest in career education ahead of Korea, its policies regarding career and employment support are not as comprehensive as those implemented by Korea. This phenomenon can be attributed to Japan's conventional corporate culture, characterized by the practice of "prior designation" and "life-long employment." In this system, employment decisions are made prior to graduation, which sets it apart from the practices observed in Korea. Japan's career education policies are designed to be easily accessible and utilized by job seekers and employers, rather than being complex and diverse. To enhance accessibility and utilization from the perspective of the demanders, it is imperative to enhance the system and reform educational policies, instead of duplicating and implementing projects across different ministries and institutions.