Japan will shift the focus of its public vocational training programs to fields with growth potential, focusing on the digital realm and decarbonization efforts, in an attempt to enhance productivity, Nikkei has learned.

Public vocational training programs are operated by the national and local governments as a way of supporting job seekers. Those who wish to work -- new graduates, handicapped people or those who are already employed -- are eligible for the training.

Japan aims to increase the ratio of digital-related courses, such as those on information technology, from the current 20% of all courses available to more than 30% by fiscal 2024.

The move is aligned with the Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation, compiled on Wednesday by the government, which also set a goal of creating 2.3 million digital workers over five years.

In 2021, around 110,000 people attended public vocational training. Accounting and other clerical skills accounted for around 30% of the total courses, while information processing and similar skills accounted for about 20%.

It has been pointed out that these courses were not able to fulfill the need of employers, who want to hire more cloud-savvy workers.