IDEAS FOR GOOD web magazine boosting reemployment college students’ skills

Students of a Japanese business college that specializes in occupational skills training for people who have left their jobs due to depression or developmental disorders, have started writing articles for Zenbird Media’s sister site, IDEAS FOR GOOD.

IDEAS FOR GOOD is working with Kizuki Business College to help students hone their writing skills and their ability to translate English articles and press releases into Japanese.

The website gives the students a place to have their work published and build a portfolio. In return, IDEAS FOR GOOD gains access to skilled workers who are having difficulty finding a place to exercise their abilities.

Professional experience that grows the students’ skills and confidence

“When students from KBC showed me some of the articles they had written in the past, I was surprised by the depth of their quality and expertise. I am very pleased that, not only can we support the careers and skill building of KBC students, but also work together to make IDEAS FOR GOOD even better,” says Yu Kato, Editor In Chief for IDEAS FOR GOOD.

The program in-charge from KBC, Emi Hayashida, says that the feedback from professional editors at IDEAS FOR GOOD is helping motivate the students. “The students aren’t playing a passive role. They are applying their skills to consistently achieve better results, approaching the project as professionals.”

That experience, and the publication of their work, is expected to boost the students’ confidence.

Creative solutions to social issues, as told by the students

Students will translate English news items and press releases related to the website’s theme of creative ideas for solving social issues such as climate change and marine plastic waste. IDEAS FOR GOOD publishes about 50 articles a month created by writers in Japan and abroad.

KBC provides work experience and job-finding assistance specifically tailored to people suffering from depression or developmental disorders. It also offers an English class to aid reemployment. Despite some very high English writing skills among the students, they still have difficulty finding jobs.

IDEAS FOR GOOD will give KBC students English articles for translation. Editorial staff will review the students’ translations and guide them in how to craft easy-to-read Japanese stories. The program aims to improve students’ translation and writing skills through this practical feedback.

The organizers hope that students will also research their own article ideas from scratch and conduct interviews in the future.

The goal of a diverse society

We are in an age when mental health is an issue for the entire community, and the continued ageing of societies means more people have physical weaknesses. The experience of these students in facing these kinds of problems in their lives can surely teach us a lot, particularly how to create a more diverse and inclusive society. Including them, and giving them a voice, is the first phase in creating such a society.