Kinki University is one of the largest comprehensive universities in western Japan, with 15 faculties and 49 departments ranging from medicine to art.The university conducts education and research based on the founding spirit of ``practical education and the cultivation of character,'' and has produced over 57 graduates. It is also known for its advanced initiatives, such as making campus administrative procedures completely paperless under the name "Kindai DX."However, the provision of OB/OG information was managed on a paper basis, and there was an urgent need to move toward a paperless system.Under these circumstances, in October 2022, Kindai University introduced "BizReach Campus" as a university-certified OB/OG visiting service.We spoke with Administrative Director Taira Kiji, Manager Sakano, and Chief Nagao of the Career Center about the path to implementation and the effects.

We offer a variety of programs from an early stage so that all students can independently develop their careers.

First, we spoke with Hiroji Kiji, the administrative director of the Career Center, about Kinki University's policies and initiatives regarding career education.

``At our university's career center, we have a number of career support programs starting from the first year, so that each student can find a job or career path that meets his or her wishes. This is the practice of providing support that allows everyone to lead to the career path they desire, without having to worry about it.

The Career Assistant System, which is part of the TSUNAGU project that started in 2015, is Kindai University's unique support program in which young Kindai University staff provide individual support to students who are undecided about their career path after graduation.In addition, a ``job hunting support group'' is organized by volunteer job seekers.Advice and Sharing Knowledge about Job Hunting (ASK) plans and operates support programs based on actual experience.

*TSUNAGU Project: Kindai University's unique support program provided by young university staff for students who are undecided about their career path after graduation.All faculty and staff work together to support students, including introducing job openings and providing information on on-campus employment events.

In this way, we have been providing detailed support to each student, but there have been many issues regarding the provision of OB/OG information.

``Until now, for students who came to the Career Center counter and requested to provide OB/OG information, staff would extract alumni who matched the student's wishes from the OB/OG file and provide them to them. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, classes have changed from face-to-face to online.The opportunities for students to come to campus have decreased, making it difficult to provide alumni information.'' (Administrative Director Taira Kiji)

In addition, the burden of information management was also a major issue.Administrative Director Taira Kiji said, ``Although not all 57 graduates are registered as OB/OG, it is still a huge number.Also, it is extremely difficult for each graduate to renew their career after employment. I was in a situation," he says.The Alumni Association organization run by Kindai University alumni also manages alumni information, but one issue was that the cooperation between the Career Center and the Alumni Association was not progressing.

The Career Center then turned its attention to BizReach Campus, which provides OB/OG visiting services. Recognizing that paperless OB/OG information is an urgent issue, they contacted BizReach Campus and decided to officially introduce it. (Chief Yuichi Sakano)

Manager Yuichi Sakano, Administrative Director Hiroji Kijihira, and Director Akira Nagao of the Career Center, which works to support students' careers. (From the left in the photo)

The face-to-face "Job Hunting Competition" was held for the first time in three years. Over 3 students enrolled at BizReach Campus

Regarding the deciding factor in introducing PizReach Campus, Administrative Director Taira Kiji says the following.

“BizReach Campus centrally manages information and allows matching and alumni visits to be done online, greatly reducing the burden on both students and career centers. I was concerned about this, but we have strict guidelines in place, such as limiting requests for alumni/OG visits to those approached by students and monitoring message exchanges 24 hours a day.I felt that this system was safe for students to use.'' (Administrative Director Kijihira)

The ability to visit prospective employees (pre-OB/OG) was also highly rated. ``The ability to conduct pre-OB/OG visits was a major deciding factor for our university, which has traditionally provided support to prospective students through ASK.''

Thus, in October 2022, Kindai University introduced "BizReach Campus" as a university-certified OB/OG visiting service.Following this, a ``Job Hunting Competition'' was held to encourage job hunting students.

``Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event continued to be held online, but in 2022 it was held face-to-face for the first time in three years. Approximately 3 job hunters gathered at the venue and declared their thoughts on job hunting. When we set up a booth on the BizReach Campus and encouraged people to register, more than 700 people registered.'' (Chief Nagao)

It was also successful to invite prospective students and alumni to the venue, giving them an opportunity to speak directly with students.This is because the barriers between the two sides have disappeared, and students are now able to take a positive view of their alumni visits and actively engage in job hunting.

"In recent years, job hunting has become faster, and our university is focusing on supporting students from the lower grades. With the introduction of BizReach Campus, we will be able to connect with alumni and job offers from an early stage. Alumni "By learning about the diverse careers of our students, our students will have a deeper understanding of society and will be able to develop their basic skills as working adults," he said, explaining the benefits of introducing the system. (Chief Sakano)

"We have taken security measures in accordance with strict guidelines, and I felt that the service was reliable in terms of safety." (Administrative Director Taira Kiji)

→Build continuous contact with alumni and provide opportunities to learn about diverse careers.