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How to become a Juvenile Training School Instructor

Works mainly at juvenile training schools and juvenile classification homes, guiding, teaching and supporting the young people held there so they can adjust to life in society and return to it smoothly.

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

If you pass the juvenile training school instructor A (male) or B (female) exam, part of the Ministry of Justice specialist (human sciences) exam within the national public service recruitment exams, you are placed on a list of candidates, and hires are chosen from that list. The first stage tests the basic abilities needed as a public servant, along with basics of psychology, education, welfare and sociology. The second stage includes an individual interview, a medical check and an eyesight test. There are also instructor A (male) and B (female) categories for people with work experience, for applicants under 40. Promotion is based on ability. After about five years, instructors are usually promoted to specialist officer, and after that they can go on to chief specialist officer (equal to section head), head specialist officer and head of a facility. Juvenile training school instructors work in many ways with young offenders to help them reform and return smoothly to society, work that keeps society safe and secure. Above all, you need a strong passion for young people's healthy development and reform, and a high sense of mission and ethics. Juvenile training schools provide various kinds of specialist guidance and education, and juvenile classification homes interview and advise young people to explore their problems and prospects for change and help assess them. So you need specialist knowledge of human sciences such as psychology, education and sociology and of related laws, starting with the Juvenile Act, and you must keep studying to build that expertise. You also need the cooperation and flexibility to work in teams with your managers and colleagues and alongside staff from other agencies such as family courts and probation offices.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Juvenile Training School Instructor?

If you pass the juvenile training school instructor A (male) or B (female) exam, part of the Ministry of Justice specialist (human sciences) exam within the national public service recruitment exams, you are placed on a list of candidates, and hires are chosen from that list. The first stage tests the basic abilities needed as a public servant, along with basics of psychology, education, welfare and sociology. The second stage includes an individual interview, a medical check and an eyesight test. There are also instructor A (male) and B (female) categories for people with work experience, for applicants under 40. Promotion is based on ability. After about five years, instructors are usually promoted to specialist officer, and after that they can go on to chief specialist officer (equal to section head), head specialist officer and head of a facility. Juvenile training school instructors work in many ways with young offenders to help them reform and return smoothly to society, work that keeps society safe and secure. Above all, you need a strong passion for young people's healthy development and reform, and a high sense of mission and ethics. Juvenile training schools provide various kinds of specialist guidance and education, and juvenile classification homes interview and advise young people to explore their problems and prospects for change and help assess them. So you need specialist knowledge of human sciences such as psychology, education and sociology and of related laws, starting with the Juvenile Act, and you must keep studying to build that expertise. You also need the cooperation and flexibility to work in teams with your managers and colleagues and alongside staff from other agencies such as family courts and probation offices.

Do you need a degree to become a Juvenile Training School Instructor?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 58% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Education & Teaching degrees.

Will AI change the work of a Juvenile Training School Instructor?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026