Kobe Keizai News — At the “Conference of Mayors of Cities and Towns Adjacent to Kobe,” held in Kobe on the ９th, participants confirmed a shared direction for cooperation in such areas as “coexistence with nature,” “recruitment and development of technical staff,” and “the building of municipal school systems.” The meeting, hosted by Kobe City, brought together mayors of Kobe and neighboring municipalities to discuss common challenges and issues that could be more effectively addressed through collaboration. During a discussion on technical personnel, Akashi Mayor Satoko Marutani said, “We hired 19 technical staff this fiscal year,” prompting surprised reactions from other mayors, who asked, “How were you able to hire so many?” (Photo: Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto greeting the assembled mayors.)

Local governments require “technical staff” — professionals with specialized education or qualifications — in a wide range of fields, including civil engineering for roads and parks, architecture for public buildings, and chemistry for water quality management and environmental protection. However, as Japan’s declining birthrate shrinks the pool of young workers, competition with the private sector for talent has intensified. Even among municipalities, there is a growing tendency for personnel to move to large cities that offer higher pay. Around Kobe, it is said that many applicants who pass Kobe City’s recruitment exams end up declining offers from other municipalities. Against this backdrop, Akashi’s success in hiring 19 technical staff was seen as particularly noteworthy.

Akashi City conducts recruitment exams not only for students in their final year of university but also for third-year undergraduates and first-year graduate students. In addition, students who receive job offers are invited to attend study sessions organized by the city’s Technical Staff Capacity Development Promotion Committee. These sessions also include informal discussion meetings with the mayor. By sharing challenges in advance and presenting a clear image of professional growth, the city aims to foster a stronger sense of attachment to Akashi. Mayor Marutani said, “Everyone who came to those meetings and had an interview with me this year ultimately chose to join Akashi City.”

Until now, human resource development has included exchanges such as staff from other municipalities participating in training programs hosted by Kobe City. However, with recruiting expected to become even more difficult for all municipalities, Sanda Mayor Katsuya Tamura proposed making “cooperation in the recruitment and development of technical staff” a formal agenda item. Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto, who chaired the meeting, suggested that “we need to jointly communicate the sense of fulfillment that comes from working on the front lines closest to residents,” and also raised the idea that “as people build their careers, it might be possible for them to transfer to related departments in other municipalities.” The participants agreed to explore whether deeper forms of cooperation could be pursued.

The meeting was hosted by Kobe City and attended by Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto, Akashi Mayor Satoko Marutani, Sanda Mayor Katsuya Tamura, Ashiya Mayor Shunsuke Takashima, Miki Mayor Kazuhiko Nakata, Inami Mayor Tetsuro Nakayama, Awaji Mayor Atsuhiro Toda, and Nishinomiya Deputy Mayor Toshio Iwasaki.