Changes in Career Paths and Migration of High School Graduates since 1990 in Nagano Prefecture: Focusing on Migration for Education at Universities, Junior Colleges, and Professional Training Colleges, and for Employment

Changes in population migration are an important research theme in relation to the demographic dynamics of regional areas. Actual trends and changes in career paths and destinations of high school graduates (university, junior college, professional training college, and employment) since 1990 in Nagano Prefecture are analyzed, and the relationships between these paths and demographic dynamics are examined. The results show: declining birth rate and changes in career paths of high school graduates relate to a decrease in the number of high school graduates who remain in the prefecture after graduating from high school; characteristics and changes in destinations of high school graduates who go on to professional training colleges and universities and junior colleges differ; and, careers and further education courses of high school graduates differ between cities and localities where high schools are situated. This study has social and academic value in that it succeeds in identifying trends and characteristics of migration to professional training colleges and in understanding the migration of high school graduates on a micro-scale rather than on a prefectural basis, which had been an issue with previous studies. It is an important research task to clarify actual trends in the region using not only statistics that have often been used in the past but also those surveyed by local governments.