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Japan's J-Star partially exits jobs training service

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Japan’s J-Star has exited a 20% stake in Aki-Japan, an employee training service provider for the local construction sector. It leaves the private equity firm with an 80% position.

Financial terms have not been disclosed. J-Star, which typically deploys in a range of JPY1-3 billion ($9.2-2.8 million) acquired 100% of Aki-Japan in February.

J-Star was active in the engineer staffing niche last year, agreeing to acquire IT industry job search portal Gino. The deal came via its fourth middle-market fund, which closed at JPY48.5 billion in 2019. Previous consolidation plays have targeted branded foods, pet care and hospice care.

Operational since 2007, Aki-Japan claims its client base includes the leading construction companies in Japan. Its core service is to fully train prospective hires for its clients in specialized construction industry skillsets. According to a statement, J-Star is selling a 20% stake to UT Group, a large staffing services provider, with a view to exploiting operational synergies and accelerating growth.

J-Star has framed its interest in this space as part of an attempt to solve chronic workforce shortage problems. Demographics-driven strategies, including those targeting Japan's aging population, are a significant part of the firm's overall thesis.

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