Work Academy

What Work Academy does

Work Academy Corporation (株式会社ワークアカデミー) is a privately held Japanese education and human capital services company founded in November 1982 in Osaka, operating across the Kansai, Kanto, and Tokai regions. The firm runs six integrated business lines: university support services (instructor dispatch, class operations, career center staffing, and recurrent education program co-development with 10+ partner universities), educational publishing through noa Publishing (noa出版, producing information literacy, data science, and AI utilization textbooks), customized corporate training and recruitment support, IT/business skill schools (noa and noa+), meeting room rentals (Umeda, Tennoji, Shin-Osaka), and social contribution programming.

The firm's flagship technology product is noa+ (ノアプラス), a government-subsidized reskilling and career support platform launched April 2022 under METI's 'Reskilling for Career Advancement Support Project' (tuition subsidies up to 70%), and noa+ connect (April 2024), a Web3.0-based learn-to-earn platform that integrates the ANICANA NFT system to convert learning experiences and event participation into tradable digital assets (Arcana) with established yen-denominated market value (over 80,000 NFTs minted across the ANICANA network). The technology stack combines educational content delivery, career matching, and a novel NFT credentialing layer, with managed integrations to financial institutions (Resona Bank job listing feed), universities, and government training programs.

Work Academy's business model combines professional services (university support contracts, customized corporate training), subscription/recurring revenue (noa+ membership, e-learning products like ハムPass+), one-time product sales (noa Publishing textbooks), and contract-based government program delivery (METI, Osaka Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture). Customers span universities (Kansai, Mukogawa, Kyoritsu, Takushoku, Sagami, Kobe Women's, Musashino, Kansai Gaidai, Osaka Univ. of Economics), corporate enterprises (RSM Shiodome Partners, SOMPO Himawari Life), financial institutions (Resona Bank, Minato Bank, IKEDA SHINSEN Bank), and government/prefectural bodies. The company is founder-controlled by Representative Director Hiroo Oishi (大石博雄), with no disclosed external funding and 11-50 employees.

Name

Work Academy

Legal name

株式会社ワークアカデミー

Website

https://workacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Work Academy is a privately held Japanese education and human capital services firm founded in 1982, operating across Kansai, Kanto, and Tokai. It delivers university support, corporate training, publishing, and the noa+ reskilling and noa+ connect Web3.0 learn-to-earn platforms to universities, enterprises, and government programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education and Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Work-Study & Student Employment Program Administration (EDADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online/Hybrid ASE Programs & Virtual Classrooms (EDAAABAG)

Keywords

• Career education services
• Corporate training programs
• Educational textbook publishing
• Reskilling career support
• University support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. University Support Services: Lecturer dispatch, class operation, extracurricular program outsourcing, and qualification support centers operated at partner universities. Covers the full range of university operational needs.
2. Training / Recruitment Support: Customized corporate training programs and recruitment support services, matching talent development with hiring needs for enterprise clients.
3. Educational Publishing (noa出版): Publishing and sales of educational textbooks for information/computer literacy, data science, AI, and career development. Includes both physical books and e-books with digital content.
4. School Operations (noa / noa+): Operation of IT/business schools (noa) and the reskilling/career platform noa+. Services include qualification courses, career counseling, and job matching.
5. Meeting Room Rental: Rental of meeting/conference spaces at locations in Umeda, Tennnoji, and Shin-Osaka with excellent accessibility.
6. noa+ Reskilling / Career Platform: Reskilling and career support platform providing subsidized learning programs (up to 70% tuition support via METI program), career counseling, and job placement services.
7. Social Contribution Business: Activities under the concept of 'meeting x learning = growth' to vitalize society sustainably, including event organizing and community engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Work Academy is a Japanese education and human resources company founded in 1982 that delivers university support services, educational textbook publishing, corporate training, IT/business school operations, and a Web3.0-based reskilling and career platform (noa+). Its offerings span instructor dispatch and curriculum outsourcing for universities, customized enterprise training, government-subsidized reskilling programs, and an NFT-backed learn-to-earn platform that converts learning experiences into economic assets.

Product overview

Work Academy operates a comprehensive education and human resources platform consisting of multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include: noa+ (ノアプラス), a career reskilling and job support platform; noa+ connect, an innovative 'learn to earn' platform that converts learning experiences to economic assets via blockchain/NFT technology; and 資格とキャリアのスクールnoa, an IT and business school offering professional skills training. Supporting these core platforms are: noa出版, an educational publishing division producing university-level textbooks; various university recurrent education partnerships (MUKOnoa+, Kan-Daiリカレント＋, 共立リカレント教育プログラム, TAKUDAIリカレント); and programs like P-1グランプリ and SDGs探究AWARDS for experiential learning. The company also provides B2B services including corporate training, university support services, and meeting room facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• noa+ (ノアプラス): A comprehensive reskilling and career support platform for youth and working adults, providing career counseling, skills training, job matching, and learn-to-earn functionality. Operated under the Work Academy Group with subsidiaries and partner institutions. Selected as a subsidy recipient for METI's 'Reskilling for Career Advancement Support Project'.
• noa+ connect
• noa出版 (noa Publishing)
• 資格とキャリアのスクールnoa
• UMEDAI
• P-1グランプリ

Products and services

• noa+ (ノアプラス) Career reskilling and job support platform that provides career consultation, reskilling programs, and job hunting assistance for students and working adults, offering both individual and corporate services.
• noa+ connect Innovative membership platform implementing 'learn to earn' concept where learning experiences are converted to economic assets via Web3.0 ANICANA NFT integration; users earn points for learning and events, convert them to NFT Arcana, and sell them on the marketplace for yen value.
• Qualifications and Career School noa (資格とキャリアのスクールnoa) IT and business school offering courses in Office software, web design, programming, IT literacy, and business skills, with both classroom and online instruction and career advisor support; operated for over 30 years in the Kansai region.
• ハムPass+ (Civil Service Exam e-Learning) Subscription-based e-learning course for civil service exam preparation, developed in partnership with UMEDAI.
• CADキャリ (CAD Career Program) Career change support program providing full training and employment placement for individuals seeking to become CAD operators from zero prior experience.
• 基礎からはじめるデータサイエンス (Data Science from First Steps) Textbook Textbook published by noa Publishing covering data science fundamentals, designed for university and various educational institutions teaching information literacy.
• 問題解決のための AI活用力 (AI Utilization Skills for Problem Solving) e-Book AI-powered e-book textbook with digital content teaching AI tools for analysis and consideration through case studies, targeting university students and working professionals.
• noa Publishing (noa出版) Educational publishing division producing textbooks for information education, data science, AI utilization, and Office skills, with content used across Japanese universities.
• Work Academy University Support Services (ワークアカデミー 大学支援サービス) University support services including instructor dispatch, class operations, full outsourcing of extracurricular programs, and operational solutions for university management.
• Work Academy Corporate Training and Recruitment Support (ワークアカデミー 企業研修・採用支援) Customized corporate training tailored to enterprise needs, combined with recruitment support leveraging the company's own school network for human resources solutions.
• Work Academy Meeting Room Rental (ワークアカデミー 貸会議室) Meeting room rental service with convenient access from Umeda, Tennōji, and Shin-Osaka locations, providing conference facilities for businesses and organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9,000 cumulative entries in SDGs Exploration Awards across 7 editions since 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Kintetsu HR Partners (近鉄HRパートナーズ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Business partnership renewal with over 10 years of collaborative history at Harukas University. Focus on creating platforms for next-generation youth to thrive in the Kansai region through career support and AI/DX education initiatives.
• UEF University (Vietnamese University of Economics)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Third university in the Vietnam partnership network following UEH and HUTECH. Three-party MOU to build a human resources platform connecting Japan and Vietnam.
• Takushoku University (拓殖大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Partner for TAKUDAI Recurrent program launched February 2026, providing social human resources education with Work Academy's 40-year educational expertise for accompaniment support.
• HUTECH University (ホーチミン市技術大学)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Three-party MOU with GOEN and Work Academy combining 40 years of Japanese educational expertise with Vietnamese university resources for global leader development between Japan and Vietnam.
• UEH University (Universidad de Economia y Negocios)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Three-party MOA with GOEN and Work Academy establishing a strategic framework for global human resources development. First of three partnerships with prestigious Vietnamese universities.
• RSM Shiodome Partners (RSM汐留パートナーズ)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2025Joint development of a 3-month accounting personnel training program using the world's 6th-largest international accounting network. Aims to address the shortage of accounting and finance talent.
• Japan Federation of Medical Devices Industry / JMDA (日本医療機器産業連合会)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2025Partnership to promote cross-industry career transition support, providing career paths into the medical device industry as part of METI reskilling initiatives. Work Academy receives program provision from the federation.
• Sagami Women's University / Sagami Women's Junior College (相模女子大学・相模女子短期大学部)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Partner enterprise for Sagami Women's University Career e-Lounge career support service, providing career counseling and employment support services.
• Kobe Women's University / Kobe Women's Junior College (神戸女子大学・神戸女子短期大学)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Partner enterprise for '神女SSCE — Sustained Career Support through Continuous Education' recurrent education program supporting graduate career development.
• Minato Bank (みなと銀行)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Three-party partnership partner with Mukogawa Women's University for recurrent education career support services.
• IKEDA SHINSEN Bank (池田泉州銀行)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2024Three-party partnership partner with Mukogawa Women's University for recurrent education career support services.
• Kansai Gaidai / Kansai University of Foreign Studies (関西外国语大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2024Partner for '関西外大REP' career support program, extending career support from enrolled students to alumni through the Work Academy partnership. Kansai Gaidai Career Center Umeda Office is also housed within Work Academy's premises.
• SOMPO Himawari Life Insurance (SOMPOひまわり 생명)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2024Work Academy provides planning and operational support for SOMPO Himawari Life's internship program, contributing expertise in educational program design.
• Resona Bank (りそな銀行)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 April 2024Strategic partner for noa+ connect platform providing quality job listings. Also a three-party partnership partner with Mukogawa Women's University for career support. Contributes to the 'learn to earn' ecosystem through employment connections.
• ANICANA (、一般社团法人日本アニカナ業協会)coreTechnology or Integration · 10 April 2024Web3.0 technology platform enabling the 'learn to earn' model. ANICANA converts learning experiences and achievements into NFT 'Arcana' that can be traded on a marketplace for real economic value. Over 80,000 NFTs with established market value.
• ANICANA Japan Association (日本アニカナ業協会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2024Organization providing governance for the Web3.0 ANICANA platform, working with METI, MEXT, MHLW, and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to create compliant frameworks for educational assetization.
• GOEN (ゴエン)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2024Vietnam-based partner for Japan-Vietnam global human resources development. Three-party MOU with Vietnamese universities (UEH, HUTECH, UEF) combining Work Academy's 40 years of educational expertise with Vietnam's energy.
• Kyoritsu Women's University / Kyoritsu Women's Junior College (共立女子大学・共立女子短期大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2024Partner enterprise for the Kyoritsu Recurrent Education Program launching April 2024, providing career consultation, reskilling support, and job change assistance.
• Kansai University (関西大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2024Joint development of Kan-Dai Recurrent+ recurrent education program starting May 2025, providing learning opportunities and career formation support for all business persons. Work Academy serves as co-creation partner bringing private-sector perspective.
• Kintetsu Real Estate (近鉄不动产)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Partnership for Harukas University satellite campus operations and the 'soranosu' facility production at Abeno Harukas 17F. Also cooperates on the guesthouse internship program at Tennoji Park.
• soranosu (ソラノス)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023New facility on Abeno Harukas 17F, produced by Work Academy as a space design initiative. Serves as an event and learning space in Japan's tallest building.
• Mukogawa Women's University (武庫川女子大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2023Partner enterprise for MUKOnoa+ recurrent education and career support service launched April 2023. Includes DX human resources training program with 5 types of open badges. Three-party partnerships with Resona Bank and Minato Bank for career support.
• Awaji City / Awaji Island Zero-One Consortium (淡路岛ゼロイチコンソーシアム)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2022Consortium participation to promote proactive student learning, including regional revitalization projects and field learning programs on Awaji Island.
• Osaka Prefecture (大阪府)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2021Long-standing government partner for DX human resources development. Collaborates on OSAKA Youth Reskilling Partners program and Reskilling Support Power-Up Project (June 2026).
• UMEDAI / Association for Future Education Promotion (的一般社团法人 未来教育推進機構)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2017UMEDAI is organized by Work Academy and focuses on future education innovation. It hosts the SDGs Exploration Awards (operated by Work Academy) and UMEDAI Internship programs. UMEDAI Garden is a collaborative learning space project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• schoo: Live online learning platform for adults in Japan, offering video courses across business, technology, and personal development topics. Directly comparable to Work Academy's noa+ reskilling platform and adult online learning offerings, with similar subscription and corporate training models.
• GLOBIS (グロービス): Leading Japanese business education provider offering MBA programs, executive education, and corporate training. Comparable to Work Academy's corporate training and business education services, with similar enterprise B2B sales motion.
• 資格の大原 (O-hara): Major Japanese vocational and qualification exam preparation school offering IT, business, accounting, and certification courses across multiple campuses. Directly comparable to Work Academy's noa school and qualification support services, including civil service exam prep overlap.
• Street Academy (ストリートアカデミー): Japan's largest skill-sharing marketplace connecting adult learners with instructors across hundreds of topics. Comparable to Work Academy's noa school operations and skill-based training offerings, sharing the direct-to-consumer adult learner model.

Emerging players

• TechAcademy: Online programming and tech education platform offering courses in web development, AI, and data science with career change support. Comparable to Work Academy's IT/business school (noa) and reskilling programs targeting working adults.
• DMM WEBCAMP: Tech-focused online learning platform offering programming and web development courses with career support. Comparable to Work Academy's noa+ reskilling platform and IT skill development offerings.
• SAMURAI (侍エンジニア): Programming bootcamp and online education platform focused on tech career training and job change support in Japan. Comparable to Work Academy's reskilling platform and career support services, with overlapping DX upskilling use cases.

Others

• Udemy: Global online learning marketplace with an extensive catalog of video courses spanning business, technology, and creative skills. Comparable to Work Academy's noa+ online learning platform and corporate training offerings, though operating globally and via a marketplace model rather than direct sales.

Broad incumbents

• Recruit Holdings: Major Japanese HR and education conglomerate operating across multiple segments including recruitment, staffing, and education services. Comparable to Work Academy's recruitment support and corporate training services as a broad incumbent with overlapping buyer relationships.
• Benesse Holdings: Major Japanese education company offering correspondence courses, learning materials, and educational services at national scale. Comparable to Work Academy's educational publishing (noa publishing) and learning services as a broader portfolio incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Work Academy