Introduction: The continuous outflow of young people from rural to metropolitan areas in Japan has accelerated population decline and labor shortages. Although national and local policies have attempted to promote local settlement, their effectiveness remains limited. Previous studies examined associations between mobility patterns, local orientation, and career awareness, but limited research has clarified whether these variables are shaped by similar or distinct mechanisms.
Purpose: This study explored how mobility patterns, including university location (inside/outside Fukui Prefecture) and subsequent trajectories, are associated with career awareness (career action and career vision) and local orientation (settlement orientation and emotional attachment) among Fukui students.
Method: A web-based survey was conducted in October 2024 with 575 students from Fukui Prefecture (215 men, 355 women, 5 unspecified; M age = 20.4, SD = 1.40). Of these, 160 were enrolled in universities within Fukui and 415 outside the prefecture. Measures included the Career Action Vision Test (CAVT: action, vision) and the Local Orientation Scale (settlement, attachment).
Results: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that students outside Fukui scored higher on career action (η² = .042) and career vision (η² = .081), whereas no differences appeared in settlement or attachment. Regarding mobility patterns, significant differences were found in career action (η² = .045) and vision (η² = .085), with students showing higher mobility scoring higher. For local orientation, settlement showed a large effect (η² = .441), strongly shaped by mobility patterns, while attachment showed only a small effect (η² = .026).
Conclusions: Findings suggest that career awareness and local orientation are regulated by different mechanisms. University location and mobility experiences foster career development, whereas settlement intention depends heavily on mobility, and attachment remains relatively stable. This two-layered structure provides useful insights for both career education and regional settlement policies.