Recruitment targets people between the ages of 40 and 69 who have a strong desire to participate in cooperative activities in developing countries utilizing their solid experiences, including specialized knowledge and technologies, cultivated over long years.
Areas of cooperation span nine different sectors, including agriculture, forestry and fisheries, energy, health and medical care, and human resources (education, culture, sports, etc.). This program started in fiscal 1990 as the Senior Cooperation Specialist Program and its name was changed to Senior Volunteers in 1996. In fiscal 2009, the number of people sent overseas grew to 445 people, and a total of 4,462 people have been dispatched to 64 countries.
The average age of Senior Volunteers is 58. In recent years, there has been an increase in applicants from retirees seeking to spend their "second life" in a meaningful way.