The move comes as Japan faces an urgent need for additional labor amid demographic challenges.
The move comes as Japan faces an urgent need for additional labor amid demographic challenges.
The Japanese government has announced the discontinuation of its criticized foreign trainee program, replacing it with a revamped system aimed at imparting skills and safeguarding workers’ rights.
The move comes as Japan faces an urgent need for additional labor amid demographic challenges, the ABC News reported.
Under the newly approved program, individuals entering Japan on a three-year trainee visa will now have the opportunity to transition to a skilled worker category, extending their stay for up to five years and potentially paving the way for permanent residency.
The move also underscores Japan’s recognition of the importance of attracting and retaining foreign talent to support key industries such as services, manufacturing, and construction.
The existing Technical Intern Training Program, established in 1993 to facilitate skills transfer to developing nations, has faced widespread criticism for allegedly exploiting foreign workers under exploitative conditions.
With nearly 360,000 trainees enrolled as of last June, predominantly from Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, reports of labor rights violations and maltreatment prompted calls for reform.
The proposed changes, subject to parliamentary approval, align with recommendations from a government panel following concerns over systemic abuses within the current framework.
The new program aims to address issues of workplace flexibility by allowing trainees to change jobs within the same category after one to two years, a departure from the previous stringent restrictions.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida noted the government’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and attractiveness to foreign workers, acknowledging Japan’s need to adapt to evolving global labor dynamics.
However, the conservative governing party remains cautious about significantly liberalizing immigration policies, opting to maintain restrictions on job availability for foreign trainees.
Expanding global presence
To enhance Japan’s global presence, Japan recently revealed an initiative to dispatch 500,000 students overseas by 2033, as reported by the Japan Times.
The strategic move involves bolstering scholarships and enhancing loan repayment assistance for Japanese students studying abroad, with the ultimate aim of attracting 400,000 foreign students annually by 2033 or twice the current range of 200,000 to 300,000.
The plan, set to be outlined in a roadmap this summer, underscores the transformative potential of international education experiences.
It sets targets to send 150,000 students abroad for degree programs, facilitate shorter study stints for 230,000 students enrolled in Japanese universities, and organize study tours for 110,000 high school students.
To support the initiative, the government will offer financial aid, grant-type scholarships, and online international exchange platforms for junior and high school students.
Additionally, Japanese universities will enjoy greater flexibility in adjusting tuition rates and managing enrollment capacities to attract a diverse pool of international students.
Furthermore, companies are encouraged to broaden their hiring schedules, while a certification scheme for high-quality vocational schools will extend benefits to foreign students, aligning their opportunities with those of university graduates to incentivize them to stay in Japan.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stressed the significance of fostering the growth and success of young individuals through overseas educational experiences as pivotal to societal transformation.
In 2021, Japan witnessed a 13.2 percent decline in international student enrollment, dropping from 279,597 to 242,444 students, according to statistics by Erudera.
The majority of these students were enrolled in social sciences programs or pursuing undergraduate studies at colleges of technology.
The Kanto region boasted the highest concentration of international students, with 122,383 students, while China emerged as the largest contributor with a total of 114,255 students.
A survey by the Japan Student Services Organization revealed that self-funding was the primary financial support source for most students, totaling 231,077.
