Latest news with #EmploymentforSkillDevelopment
The Mainichi
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan eyes 17 eligible sectors under new foreign labor training plan
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's government on Tuesday proposed 17 industries for inclusion in a new program to replace the foreign trainee scheme, such as agriculture, food services and construction, which are struggling with labor shortages amid a graying population. The government also recommended adding three more sectors to the separate Specified Skilled Worker visa framework as many shift from the technical trainee system, often criticized for labor rights violations including long hours and low wages. After discussions at an expert panel on the draft, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet is expected to approve a plan by December on which industries will be covered in both schemes and how many foreign workers will be accepted at most. The new "Employment for Skill Development" program is scheduled to launch in 2027, aiming to grapple with a shrinking workforce as the productive-age population has been sharply decreasing against a backdrop of a declining birthrate. The new system will encourage workers to transition to the more permanent Specified Skilled Worker visa after three years, in principle -- a landmark change in Japan's official stance on bringing in foreign employees. Holders of the Specified Skilled Worker visa, created in 2019, have been allowed to work in 16 sectors so far. The draft proposes increasing the number of eligible industries to 19, with warehouse management, waste disposal and linen supply to be newly added. The Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 visa enables holders to spend five years in Japan, while the No. 2 visa offers unlimited renewals, opening the path to permanent residency and permitting workers to bring their spouses and children to the country.
Asahi Shimbun
16-05-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
New foreign worker program to limit transfers to urban centers
A government expert panel meets on Feb. 6 in Tokyo to discuss the upcoming migrant worker program. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) The government has outlined measures to prevent an excessive concentration of foreign workers in major urban areas under a new system that will replace the much-criticized technical trainee program. The Employment for Skill Development (ESD) program, which will start in April 2027, will allow foreign workers to stay in Japan for three years. Unlike the 30-year-old Technical Intern Training program, the ESD system will allow workers to change jobs within the same industry after one to two years, offering greater flexibility and an improved work environment. However, concerns have risen that the workers will flock to urban areas with higher wage levels, leaving rural regions understaffed. The government's draft regulations will introduce transfer limits for eight of the nation's most populous prefectures: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Aichi, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo. Under the regulations, such job changers can make up no more than one-sixth of the foreign workforces at businesses in these prefectures, unless they are located in depopulated communities. Businesses in other prefectures will be allowed to employ up to three times the standard number of foreign workers if the employers and their supervisors display a high standard in supporting the workers and their Japanese language training. Additionally, employers and supervisors will be required to provide at least 100 hours of comprehensive Japanese language education, with mandatory financial support for such training. Despite its stated goal of supporting developing nations, the foreign trainee program has been criticized as merely a means of securing cheap, unskilled labor in Japan. Numerous reports have highlighted poor working conditions, abusive employers and desperate workers disappearing from their workplaces. EXISTING PROGRAM EXPANDED Separately, the government is moving to expand its Specified Skilled Worker program, a visa category for more advanced laborers. A new proposal aims to include three additional fields: logistics warehouse management, waste disposal and linen supply services. The SSW program currently covers 16 sectors, including agriculture, fisheries and restaurants. It has two sub-categories: Type 1 and the more advanced Type 2. The new sectors will initially fall under the Type 1 category. SSW Type 1 allows workers to stay in Japan for up to five years, while Type 2 permits indefinite residency and family accompaniment. The government plans to integrate the ESD program with the existing SSW program, creating a streamlined pathway from a three-year training role to longer-term residency. To ensure a smoother transition from ESD to SSW, the two categories will share 17 sectors, excluding driving and aviation. Although workers can skip the ESD program and apply directly for SSW, this requires higher labor skills and greater language proficiency. Public comments on the new regulations will be accepted until May 27, with formal adoption expected later this summer.
