Reporter: The Vietnam Labor Management Board in Japan considers Kanto one of the largest organizations receiving foreign technical intern trainees (TITPs) in Japan. Could you please tell us a little about your organization?
Mr. Takeshi Fukuda:
Our organization was established in 1990 and currently has 180 member companies. During the first ten years, we accepted Chinese trainees and helped approximately 2,000 Chinese workers come to Japan. However, due to various issues that arose, we shifted our focus to Vietnam in 2000.
To date, through cooperation with sending organizations, we have brought approximately 2,500 Vietnamese trainees to Japan, of whom around 800 are currently undergoing training under contract. In the near future, we expect to accept about 250 Vietnamese trainees each year.
How do you evaluate Vietnamese workers?
I feel that the people of Vietnam and Japan are very close to one another and share many cultural similarities. Personally, I have always had very positive feelings toward Vietnamese trainees.
The diligence, hard work, eagerness to learn, and ability to adapt quickly to work have made Vietnamese workers increasingly preferred by Japanese employers.
Since July 1, 2010, Japan has introduced changes to its Technical Intern Training Program. How have these changes affected Vietnamese workers?
The biggest change is that the training period was reduced from one year to only one or two months within a three-year contract.
This means foreign workers are recognized as employees after only one or two months of arrival in Japan. They are entitled to sign labor contracts, work overtime, receive regular wages, and enjoy other employment benefits.
As a result, their income during the first year has increased significantly compared with the previous system, under which they only received trainee allowances.
In my opinion, after one year of implementing the new law (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act) together with reforms to the trainee program, conditions have improved greatly for foreign workers. Japanese employers have also become more compliant in providing proper rights and benefits to foreign workers.
Have there been any difficulties in receiving Vietnamese workers, especially after the earthquake and tsunami disaster of March 11?
The Vietnamese people, including your trainees working in Japan, showed great sympathy and support for our people after the disaster.
The goodwill shown by Vietnam has further strengthened the friendship and cooperation between our two countries, including labor cooperation.
When something is destroyed or lost, it must be rebuilt. The demand for foreign workers among Japanese companies has remained stable.
What is especially encouraging is that after this event, we gained an even deeper appreciation for Vietnamese workers. They were willing to stand with us and overcome difficulties together.
That is also one of the reasons why many Japanese supervisory organizations and employers prefer Vietnamese workers and are increasingly focusing their recruitment efforts on Vietnam.
What advice would you give to Vietnamese workers who wish to work in Japan?
Our objective is to receive workers from developing countries, transfer Japanese technology and skills, and support international human resource development.
We hope that after completing their three-year contracts, Vietnamese workers will return home and apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired to contribute to the development of Vietnam’s economy and enterprises.
To achieve this goal, workers themselves must make continuous efforts and strive for self-improvement.
Language is the key to success. Vietnamese workers who wish to work in Japan should spend time studying Japanese before departure and continue learning after arriving in Japan.
Once workers can communicate effectively in Japanese, both their work and daily life become much easier.
After returning to Vietnam, they will also have greater opportunities to find good jobs, especially with Japanese companies investing in Vietnam.
We place great importance on this issue and actively support Vietnamese workers in improving their language and professional skills.
Source: Người Lao Động Newspaper (nld.com.vn)