he summary of the final draft report prepared by a Japanese government expert panel this autumn has been released. The draft report is examining the current state of the foreign skills internship program. At its core is the abolition of the skills internship program and the establishment of a new system that extends the residency period to three years. This new system will allow employees who have worked for over a year and have a certain level of proficiency in Japanese to apply for transfers to other companies.
Several Japanese government officials have disclosed this, and the draft is expected to be submitted to an expert meeting shortly. The Japanese government plans to submit relevant bills to create the new system in next year's parliamentary session.
"Skill Development" has been proposed as a possible name for the new system. Given the labor shortage in Japan, the aim of this new system is to secure foreign human resources and train them to attain a certain level of professional knowledge and skills. To transition to the "Specific Skills" that require a certain level of proficiency, non-mandatory skills and Japanese language tests will be necessary. If foreigners fail the exams, their residency period can be extended by one year to reattempt the tests.
The current "Skills Internship Trainee" program essentially prevents employees from changing their companies within the first three years, which has been criticized as a "violation of human rights." After the implementation of the new system, foreigners can change jobs once they have been in their current position for one year and are considered to have a basic proficiency in Japanese and essential job skills and knowledge.
The situation where foreign workers, under the skills internship program, arrive in Japan after paying high fees to dispatch agencies in their home countries has become a significant problem. The Japanese government intends to establish a system where companies are required to cover certain costs, which is undoubtedly a positive development for foreign workers coming to Japan.
