"Panel submits final report on Japan's foreign trainee program," 30 November 2023

A panel of experts submitted its final report on the reassessment, scrapping and redesign of the controversial foreign technical intern program to Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi...

After roughly a year of meetings, the cumulative report contains recommendations on a newly designed policy...

According to the final report, the panel advocates for a system that would move away from the old program’s focus of transferring technical skills to developing countries, to securing and developing vital foreign human resources to address the labor shortage Japan currently faces amid a shrinking population.

Discussions and conversations have primarily revolved around establishing a new system aimed at securing and nurturing human resources, centered on three perspectives: "protection of foreign nationals' rights," "career advancement for foreign nationals," and "a safe, secure, and inclusive society”...

Within that vision, the panel’s recommendations include decreasing the financial burden of trainees who are often saddled with debt due to starting costs, improving and standardizing oversight, expanding the scope of job transfers, creating a clear framework for career development and pathways to higher-level visa status, and improving both foreign nationals’ integration into society and Japanese language proficiency...

While the implementation of the new system could be a watershed moment, some experts say the panel’s recommendations focus on the wrong things and, in turn, leave room for issues seen in the past...