The number of foreign workers accepted under the category of specified skilled workers, a new status of residence introduced last April through the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, remains sluggish. As of the end of January, only 3,108 foreigners had obtained the qualification, falling far short of the government's initial target of 47,000 people. This indicates that both employers and workers are reluctant to use this system, which is neither cost-effective nor user-friendly.
Few applicants
Fukuoka-based Takeno Corp., an operator of izakaya Japanese-style restaurants and bars that also sells prepared foods and manages farms, employs 110 foreigners. As it was difficult to find Japanese workers, the number of foreign workers has jumped from 10 in 2015.
The specified skills cover 14 industries with serious labor shortages, including agriculture and construction. To obtain the qualification, foreigners must pass a skills test organized by each industry and the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
The food service industry, which is excluded from the technical intern training system for foreign nationals, is covered by the specified skills category.
As Takeno's management thought that labor shortages due to the low birthrate would continue to get serious, and in line with the introduction of the system last April, the company considered hiring several foreigners with specified skills to be in charge of cooking and serving customers.
Although the company had solicited job applicants, it did not find anyone who wanted to work under the specified skills category.
"Perhaps the system started before preparations for exams and related matters were completed," President Toru Takeno said. "I look forward to employing [specified skilled workers] in the new fiscal year."
According to the Immigration Services Agency, as of the end of January, 3,108 foreign nationals had acquired the status of residence of specified skilled worker, but the actual number of such foreigners resident in Japan at the end of December was 1,621. The 3,108 specified skilled workers are equivalent to only 1.6% of the 188,872 technical intern trainees who came to Japan last year.
As of the end of December, 2,966 people had passed the skills tests that have been conducted in Japan and abroad since last April. Only 100 of these foreigners with specified skills live in Japan.
Big hurdles
One of the reasons is the rigid handling of specified skills. Restaurants in hotels and amusement parks are not considered part of the food service industry if they are operated by the same company, and therefore specified skilled workers cannot work at such facilities. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry oversees the food service industry and plans to review the system by the end of this fiscal year at the earliest.
For foreign workers, the specified skill system can be unattractive. The biggest hurdles are the maximum length of stay of five years and the fact that family members are not allowed to stay in Japan.
According to a recruiting agency in Tokyo, foreign students studying at Japanese language schools and vocational schools usually give priority to working with the status of residence known as "engineer/specialist in humanities/international services" in jobs such as an interpreter or engineer. This is because there are no restrictions on the period of stay and it is possible for families to accompany them. As of June last year, about 256,000 foreigners were living in Japan with this status.
A Vietnamese female student who came to the recruiting agency for advice also continues her job search under this qualification. Although she has already passed a specified skills examination for the accommodation industry, she considers it a fallback option in case she fails to find another job.
"Specified skills that don't have a future outlook are only a last resort for foreigners who want to work in Japan," a male representative of the agency said.
A senior official at the immigration agency said: "In the process of designing the system, consideration from the perspective of users was insufficient. We'd like to gradually change the system to one that is easier to use."
It is unclear whether the number of foreign workers with specified skills will steadily grow in the future.
Preparations lagging
By Yoichiro Tanaka / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
HANOI -- The use of the specified skills system has not progressed in many parts of Asia that send workers to Japan because of delays in the preparations in these country.
In January, the Vietnamese government, which sends the largest number of technical trainees to Japan, granted approval to about 60 organizations, including temporary staffing agencies.
However, details of the rules to send specified skilled workers have yet to be worked out. Skills and language tests required for obtaining a qualification have not been conducted.
According to a diplomatic source in Vietnam, the issue is how to set a ceiling on brokerage fees to be collected from prospective workers and Japanese companies that accept them. The Vietnamese government has been slow to make adjustments with the industry asking for higher prices. Discussions with the Japanese side are also taking some time. The owner of an agency in Hanoi that sends workers overseas said that some people became impatient and switched to the technical internship program.
In the Philippines, more than 600 people have passed skills tests in such industries as care worker and food service industry. However, most of them have not left the country. Japanese companies hiring such workers are required to undertake registration procedures with local authorities, but such registrations only started to be accepted in December.
A woman who passed a skills test to be a care worker and is planning to work in Hokkaido told The Yomiuri Shimbun worryingly that she is wondering when she can finally go to Japan.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
