Ministerial Council on Acceptance and Inclusion of Foreign Human Resources

 
On June 9, 2023, Prime Minister Kishida attended the 16th meeting of the Ministerial Council on Acceptance and Inclusion of Foreign Human Resources at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, a discussion was held on the interim report from the expert panel on the state of Technical Intern Training Program and Specified Skilled Worker Program and other matters.

Following the discussion, Prime Minister Kishida said,
 
“It is important to promote proper and smooth acceptance of foreign human resources and develop acceptance environments for them in order to realize a cohesive society with foreign nationals.
 
In today’s meeting, we decided to expand the scope of fields for Specified Skilled Workers (ii) from two to eleven fields to address worsening labor shortages.
 
We also decided to revise Comprehensive Measures for the Acceptance and Coexistence of Foreign Nationals in an aim to forge ahead with such measures more vigorously and comprehensively.
 
In particular, with regard to the Technical Intern Training Program and Specified Skilled Worker Program, in light of acute labor shortages facing Japan, it is crucial to give due consideration to the human rights of foreign nationals, resolve issues raised regarding accepting organizations in Japan and sending organizations in home countries, among others, and gain international understanding, so that foreign nationals will choose Japan an attractive place to work.
 
To this end, we will develop the current Technical Intern Training Program into a new program to secure and foster human resources based on the actual situation, while implementing the Specified Skilled Worker Program more properly.
 
I ask each minister to advance discussions on the review of both programs, while continuing to strengthen collaboration among the relevant ministries and to promote further development of acceptance environments for foreign nationals, with the Ministry of Justice serving as a control tower.”