Japan to recruit 10,000 BD workers soon

Japan is set to recruit 10,000 Bangladeshi workers soon for its construction, care-giving and nursing sectors, said officials.
A Japanese company delegation visited the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment (EWOE) on Monday to discuss recruitment of workers from Bangladesh.
They met EWOE secretary Khandakar Iftekhar Haidar and talked about the recruitment process.
"The delegation assured us of recruiting a significant number of Bangladeshi workers for their construction, care-giving and nursing sectors. The number of recruitment will not be less than 10,000," the secretary said.
During the discussion he told the Japanese delegation that after getting visa Bangladesh will complete all procedures relating to manpower export within one month.
Mr Haidar also said Bangladesh has a database of skilled workers. If necessary the employers will also train up the workers, as Japanese language is required for securing jobs there.  
"The number of and demand for Bangladeshi workers in the Asian country will gradually increase," he added.
Earlier, Japan recruited manpower mainly from China. But China is now discouraging manpower export due to increase in local demand for the same. Besides, Chinese workers are demanding higher wages.
Japan is searching alternative markets for manpower hiring. It is very much willing to recruit workers from Bangladesh.  
Japan needs about 75,000 foreign workers within the next five years, following graual rise in number of aged people, rehabilitation programme for tsunami-affected areas and hosting Olympic and Paralympic in 2020.
Bangladesh is working to tap a significant share of the employment opportunity there, sources said.
To this effect, the ministry concerned has taken a work-plan, which includes amending the existing guideline of sending technical interns to Japan.
Earlier, a high-powered Bangladesh delegation visited the country. During the visit they discussed with officials of Japan International Training Coopreation (JITCO), Overseas Construction Association of Japan International OCAJI, IM and Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan about manpower sending issues.
At present there are two mechanisms through which skilled people/ trainees can go to Japan. One is point-based preferential immigration treatment, which started in May 2012. However, the bar is too high to take advantage of the system.
The other is Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP), which started in 1993.
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