Japanese delegation meets CA Yunus on recruitment of 100,000 skilled workers
NBCC representatives say Japan will require more than 400,000 skilled nurses over the next few years and that they will consider recruiting more from Bangladesh.
A delegation from Japan's National Business Support Combined Cooperatives (NBCC) met with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday (26 October) to update him on the progress of recruiting 100,000 skilled workers from Bangladesh.
A 23-member delegation met with the chief adviser at the state guest house Jamuna, his official residence. Also present were Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Asif Nazrul.
The NBCC is a Japanese business federation of over 65 companies that recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh to facilitate the recruitment of skilled Bangladeshi workers.
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The agreement aims to establish a framework for training, certification and employment in Japan, under programs such as the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) and Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program, with a target of recruiting over 100,000 workers over the next five years.
Delegation members said that under the signed MoU, the first phase would see the recruitment of 2,000 skilled workers next year.
Subsequently, 6,000 workers would be recruited in 2027 and 18,000 in 2028, they added.
The highest demand for workers is expected in the construction, service, aviation, garment and agriculture sectors, with future growth in demand for drivers, automotive and recycling workers.
Training of potential workers is underway at two centres in Kapasia, Gazipur, and Khulna. The NBCC delegation members have already visited these centres.
During the meeting, Yunus inquired whether there were any gaps in the workers' training.
Mikio Kesagayama, chairman of the NBCC, said he visited the training centres in March, expressing his amazement at the progress in seven months.
The Japanese side was satisfied with the training and was hopeful to recruit 2,000 skilled workers next year, he added.
He suggested improving the language skills of the trainers.
Language proficiency was a major challenge, the chief adviser said.
To address this, virtual classes could be conducted, with instructors from Japan teaching online, he said, adding that it could also be considered whether trainers from Japan could be brought here for in-person training.
Yunus also highlighted the skill and hard work of Bangladeshi women, noting, they were remarkable in the caregiving sector.
With language skills and additional training, Bangladeshi women could play a unique role in Japan's caregiving industry, he noted.
Meanwhile, NBCC representatives mentioned that over the next few years, Japan would require more than 400,000 skilled nurses and that they would consider recruiting more from Bangladesh.
During the meeting, Asif Nazrul said the government was regularly reviewing progress on worker recruitment in Japan and would develop a clear roadmap for the process.
He added that his ministry had set up a dedicated cell to address issues related to recruitment in Japan.
