Vietnam, Japan step up labour, employment cooperation
Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan has proposed Japan’s Wakayama prefecture pay more attention to vocational training and welfare of Vietnamese guest workers living there.
At a working session in Hanoi on July 28 with Governor of Wakayama prefecture Kishimoto Shuhei, Hoan welcomed his guest's visit which takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.
Hoan said there were about 345,000 Vietnamese workers living and working in Japan as of late December 2022, including 200,000 skilled apprentices, 78,000 workers with specific skills, and 65,000 engineers, interpreters, and others.
In the first half of this year, Vietnam sent more than 72,000 guest workers abroad, including over 35,000 to Japan alone.
Hoan suggested the Governor and Japanese firms consider additional measures to increase the number of Vietnamese skilled apprentices and workers coming to Japan for employment.
Kishimoto, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) for working closely with Wakayama to launch activities over the past years.
The Japanese Government is striving to improve the working environment for foreign labourers, including those from Vietnam, he said, adding that during this visit, he had a chance to interact with Vietnamese students. Wakayama prefecture, in particular, and Japan as a whole, are aiming to welcome this high-quality workforce.
Later, Hoan witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in basic legal framework between the MoLISA’s Department of Overseas Labour Management and Wakayama prefecture regarding the reception of Vietnamese workers for employment in Japan.
Due to the shortage of workforce, Wakayama has advocated enhancing training and reception of Vietnamese apprentices and workers with specific skills, and engineers for internships and employment in Japan.
Wakayama is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, comprising 9 cities, with its capital being Wakayama city. It is strong in agriculture and fisheries, attracting a considerable number of foreign apprentices each year.
Last year, the total number of foreign workers in Wakayama was 3,390; 1,178 of them were Vietnamese workers, accounting for 34% of the total.