Japan does not have enough registered Japanese language teachers for foreign workers ahead of a new admissions system that begins next April, a government survey reported by The Japan Times has found.
Under the Employment for Skill Development programme, which replaces the Technical Intern Training scheme, foreign workers must reach at least the A1 level in Japanese or complete 100 hours of classes before starting work.
Of 348 support organisations and employers that responded to the survey by the Immigration Services Agency and the labour ministry, 35.9% said they lacked enough teachers and had no prospect of finding them, while only 14.7% said they had enough. The respondents plan to take on more than 17,000 foreign workers in the scheme's first year. About 20,000 teachers were registered as of August, and officials said they would work to raise awareness and recruit more.
Source: The Japan Times
