“Japan’s Technical Intern Training Program Reforms: Expert Panel Outlines Plans to Replace Foreign Intern Program”

The Japanese Government is set to replace its Technical Intern Training Program with a more realistic scheme, according to an expert panel’s report. Launched in 1993, the program purportedly delivers on-the-job training to foreign workers, enabling them to take essential skills and technologies back to their home nations. In practice, however, it acts as an instrument for easing Japan’s labor shortage. The recommendations now under discussion include allowing workers to switch jobs, and decisions about how frequently this should be allowed.