On September 5, 2024, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor of the Republic of Indonesia, held the Indonesia-Japan Human Resources Forum at the JICA Ichigaya International Conference Hall, which was attended by approximately 340 people both on-site and online. At the first forum, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Indonesian Ministry of Labor and JICA to cooperate on issues such as (1) dissemination of information on working in Japan, (2) establishment of a platform for exchange of opinions between Japanese and Indonesian public and private sectors, (3) Japanese language education, (4) skills training, etc. This forum was the second in the series, In this second forum, the two countries reported on the progress of their respective efforts in relation to the issues listed in the MOU, and shared issues related to the sending and receiving of human resources through exchanges of opinions between the parties concerned.
At the opening of the forum, JICA President Tanaka, Minister of Labor Ida, and Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Heli expressed their expectations for the forum to provide an opportunity to share information and exchange opinions that will contribute to the promotion of future Indonesian exports to Japan.
In the keynote speech, Mr. Maruyama, Director General of the Immigration and Residency Management Agency, gave an overview of the training and employment system and explained the addition of new areas of expertise to the specified skills system as the latest information regarding the efforts of both countries. In addition, Mr. Anwar, Undersecretary of the Indonesian Ministry of Labor, shared information on the current labor situation in Indonesia and protection measures for Indonesian overseas workers.
At the next session, the Indonesian Ministry of Labor explained the results of the survey of sending organizations and the response to returning human resources, and JICA gave a progress report focusing on support for Japanese language education through the dispatch of JOCV and support for skills training through a new technical cooperation project (in the nursing care and fishery fields) to be implemented. JICA reported on the progress of its technical cooperation projects (in the fields of nursing care and fishery).
In the panel discussion “Practical Issues in Receiving and Sending Workers,” panelists from the Indonesian Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the Immigration and Residence Management Agency, and the Japan Foundation were invited to share their latest activities. After the panelists shared their latest activities, opinions were exchanged on the limitations of the number of times/places where the evaluation tests are conducted, difficulties in accessing the latest information with the introduction of the training and employment system, and challenges in matching job offers from Japan and job seekers from Indonesia, which many stakeholders are facing in practice. During the discussion, opinions were exchanged on the possibility of collaboration between Hello Work in Indonesia and Japan, and on raising awareness and promoting utilization of the Employment Market Center of the Indonesian Ministry of Labor, which is equipped with a matching function.
In the panel discussion on “Labor Protection and Human Rights Promotion,” panelists from the Immigration and Immigration Control Agency, Global HR Strategy, and the Indonesian Employment and Social Insurance Agency introduced their latest activities and initiatives. The panelists then discussed the latest achievements and initiatives of the Immigration and Residency Management Agency, Global HR Strategy, and the Indonesian Employment and Social Insurance Agency, and introduced the latest activities and initiatives of the agency. In relation to these issues, the Fair and Ethical Recruitment Initiatives (FERI) were introduced.
In the afternoon session, five breakout sessions were held on tourism (lodging), automobile maintenance, nursing care, cooperation with local governments, four new areas of specific skills, and others, with participants from both countries actively discussing trends in activities in Indonesia in each area and issues faced by stakeholders.
Finally, Mr. Anwar, Undersecretary General of the Ministry of Labor of Indonesia, and Mr. Kenichi Shishido, Special Assistant to the President of JICA, presented the Chairman’s Summary and confirmed that they will continue to promote efforts to contribute to the economic development of both countries by promoting the outflow of human resources from Indonesia to Japan, to solve problems of migrant workers, and to accept appropriate workers in Japan. The two chairs also confirmed that they will continue to promote efforts to solve the problems of migrant workers and to accept appropriate workers in Japan.
Indonesia is currently the world’s fourth most populous country, and is expected to experience a demographic dividend by 2045, when 69% of the population will be of working age. This is expected to expand domestic demand and stimulate economic activity, but at the same time, unemployment and irregular employment are expected to increase, and the Indonesian government is promoting overseas employment. For the sending countries of migrant workers, having their citizens bring back the money and skills they gained abroad to their home countries will contribute to the economic development of their own countries, and from the perspective of “development,” more emphasis is being placed on promoting the sending of workers overseas. Meanwhile, JICA’s Sadako Ogata Institute for Peace and Development Studies estimates that Japan will have a shortage of 770,000 foreign workers by 2030 against a demand of approximately 4.19 million, due to the country’s low birthrate and aging population, and it is necessary to encourage more foreign workers to choose Japan as a place to work and live. As we enter an era in which the economy cannot survive without the active participation of foreign workers, we need to make further efforts to protect the rights of workers, accept them responsibly, and realize multicultural conviviality.
Many of the workers coming to Japan are from Southeast Asia and other countries with which JICA has long cooperated in development, and JICA will use the relationships of trust with these countries, know-how on human resource development, and experience in human security initiatives that it has cultivated through its past assistance to developing countries to contribute to their economic development by promoting the outward movement of workers and to resolve issues related to migrant workers. JICA will continue to contribute to the economic development of developing countries by promoting the outward movement of workers, solve problems of migrant workers, and promote efforts to appropriately accept workers in Japan.
(L-R) Shuji Maruyama, Director General of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Akihiko Tanaka, President of JICA, Ida Fawzia, Minister of Labor, Heli Ahmadi, Ambassador of Japan, Anwar Sanusi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor, Nunavut.
Commemorative photo with audience participants (center: JICA President Akihiko Tanaka and Minister of Labor Ida Fawzia)
Panel Discussion
© Source JICA
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