Skilled workers from India can get contractual jobs in Japan in specified sectors under a 2021 pact

Noting the potential to boost the number of Specified Skilled Workers (SSW) from India to Japan, representatives from the two countries on Tuesday discussed ways to further further enhance the implementation of the SSW programme.

India and Japan had signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Specified Skilled Workers (SSW) in January 2021 in order to promote movement of skilled workers meeting skill and Japanese language requirement from India to Japan for employment on a contractual basis.

At the 3rd Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Specified Skill Workers (SSW) held in hybrid format in New Delhi,
both sides took stock of the existing cooperation between India and Japan under SSW. They concurred that there was considerable potential to boost the number of SSW workers from India to Japan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

They held discussions on ways to further enhance the implementation of SSW programme by identifying challenges in the existing system and exchanging views on way forward, the MEA pointed out.

Key issues discussed during the meeting included demand-supply matching including the use of digital technology and platforms, raising the number of test centers in India, expanding the sectors of implementation, raising of awareness about SSW programme in India, Japanese language promotion in India, and setting up of a framework for programme monitoring.

According to the MEA, the Japanese side announced that in addition to the existing cooperation under nursing/care-giving, SSW will be also expanded to cover Agriculture sector in India. The Indian side welcomed the announcement and called for expansion of SSW to other sectors also.

The Indian delegation at the JWG meeting was led by Joint Secretary (OIA-I), MEA Anurag Bhushan and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) K.K. Dwivedi. It also included representatives of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

The Japanese delegation was led by Assistant Vice Minister, Immigration Services Agency Nakagawa Tsutomu and had representatives from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), and Japan Tourism Agency. Officials from the respective Embassies also participated.