Japan’s population is shrinking and nobody wants manual or low paid employment – including aged care work. But they need an additional 700,000 care workers over the next 10 years alone.
They have just announced a solution – to offer foreign aged care workers a three year residency in Japan under its Technical Intern Training Program. They are seeking workers from Vietnam and China. Around 167,000 construction workers have already taken up the three-year residency program. Hairdressers are also being targeted.
Since 2008, Japan has tried attracting skilled carers with bilateral partnership agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam but they were required to be trained and have certification in the Japanese language. This has been a failure with only 203 care workers passing exams in seven years. The new program will be less demanding on qualifications, simply requiring some Japanese language proficiency.
Here in Australia we already support skilled nurses and similarly qualified health workers under 457 visas, but not unskilled carers. This may have to change. Looking forward, young people will be in higher demand for better paid jobs outside of care. And we are living longer too, expanding the years of care required.
Language will also be a factor, with 25 per cent of Australians not born here. As people develop dementia we often revert to the language of our youth, effectively losing communication. Greek speaking carers are already approved for special residency treatment with Fronditha Care in Melbourne receiving Government approval to bring 20 carers in.
Is it a good idea? And should these workers only be allowed to come for three years, like Japan? Or should they be able to become permanent residents? Your thoughts?
