Currently, Japan is facing the problem of a decreasing workforce of productive age. According to the independent Japanese think tank, Recruit Works Institute, Japan is predicted to experience a shortage of more than 11 million workers by 2040. The working age population is expected to fall drastically by 20 percent to 59.8 million in 2040, and the supply of workers will shrink by around 12 percent in 2040.
The Japanese government is trying to stop the decline in the birth rate in Japan and is allocating around ¥1 trillion (Rp. 104 trillion) for worker training in the next five years as a solution. This problem also opens up opportunities for foreign workers to enter and work in Japan, thus attracting the younger generation of Indonesia who are interested in working in Japan and taking part in various training at Job Training Institutes (LPK) which are available in various regions.
However, there are still several obstacles encountered by Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in Japan, including discrepancies in work contracts, widespread violence that occurs due to lack of mastery of the Japanese language, working conditions that do not meet expectations, and irresponsible labor suppliers which leads to the possibility of workers becoming illegal workers. The existence of illegal workers is considered to be due to a lack of awareness regarding their rights and obligations as PMI.
In order to increase awareness of prospective PMIs regarding their rights and obligations to prevent illegal workers, the Labor Research Cluster, Population Mobility and Community Empowerment, School of Strategic and Global Studies (SKSG) Universitas Indonesia (UI) together with the Japanese Regional Studies Student Association (HIMA KWJ) SKSG UI held outreach to three Job Training Institutions. Chaired by Dr. Kurniawaty Iskandar, S.Sos., M.A., the socialization activity which is part of KWJ UI’s annual community service activities was held in the KWJ Hall, UI Japanese Study Center, Depok on Saturday, September 2nd 2023.
Dr. Kurniawaty Iskandar, S.Sos., M.A. in her welcoming speech said, “The KWJ UI students carry out socialization regarding awareness of the rights and obligations of PMIs to Japan every year in order to provide an opportunity for KWJ UI postgraduate program students to gain experience interacting with prospective PMIs, while providing important information to the PMI candidates themselves regarding matters related to their preparations before entering the world of work in Japan.”
The participants were equipped with various useful knowledge before starting to work in Japan. The resource persons invited to provide material were Sari Anggaini, S.S., M.Si., immigration staff in Indonesia who is also a KWJ UI alumnus, who discussed the rules for entering Japan, applying for visas and residence permits in Japan. The second presentation was delivered by one of the third semester KWJ students, Sabrina Nur Raudha, S.S., who discussed the transportation system and daily life in Japan that prospective workers need to know. Meanwhile, Muhammad Reza Rustam, Ph.D., a PMI researcher and KWJ UI alumnus, discussed cases that occurred at PMI in Japan. Each socialization ended with a quiz to ensure that the participants understand the material presented.
This socialization activity was attended by 36 participants from three LPKs located around the Depok area, namely LPK Seiko Gema Nusantara, LPK Canggih Brastel Indonesia, and LPK Koba Mirai Japan who sent workers for the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) and Technical Internship programs. Training Program (TITP). This program is an immigration policy created by the Japanese government in the form of visa status or residency status for foreign workers in Japan.
The LPK representatives participated in this socialization enthusiastically because they gained an understanding of how to easily adapt to the surrounding environment and also wanted this socialization to continue with the addition of several material explanations that were considered important such as more detailed legal regulations for workers, model work contracts, rules for bringing family, and etc.
HIMA KWJ, chaired by Amar Saktiawan, is a combination of third and second semester KWJ students. Amar was accompanied by Jeremy Ivander as Deputy Chair, Febia Rani as Secretary and Frichicilia as Treasurer. In 2021 and 2022, the same KWJ UI Community Service activities will also be carried out at several LPKs in Indramayu and LPKs in Banyuwangi.
