PHNOM PENH: The Japanese government will soon begin recruiting the first Cambodian trainees to care for elderly people in Japan.
Labour Ministry officials met with the International Trade Practitioners Association of Japan on Thursday to discuss the programme, which could see thousands of Cambodian workers going to Japan.
Shinya Chiba, chief director of the International Human Resource Business Cooperative, said he had asked the labour minister with the arrangements.
“We need thousands of Cambodian trainees each year for this job, but right now we cannot put an exact figure on it,” he said.
Mr Shinya said he planned to work with Japanese language centres to train workers in Japanese and other needed skills before they went thre to work, the Khmer Times reported.
“This is the first recruitment of Cambodian trainees to care for elderly people in Japan. Trainees from other countries already work in this sector,” Mr Shinya said.
“We decided we need more Cambodian trainees because Cambodian people and Japanese people have a similar way of living and Cambodian people are friendly and gentle, with smiling faces.”
Thousands of Cambodian workers are needed by Japan. (Supplied photo via Khmer Times)
A new centre in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district will open in April 2018 to train Cambodians for the jobs. Mr Shinya could not say when the first trainees woud arrive in Japan.
Candidates must be aged 18 to 45 years. Trainees will receive the same salary as Japanese carers, which is US$1,800 a month, for a period of three years.
They will look after people who are aged 70 years and above.
Labour Minister Ith Samheng told reporters he welcomed the opportunity for workers.
“This association wants between 20,000 and 30,000 Cambodian trainees, which is a good opportunity,” he said. “There are currently about 5,000 Cambodians in Japan working in agriculture, industry and construction.”