Vietnamese workers afforded opportunity in Japan’s hospitality industry

Vietnam’s Department of Overseas Workers signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) with the All Japan Ryokan Hotel Association on October 4 to promote the acceptance of skilled Vietnamese workers to work in Japan’s accommodation industry.

The signing ceremony between the two sides
The signing ceremony between the two sides

The MOC aims to increase labour protection, especially eliminating deceitful intermediaries and illegal activities, and to facilitate the dispatch and acceptance of specified skilled workers on the basis of complying with the two countries’ legal regulations.

Based on this document, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) is formulating an information campaign so that those interested in working in Japan can learn about the regulations concerning the programme.

The ministry will also select eligible companies to send specified skilled workers to Japan and guide them to look for contracts with good benefits for Vietnamese workers.

In addition, MOLISA will work with the Japanese side to organise skills and language tests in line with Japan’s regulations.

MOLISA Deputy Minister Le Tan Dung said that the implementation of the MOC will open more job opportunities for Vietnamese skilled workers in the accommodation industry and help Japan to deal with labour shortages in a number of key economic sectors.

In December 2018, the Japanese parliament passed a new immigration law, allowing the acceptance of 345,150 foreign workers across 14 industrial fields over five years, starting from April 2019.

Last year, Vietnam sent nearly 70,000 interns to Japan, accounting for more than half of the total accepted number.