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To enjoy your work, you need confidence and pride.
I want you to work with hope for the future.
2024.02.01
President and CEO
Takao Yajima
Mr. Yajima has worked with Specified Skilled Worker and Technical Intern Trainee for many years. He believes that accepting these workers is an effective way to solve the labor shortage problem facing the construction industry. We spoke with him in detail.
Understanding differences in personality and ways of thinking, and communicating with mutual respect.
Please tell me the benefits of accepting them.
Our work involves physical labor, so it's naturally a job where people in their 20s to 40s with physical strength are the main performers. People in their 50s and 60s may have technical skills, but when it comes to physical strength, they can't compete with younger people. In that sense, young, physically fit foreigners are attractive.
What do you keep in mind when working with them?
Work should be enjoyable. That should be true for both Japanese and foreigners. Of course, we need to be strict when teaching, but if it's too strict, people will get fed up. That's why it's important to respect each other and communicate well while working together.
Is there anything in particular you pay attention to?
People and ways of thinking differ from country to country. Some people are naturally assertive or have high pride. It is very important to understand these differences before building relationships. It is unthinkable to yell "What are you doing?!" from above. However, even Japanese people sometimes raise their voices when seriously teaching. In such situations, follow-up care is crucial.
We help employees acquire qualifications such as Level 1 Certified Skilled Worker certification, which helps them clearly define their future career advancement.
What kind of strategies do you employ in terms of player development?
When they come to Japan, they start off with a constant stream of anxiety due to unfamiliar work and lifestyle. Therefore, it's essential to first help them gain confidence in their work. Having them obtain qualifications is a very effective way to achieve this. And I believe that if they can take pride in their work, knowing that they are being valued because they have learned so much, they will enjoy their daily lives more.
What kind of qualifications do they encourage their students to obtain?
We encourage our employees to aim for Level 1 Certified Skilled Worker, and we already have four foreign employees who have achieved this. What's important is that they have dreams for the future, and we clearly outline their career advancement opportunities after obtaining the qualification. We believe that the most important thing is for them to have hope that working for our company will brighten their future.
We will gradually increase the number of foreigners who cross the sea and work hard, thereby building a solid system.
Do you think the number of construction companies accepting workers will increase?
Absolutely. For example, in Tokyo, there are plenty of jobs, and even if you work part-time at a convenience store or an izakaya (Japanese pub), you can earn over 300,000 yen by working two jobs at once. In such a region, young Japanese people who enter the construction industry tend to quit as soon as they find it a little tough. On the other hand, foreigners have crossed the sea and are desperately trying to earn a living. It's only natural that employers would want to hire them.
What are your plans for future developments?
Our company is experiencing a gradual aging of its Japanese workforce, and we are certain that the number of retirees will increase in the future. However, the reality is that we cannot expect a significant increase in new Japanese workers. Therefore, as Japanese workers retire, we plan to increase the number of foreign workers by accepting Technical Intern Trainee and Specified Skilled Worker. We plan to accept 30 foreign workers over the next five years, and we hope to build a solid system.
(Interviewed on May 30, 2023)
