To work in Japan with the new status, foreign nationals need to take both a skill exam and a Japanese language proficiency test.

During his talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Tokyo on December 16, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio also affirmed that Vietnam's workforce, including high-quality laborers and skilled apprentices, is indispensable for Japan's socio-economic development.

Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the upcoming organization of a specified skill exam for apprentices in Vietnam, Viet Nam News said.

According to the Public Relations Office of the Japanese Government, “Specified Skilled Worker” is a new status of residence established in April 2019 for foreign nationals seeking to reside in Japan for employment.

As of February 2020, the Japanese government has concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with twelve countries, primarily in Asia, to ensure the proper sending and acceptance of foreign nationals as Specified Skilled Workers, not least to eliminate malicious intermediary organizations.

To work in Japan with the new status, foreign nationals need to take both a skill exam and a Japanese language proficiency test.

To date, Vietnam has just organized a trial exam related to Specified Skilled Workers in March 2021 in the construction sector, with 30 candidates participating.

This year, Vietnam has recorded the highest number of guest workers ever, both laborers sent annually to Japan, estimated at around 85,000 and those currently working in the country, standing at over 300,000, heard a Vietnam-Japan labor forum held in Tokyo on December 16.

Vietnam is also the biggest source of workers sent to and presently working in Japan, among 15 countries sending apprentices and workers to the East Asian country, said VietnamPlus.

Addressing the forum, Chinh suggested focusing on recruiting and dispatching workers with skills, qualifications, and a desire to learn in certain Japanese industries of strength such as semiconductor, information technology, automation, biotechnology, agricultural technology, underground water treatment, and urban environment, towards building a workforce trained through practical jobs in Japan to contribute to the development of those industries in Vietnam.

Along with the current revision of Japan's legal policies regarding the training and reception of foreign laborers, he said Japan should take the lead in training international workforces, including Vietnamese laborers, to step up effective, sustainable, and mutually beneficial labor cooperation between the two nations./.

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