TITP – An opportunity for Indian youth to get on-the-job training in Japan

According to Noruma Research Institute (the largest economic research and consulting firm in Japan), Japan will face a shortfall of 10.47 million workers, or 15% of the overall workforce, by 2030. To address the issue of labour shortage in the country, Japan has taken several initiatives and TITP is one among them. 

Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) has been an ambitious joint program between the Governments of India and Japan for over four years now. The key objective of TITP is to develop and train the skilled workforce of developing nations through the transfer of skills, knowledge and technology. 

Under this program, carefully selected suitable candidates are sent to Japan for on-the-job training, where they acquire new skills and experience. The program serves the dual purpose of training the skilled workforce of developing countries and also addressing the issue of labour shortage in Japan.

To learn more about the Indo-Japan collaboration in the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), the role of NSDC, and priority areas for Sending Organisations, among others, we conversed with Mr. Vipindas D, AVP – International initiatives, Learnet Skills.

Below are a few excerpts from our conversation, you can watch the whole interview on our YouTube channel. 

Q: What is TITP and what is the role of NSDC in it?

A. In 1993, the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) was launched in Japan. Under the TITP program, 30+ countries participate and around four lakh interns work in various categories, job roles and sectors. In 2017, India signed an MoC with the Government of Japan through which India began sending applicants under the TITP beginning in 2018. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) appointed NSDC to monitor the program.

As a result, NSDC issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) from Sending Organisations (SOs). Following the requirements, Learnet Skills was chosen as one of the 36 Sending Organizations (SOs) from India for the TITP program.

Our experience with NSDC has been great, they constantly advise, assist and keep track of everything we do. Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT) is a legal entity that is supervising the entire inflow of candidates in Japan and their well-being on behalf of the Government of Japan. The candidates are placed with various Supervising Organizations (SVOs) and these organizations in turn work with employers.

Q: Could you describe the role of Learnet Skills as a Sending Organization?

A. Learnet Skills started taking several initiatives to successfully implement the TITP program as soon as we were designated as a sending entity. As a Sending Organization (SO) with more than 10 years of experience in the field of vocational training and skill development, we play a variety of roles. We have five established training centres in Kerala, Assam, Delhi, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. Since we started the language training facilities, 30-35 candidates in various employment roles have already travelled to Japan and some of the candidates are now completing their training in our training centres.

Role of the Sending Organizations (SO) under the TITP program 

1. Establishing TITP Internship linkages:

We, at Learnet Skills, have a virtual office and a staff available in Japan. The staff’s responsibility is to network with new SVOs and SOs, learn about their needs in the relevant industries and based on that information, increase demand from employers and establish a contract with them.

As per Japanese regulations, companies can currently hire roughly 10% of Indians. Therefore, after we have a legal agreement in place, SVO should have a proven track record. We also do a background check on the SVO, before we get into a formal agreement. Once the verifications are clear, we formally agree with the SVO, where we deploy our Indian candidates.

Once the agreement is completed, we approach the community based on those demands, for in-demand job roles. Each job role has specific skill requirements, however, training in the Japanese language is a prerequisite for all jobs in any sector and then domain training is added.

2. Mobilising suitable candidates:

We have a team dispersed across India that reaches out to the community based on the requirements of the employers. In mobilisation, employers look for skilled people who meet their requirements, the candidate must be at least 18 years of age and have Indian citizenship. SVOs frequently do pre-screening and decide if the candidates are suitable for the training.

3. Actual training for various job roles:

There are two primary requirements for N4 and N5 levels in Japanese language training. When it comes to caregivers, Japan has a high demand due to the country’s large elderly population. There are many facilities for caring for the elderly and they are constantly on the lookout for new caregivers to work in their facilities.

Since Japanese is not a widely spoken language, we inform the candidates of the benefits of learning the language, the challenges and strategies for success. The employer conducts the final interview and provides the candidates with an offer letter once they pass the N4 level.

4. Final selection of the candidates:

SVOs make the final decision based on all the criteria. According to the job description that has been shared with us, we set up interviews for these applicants who have finished both domain and language training. Once they are prepared with the N4 certificate in the case of a caregiver, they conduct the interviews. The interview will be attended by both the SVO and SOs. The offer letter will be given to the chosen candidates after the selection process.

5. Arranging for a certificate of eligibility and visa:

A Sending Organization will take care of arranging the certificate of eligibility and coordinate with SVOs in Japan to fill out the required forms for the candidates. First, the certificate of eligibility will be given to the candidates and then get their visas. Sending Organizations will take care of the candidates and keep track of the candidates’ progress through our virtual office and staff located in Japan. The candidates then reside there for the next three years.

6. Support in Japan with the help of a virtual office:

We have a virtual office and staff available in Japan. We secure the candidates’ return to India once they have completed the three years. For those who wish to stay in Japan longer, there are opportunities to extend the program for an additional two years.

The Government of Japan is now allowing candidates who served three years as interns to apply for the Specified Skill Worker (SSW) category. With a three-year TITP plus a two-year extension, a total of five years is feasible. It is a great opportunity for the candidates to move to a developed country with a suitable working environment and receive all of the social security benefits. 

Q: Can any graduate be part of TITP? What is the eligibility criteria?

A. TITP program is open to any graduate who passes the N4 and N5 levels in Japanese language training. For example, in ITI engineering, five candidates in welding were recently selected last week. The selected ITI welders with a year of experience with an N5 level successfully passed the interview. Even students in class 10 who have at least a year of industry experience can choose to work in the construction industry at the N5 level. Caregivers, who do not have any medical background and those who have completed class 10 and class 12 looking for an opportunity in the healthcare sector, can learn the Japanese language and train in the caregiver program. After completing the training in 5 – 6 months, they will be eligible to apply for a position as a TITP intern in Japan.

Q: How about the duration of the Japanese language training?

A. To learn the Japanese language, candidates undergo at least six months of training. If it is full-time, they will reach the level of N4 in that amount of time. We believe that six months of training is ample time for candidates to pick up the language.

Q: How are students enrolled for TITP? What is the process followed by Learnet Skills? 

A. Learnet Skills has training centres operating throughout India. Therefore, we utilise our already-existing network of mobilizers, our community engagement program, which involves sending staff members into the field to participate in a variety of community-based activities. We use the database of candidates who have received training in both technical and non-technical trades. We also do workshops in nursing homes, colleges, etc. Candidates then visit our facility, where we conduct a thorough evaluation and counselling to see if they are qualified to perform that specific employment role. If the candidates pass the test, we will enrol them and send their details to employers for the first screening.

As part of the language training, we also teach them Japanese culture, ethics and other crucial topics in six months of training. After thorough training, candidates do not face any complications when they arrive in Japan.

Q: What are some of the in-demand job roles in Japan under TITP? 

A. Due to the demand-supply gap, the Home and Healthcare industry for caregivers will always be in high demand. Learnet Skills are receiving a lot of requests for the engineering and construction sectors New career roles are emerging in the engineering and construction sectors, such as welding and machinery work and also in the automotive industry. These are the industries in which a lot of companies are seeking skilled workers.

Q: What is the positive impact created by TITP among the youth?

A. If we take a look at our first batch, we sent two girls to Japan, who completed three years there and returned to India a month back. They were very considerate and gave these candidates an extended leave to come back and settle. The employers were also very accommodating and are satisfied with the performance of the candidates and continued to show their interest to allocate more numbers.

The candidates choose to join the program even though they did not have any prior knowledge. All they had to do was get trained in the Japanese language to have successful careers. Our team in Japan and India also very successfully planned the entire program.

Q: Would you like to add anything more?

A. Today, we have 40 interns who are already employed in Japan and currently 20 more people are awaiting the offer letter. The TITP program is a great opportunity for the youth as it has straightforward procedures and is closely supervised by both the Government of India and the Government of Japan to promote a safe and secure environment. We, at Learnet Skills, are prepared to offer our expertise and support to anyone who needs assistance with this specific program.