The first batch of Indian nursing care workers trained under a joint programme by Sompo Care and India's National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has begun working in Japan to ease its skilled manpower shortage.
A recent news report by Nikkei Asia said the first batch of Indian nursing care workers trained by a Sompo Care (a subsidiary of Japan’s Sompo Holdings) and NSDC will help address Japan’s skilled manpower shortages and ageing population.
In August 2024, Sompo Care had launched a specialised training centre in India that offers a nine-month programme that includes Japanese language instruction and practical training using care equipment imported from Japan. The initiative aims to train and deploy 100 Indian caregivers annually, with the objective of hiring 1,000 workers by 2040.
The first batch of eight trainees who graduated from the programme along with passing Japan’s ‘specified skills’ test, has qualified them for residency and employment in Japan. Sompo Care has ensured that the Indian recruits will be paid on par with their Japanese colleagues. Those who excel in their performance may be elevated to management roles.
As Japan grapples with the problem of an ageing population and a shrinking workforce, projections suggest a shortfall of around 570,000 nursing care workers by 2040.