Japan Needs Fisheries Sector Human Resources, KKP Ready To Send Specially Affected Workers

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) together with Japan's Miyagi Prefecture collaborated in the development of marine and fishery Human Resources (HR) with a focus on preparing Specified Skilled Workers (SSW) or special skilled workers.

Indonesia and Japan, especially Miyagi Prefecture, in terms of the potential of the fisheries sector have characteristics in common.

"This similarity is the strength of Indonesia and Miyagi Prefecture to cooperate in the field of labor exchange to help maintain the fishing industry in Japan and support the development of human resources in the Indonesian fisheries sector," said Head of the Maritime and Fisheries HR Counseling and Development Agency (BPPSDM) I Nyoman Radiarta quoted from the official KKP website, Wednesday, August 2.

Nyoman said this was a supporting factor that made Indonesia one of the eight ASEAN countries that received priority in sending certain skilled workers to Japan.

"This is certainly a good opportunity for Indonesia as a country with a large number of productive age human resources," he said.

With the large demand for Indonesian SSW, said Nyoman, his party seeks to find out the existence, condition, welfare, and legal protection of workers.

He also proposed cooperation, especially for the achievement of graduates' eligibility to work in Japan levels 1 and 2 SSW including Japanese language and cultural training, internships at Japanese companies, in order to meet the requirements to become SSWs.

In addition, Nyoman also encouraged the signing of an agreement with Miyagi Prefecture and encouraged the implementation of student exchanges, lecturers, and education personnel through the Summer School program from Japan to Indonesia and vice versa.

On the same occasion, Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai said his party needed Indonesian human resources to work in the fisheries sector in Japan. "Currently, the most interns in Japan are Vietnam and Indonesia, with almost the same number. In the future, Indonesia can overtake Vietnam," he said.

Therefore, Miyagi continued, his party expressed its interest in partnering with BPPSDM, both in the short, medium and long term. He also encouraged the acceleration of signing cooperation with BPPSDM in the near future.

Meanwhile, Miyagi Prefectural DPRD Member Kazuyoshi Hatakeyama said Japan has advanced technology in the fisheries sector, but has a very limited number of human resources, especially for young people.

"Meanwhile, Indonesia has a large number of fishery human resources, so it is hoped that Indonesian human resources can work in the Japanese fisheries sector, especially in Miyagi Prefecture," he said.