About a quarter of Japanese firms are positive about reskilling their workers -- seen as essential for improving labor productivity -- but only a small percentage are actively taking steps toward that goal, a research institute survey found.
The government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba views increased investment in human resource development as critical for Japan, expecting that as more people acquire new skills, their wages will rise.
According to Teikoku Databank Ltd, which surveyed around 11,000 firms in October, a combined 26.1 percent expressed a positive view on reskilling their workforce, with 8.9 percent having already started and 17.2 percent expressing willingness to do so in the future.
Many companies already supporting employee reskilling provide e-learning courses and assist workers in obtaining new qualifications.
While labor shortages are more acute in some sectors than others, reskilling workers is expected to help alleviate the issue in a nation known for its rigid corporate culture and low labor mobility.
Still, nearly half of the respondents in the latest survey, or 46.1 percent, are not taking any initiatives. Additionally, 9.5 percent said they do not know what "reskilling" means and 10.1 percent said they have never heard the term.
Small firms struggling with severe labor shortages find it more challenging than larger companies to offer reskilling opportunities due to limited time and resources.
The institute noted concerns from some responding firms that reskilling workers might encourage job-hopping across companies and sectors, highlighting why many firms remain reluctant, according to the survey.
Companies "need to pay attention to the risk of not getting involved in reskilling," it said, adding that boosting labor productivity by training workers to adapt to digital transformation and new technologies will be crucial for the future of Japan Inc.
© KYODO
6 Comments
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sakurasuki
Another question that need to confirm, when those reskilling really took place, is it during working hour or outside working hour. Is not that hard to guess which time, most of Japanese company will ask to their employee to do reskilling.
shogun36
They should also be getting rid of dead weight.
Dead weight as in useless old execs who just take up space, contribute nothing, but get paid the most out of everyone.
That would free up a tremendous amount of funds.
grc
Japan does love its surveys, doesn’t it?
sakurasuki
Survey, survey and more survey. By the time being asked what is the action, sucking teeth.
JeffLee
Then you're taking the totally wrong approach. The employees should be upgrading skills and earning certifications outside the employers, at techincal colleges, etc., after which they would be able to shop around during recruitment for higher wages. Corporates do what's in their interest, which is often not in workers' interests, as in suppressing wages.
Then their workers with career ambition should be encourage to quit and then have the free time and opportunity to gain certifications, etc. that will make them more valuable in the workplace.
Bret T
@sakurasuki said:
"most of Japanese company will ask to their employee to do reskilling"
My feeling is if company requires employee to have the new skill "to benefit the company", then it should be done on company time.
If the skill up is done so employee can advance to higher position/pay, then employee should do outside of the work schedule. Just as person goes to college before being hired, they invested time in themselves to be ready for higher job.
Is that the way of the Japanese companies?