Japan the new Jerusalem for Sri Lanka’s short term migrant workers

Of all places for well organized migrant labor, the Korean employment program run by the Korean Government, which both conducts Korean Language Exams and then vets the workers and matches them with prospective employers in Korea, IS currently the best program for Sri Lankan workers.

This results in both well remunerated work in certain industries and a clear period of initial employment and the possibility of a return for a further assignment of 2 to 5 years, that has resulted in remittances back to Sri Lanka of between Rs5M and Rs20M per migrant worker, during the course of their employment.

Even once exams are passed, there is a strict vetting process, with medical checks and capability, where a better educated worker is recruited. No doubt most go for the income benefits, where they leave SKILLED jobs in Sri Lanka and take up manual labor work in Korea in small family run production plants, because of the huge income discrepancies, so it is not the case where unemployed people go to Korea. Most leave jobs, and in those instances employers in Sri Lanka have to recruit lesser qualified or capable people to fill them. There is therefore a cost to Sri Lanka.

So in this era where we question the need for our women to go to the Middle East it is high time that the State becomes PROACTIVE, and has discussions Government to Government with Japan on a pathway for one distinct class of worker required by the Japanese State, due to the rapidly aging and diminishing population there.

The obvious area where there is going to be a severe shortage is in the area of Geriatric Health Care workers, male and female to assist this aging population. Japan, a very organized and disciplined nation, is acutely aware of the need, and is considering all options, but it is the solution to both their needs and our wants that is staring in the face, with no one taking the initiative to MATCH the two.

I therefore recommend the initiative to train and fill up to 5,000 vacancies a year, to start with, by first setting up an institution to supply this need with the collaboration and possibly financed by the Japanese Government, a one year course, where those who qualify are then sent to Japan for a 5 year period, for employment where they can earn an income in the region of Rs400,000 a month there.

We must train unskilled people, usually young, and not take people out of existing productive jobs which is one of the downsides of the Korean Employment Program.

It is important that there is an investment on the part of the person concerned in this one year course, as otherwise there will be no commitment to go once the course is completed if it is FREE, and some form of bond is signed to ensure that both parties to the contract benefit.

This way we can reduce the need for unskilled people leaving for Middle East employment which is gradually declining, and replacing with specialized workers who can be sent to one of the most desirable countries that people currently clamor to go and then disappear into the country, undocumented.

Unfortunately the only issue for the Japanese Government is that these workers if the history of migrant workers is anything to go by, don’t want to return, finding some means to disappear into the woodwork!

If there is a way to bind them, similar to the Korean Model, then there will be some assurance of their return once the assignment is completed. This project could fulfill both Countries' needs and provide another economic pathway to young people, who upon their return could be assured of employment in the health care field, which is a fast growing one in Sri Lanka, or at least economic independence where they have the capital to get a start in life, in business, or a regular income, to supplement their lower income in employment upon arrival.

We can look into the examples of Korean Job returnees to Sri Lanka, to ascertain how successful they have been in setting up their own businesses and improving their family economic bases upon their return.

Frankly, this project is a no brainer, and at least has some assurance of returnees having the ability to benefit the Country. Contrast this with the new Nursing School that is under development, where we are about to train Nursing Graduates, and sign them up for a minimum of 5 years in the local health sector as a BOND. We will train them at a very high cost to the Government, but within a few years, they will be snapped up in the Western Countries like the USA, which is crying out for trained and qualified nurses, where they will emigrate with their families, and be of little use to the Sri Lankan Economy, in short an investment with no return, a total LOSS, unless the cost of their full education is borne by those nurses.

In conclusion, WE MUST understand that many countries including ours are facing huge skills shortages and related crises, but we will be the loser, to higher paying countries and don’t want to be the training ground for other Countries’ needs, where half our doctors still emigrate, wasting our valuable state resources in Free Education for them. 

Let us use our most valuable resource, "Human Resource", Wisely!