The Japan International Trainee & Skilled Worker Cooperation Organization (JITCO) was established as an incorporated foundation in 1991. It became a public interest incorporated foundation under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Office in April 2012. JITCO’s purpose is to promote the acceptance of foreign nationals, such as technical intern trainees and foreigners with specified skills, and to contribute to the development of the international economic community.
As a program-wide general support organization for the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), JITCO conducts various support services, such as holding seminars, handling individual consultations, and developing and providing teaching materials, for everyone involved in the program, including supervising organizations, implementing organizations, and sending organizations. As the training organization designated by the competent ministers by public notice, JITCO also conducts training courses for supervisors at supervising organizations and technical intern training managers at implementing organizations.
With respect to the status of residence of “specified skilled worker,” which was introduced in April 2019, JITCO conducts various support services, the same as with the TITP, such as holding seminars for persons involved in the program and providing application support services, as the general support organization regarding the acceptance of foreigners with specified skills.
JITCO as a General Support Organization
The Technical Intern Training Act has been in force since November 2017, principally to ensure the proper implementation of the Technical Intern Training Program and the protection of technical intern trainees, as the number of technical intern trainees has been increasing and sending countries have been diversifying in recent years.
As a general support organization for the Technical Intern Training Program, JITCO supports everyone involved with the program, including supervising organizations, implementing organizations, and sending organizations, by holding seminars and training session, conducting individual consultations, and developing and providing educational materials, etc. based upon the five support areas of “intake,” “procedures,” “sending,” “staff development,” and “protection of trainees.”
JITCO as a Training Organization
In the new Technical Intern Training Program, which is based on the Technical Intern Training Act, (1) Supervisors, which carry out supervision activities in each workplace for supervising organizations, (2) designated external directors and external auditors that are established to ensure appropriate conduct of supervision activities by supervising organizations, and (3) technical intern training technical training managers that are selected by each workplace that carries out technical training as an implementing organization, must each undertake training conducted by the “training organization” that is designated as appropriate by the competent ministers by public notice once every three years. Furthermore, although training attendance is optional for staff apart from supervisors that are in charge of auditing at supervising organizations, as well as technical intern training instructors and living guidance instructors at implementing organizations, it is recommended as it is one of the factors that is considered when judging excellent supervising organizations and implementing organizations.
JITCO provides training as the training organization that has been designated by the competent ministers by public notice.
JITCO as a General Support Organization Regarding the Acceptance of Foreigners with Specified Skills
As of April 2019, it is now possible to accept foreign nationals under the new status of residence of “specified skilled worker,” in order to address the serious labor shortage in Japan.
As the general support organization regarding the acceptance of foreigners with specified skills, JITCO provides various kinds of support to everyone involved in the program, such as accepting organizations (organization of affiliation of the specified skilled worker) and Registered Support Organizations, based upon the five support areas of “intake,” “sending,” “procedures,” “staff development,” and “residence.”
