According to the Sankei Shimbun (March 25, 2025), “Immigration Services Agency revoke certification plans against Imabari Shipbuilding; 2,134 cases, the highest number ever.” The article is summarized below.
The Immigration Services Agency and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare have revoked 2,134 technical intern training plans of Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture) due to the confirmation of violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Act. This is the largest number of cancellations under the Technical Intern Training Act since it came into effect in November 2017. Going forward, the company will not be able to accept technical intern trainees for five years, nor will it be able to accept foreigners for “Training Employment.” Under the Technical Intern Training Act, if a fine is imposed for violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, the certification of the intern training plan will be revoked.
What is a technical intern training plan?
The Technical Intern Training Program is a system aimed at enabling foreign workers to learn specific skills and techniques for a certain period of time in Japan and contribute to the development of their home countries. Under this program, foreign workers (technical intern trainees) are dispatched to Japanese companies and organizations and are required to undergo a certain amount of training and gain practical experience.
A technical internship plan is a document that specifies the specific training and internship content that technical interns should receive, and is a necessary document to ensure that the internship is carried out effectively. This plan details the internship content that the interns will carry out, the conditions of the internship site, the internship period, and the skills and techniques that they should acquire through the internship. Technical internship plans must be submitted by the accepting organization and approved by the supervising organization.
Reasons for cancellation of certification
The certification of technical intern training plans is an important procedure to ensure that the operation of the technical intern training program is carried out properly. The main reasons for the cancellation of certification are as follows:
- If the training content is not carried out as planned
- If the contents of the training plan are not actually carried out or the training is not properly carried out, certification may be revoked.
- Offering unfair working conditions or environments
- If excessive work, unpaid wages, or inappropriate working conditions are provided in violation of the Labor Standards Act, the certification of the plan will be revoked.
- Abuse and misconduct of technical intern trainees
- Any misconduct, such as physical or mental abuse of trainees, inappropriate treatment, or breach of contract, will result in the revocation of certification.
- Providing false information
- If there are false statements in the plan, for example false reports about the internship location or content, the certification will be revoked.
- Violation of laws and regulations
- If the companies or management organizations running the training programs violate the Technical Intern Training Act or related laws, their certification will be revoked.
In this way, the grounds for revoking the certification of technical intern training plans are established to ensure that trainees receive appropriate education and that the working environment is humane.
The article at the beginning does not clarify which of the above reasons is the reason for the revocation of certification this time.