Japan Opens Employment Opportunities for 100,000 Indonesians Annually
Indonesia has reportedly received an offer from Japan to send up to 100,000 Indonesian citizens to work in the Land of the Rising Sun each year. This was conveyed by Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Stella Christie via her personal TikTok account.
In her post, Stella revealed that she had just received the news from the Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Prof Badri Munir Sukoco, following a leadership meeting regarding the job offer in Japan. “We have just finished a leadership meeting and there is good news I heard from the Secretary General that Japan is offering work opportunities for 100,000 Indonesians,” Stella said in the video.
Stella explained that Japan is currently facing a demand for labour. Following up on this opportunity, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto directed the formation of a task force that will coordinate with career centres at a number of Indonesian universities. “The Minister ordered the formation of a task force for career centres at universities,” she said. The task force will design how Indonesia can train the competencies of workers ready to work in Japan, aiming to send 100,000 people per year.
In addition to the programme to be launched by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, the Ministry of Manpower has previously sent workers to Japan through the IM Japan Apprenticeship programme. Launched in 1993, the programme has graduated 45,000 alumni. Through this programme, Indonesians are trained to improve technical skills according to their vocational fields. The Ministry of Manpower cooperates with various regional governments in Indonesia for registration.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers has also launched the SMK Go Global programme. Under this initiative, Indonesians who have completed the programme and possess specific skills will be sent to various countries, including Japan. The second half of 2026 registration for SMK Go Global will open on 12 August, specifically for those already skilled in nursing, manufacturing, construction, welding, hospitality, transportation, and agriculture. Next year, the ministry will open registration for those without these skills, meaning they will be trained from scratch.